Chapter 168: Object of fascination
While they were having dinner, Daisy’s phone started ringing. She paused eating when she saw that it was a call from Secretary Han.
’’Hello,’’ Daisy answered the call but she could not hear the man’s voice, ’’Hello..’’ she motioned to Ryle that she was going out for the call.
Ryle nodded.
’’Hello...’’
’’President, can you hear me?"
This time Secretary Han’s voice came clearer than before, ’’I am listening.’’
The man was evidently panicking a bit, ’’President, your pictures with Mr. Harper are all over the tabloids. Everyone is talking about your private life and they think that Mr. Harper is your gigolo...’’
"_"
Daisy fell speechless.
’’After, Mr. Harper is not a public figure. The people who would recognize him would be the top echelons of the society. And the picture that is published...’’
’’What picture?" Daisy asked.
’’I believe the picture was taken today itself. Mr. Harper is carrying you in his arms and you are holding...’’
’’Get to the point,’’ Daisy’s eyes darkened.
’’So, even though your face is completely visible, Mr. Harper’s back is visible in the picture. It’s because this is me so I recognized him right away,’’ the man said in a cocky tone.
"_" Was it something to be very pleased about that his face was not visible but hers was?
Daisy pinched the spot between her brows, ’’Ask the PR team to handle this matter,’’ she had known that this would happen but she did not expect it to happen anytime soon.
’’Alright, President. I will tell them to release a statement that the both of you are just ordinary friends...’’
’’Ryle and I are not ordinary friends,’’ Daisy cut him off, ’’Hence, that is not the right content for the statement.’’
Secretary Han went quiet for some time before he hesitantly questioned, ’’Then, President, what you are suggesting is....?"
’’Ask the PR team to release a statement that my private life is none of anyone’s business. They can keep their noses out of it,’’ After a momentary thought, Daisy added, ’’As for the tone of the statement, they can decide how to adjust it.’’
Secretary Han who was sitting on his chair, surrounded by a pile of paperwork that was splayed on the chest felt like he could have killed himself right there had god blessed him with two lives.
Adjust the tone of the statement? No matter how the tone was adjusted, it was still going to be a spectacular slap on everyone’s face.
’’President, what if the directors and shareholders....’’
’’I don’t question them about their husbands and wives,’’ Daisy cut the man off without giving him a chance to finish talking.
Secretary Han was stumped for words but then he noticed something, ’’If anyone from the company approaches me to question me about this incident, can I tell them that President doesn’t want to talk about her boyfriend.’’
Daisy’s lips twitched imperceptibly, ’’Secretary Han, how about you do the pending site visits and contribute a part of your salary to a few passion projects of the company?"
’’President, my throat has been throbbing since morning. I think I have gotten a throat infection so I should visit a doctor.. cough cough...’’
’’On the way, get your mouth stitched as well so that you don’t spout further nonsense,’’ With that said, Daisy disconnected the call.
She had no intentions of denying the rumors or being diplomatic in giving statements about her private life. After she took over her father’s position and still stuck to making public appearances with Ryle, she knew that she had no intention of hiding him or treating him as a secret from the rest of the world.
Daisy had just turned to leave when she saw a shadow in the distant hallway of the VIP floor of the restaurant. Her footsteps picked up pace but when she arrived at the spot where she had seen someone, she found the place empty.
She did not find anyone within her sight but her instincts told her that it was not an illusion. Someone had been here a moment ago and she had a bold feeling that that person was watching her.
She had just planned to leave when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Daisy remained standing there without having any intention to move. When the person was one step away from her, Daisy turned around and elbowed the person’s chest in a split second.
’’Ow... That hurt...’’ Lu Xian groaned when Daisy pinned him to the wall in a death grip.
Daisy blanked out for a split-second, ’’It’s you?"
’’What? President Chen, don’t tell me you can’t recognize me after getting all the glory?" Lu Xian sighed wistfully.
