Daisy sipped her warm milk carefully, though her eyes kept sneaking sideways to where Theo sat. He had been unusually quiet ever since she woke up.
"Are you angry at me?" Daisy asked.
Theo turned slightly and shook his head. "Why would I be mad at someone who’s sick?"
"Just asking... because you’re not talking much."
"You told me not to talk too much because you couldn’t take it..."
She gasped. "Ah... so it is because of me. You can talk, you know... it feels awkward eating in silence."
But instead of replying, he suddenly stood and walked toward the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a cup of her favorite drink—ice-blended vanilla.
Daisy’s eyes widened. "Can I drink this? I mean... I just recovered from the fever..."
Theo set the cup down in front of her, the condensation beading on the plastic like it had just been pulled from a café counter.
"It’s fine," he said, pulling out the chair again but not sitting immediately. "Just don’t finish it in one go."
She wrapped her hands around the cup, feeling the cold seep into her palms. "Ahh... this is so good I will never get tired of them," she murmured.
Theo’s mouth twitched, like he was fighting the urge to smile, but it never quite formed.
"Good," he said simply, finally lowering himself into the chair. His elbows rested on the table, posture leaning slightly forward, as if some invisible thread still kept him on edge.
Daisy took another sip, the vanilla sweetness coating her tongue. "You didn’t get one for yourself?"
He shook his head. "I never like vanilla."
Her eyes lifted to him, curious. "Then what is your favourite drink?"
Theo leaned back slightly, his eyes flicking to her cup before returning to her face. "Coffee. Black."
She scrunched her nose. "Bitter."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "You get used to it."
"But," she countered, "Elias seems to like sweet things." She took an exaggerated sip of her vanilla drink, humming as if to prove her point.
For a split second, something unreadable flickered in Theo’s eyes, a tiny crack in his usual calm. "I used to like them before... but not anymore. Guess I got used to bitterness."
"Then drink something sweet once in a while so that..." She reached out and gently smoothed the frown between his brows. "You don