Daisy did not look at him but her gaze kept lingering on the surroundings. That gaze... Something about it made her heart feel unsettled.
’’Daisy... Daisy...? Where are you lost?" Lu Xian held her hand, tugging it gently to snap her out of her reverie. He followed her gaze and observed their surroundings but he could not see anything, ’’Is there something that’s bothering you?"
’’What’s bothering her is none of your concern,’’ A cold voice ripped through the empty space.
’’Ryle?" Daisy mumbled, looking at the man who was striding towards her, his gaze was deathly.
Daisy followed his line of sight and looked at her hand that was captured by Lu Xian. With her other hand, she was pinning the man to the wall. Suddenly, she did not know why she felt guilty looking at their compromising positions.
A hint of awkwardness flashed over her face and she immediately detached herself from the man as if the whole situation had nothing to do with her.
Displeasure flitted across Lu Xian’s face when he spotted Ryle, ’’Oh, you are here too?"
Ryle did not bother replying to the man. Instead, he turned towards Daisy and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears, ’’Since you are tired, let’s call it a night. Let’s go to the hotel.’’
Hotel?
Daisy wanted to question him but someone was one step ahead of her.
’’Hotel?’’ Lu Xian glanced at Daisy questioningly, ’’It has been a few days since I got to know that you had taken over your father’s position. I intended to come over to congratulate you but I was not around so I sent those flowers over to the Chen Mansion. But seeing that you are going to the hotel... do you have any important meetings in there today?’’
Ryle’s eyes darkened. But the moment he took a step towards Lu Xian, Daisy held his hand. He looked at her, feeling her slender fingers intertwining with his as she replied to Lu Xian with a clear tone, ’’I am already off work.’’
Ryle’s heart skipped a beat when the woman leaned her head against his shoulder after she spoke, ’’So perhaps let’s catch up some other day...’’
She said to Lu Xian and tilted her head to look at Ryle, ’’I am tired. Let’s go?"
Ryle did not say anything but glanced at their intertwined fingers quietly for a second before he nodded and led her out of the restaurant, not sparing another glance at Lu Xian who was still standing at his spot, looking at their retreating backs till he could not see them anymore.
His fingers curled into fists till his knuckles turned white.
’’Bothering, isn’t it?" A sonorous laughter rang beside him, ’’To watch your object of fascination land into someone else’s hands.’’
Lu Xian’s brows tugged together as he turned around to look in the opposite direction from where a woman walked out. A black dress adorned her body and a black scarf remained wrapped around her head. A thin mesh-like black piece of cloth covered the lower half of her face, forbidding anyone to see a single feature of the person. The only visible thing was the pair of disquietingly strange eyes.
When Lu Xian moved, the woman spoke up unhurriedly, ’’Do not bother looking for weapons to take me down. Don’t even dare to approach me, Mr. Lu.’’
The confidence in her voice had him halting in his tracks, ’’You think I will listen to you or be intimidated by you? Funny,’’ he shook his head and calmly took out his gun from his suit jacket before he pointed it at the woman’s forehead, ’’Who do you think you are?’’ His eyes narrowed indifferently as his finger pressed on the trigger of the gun.
’’Me? The person who can get you your object of fascination, Daisy Chen. Is this identity enough or do you want me to reintroduce myself?"
The frown between Lu Xian’s brows deepened even further when he heard the woman’s words but the finger that was resting on the trigger of the gun gradually loosened.
The woman’s eyes curved slightly, telling him that a small smile ghosted on her face behind the layer of clothes that covered her features.
’’You really think I won’t kill you?" Lu Xian’s voice thundered.
’’Uh-huh. I am just betting that you desire little Daisy way more than you want my life. Imagine being the man she goes to the hotel with,’’ the woman giggled as she spoke, ’’I was there, I saw your clenched fists when she said that she was going there with someone else. Did you not wish it was you instead, hmm?"
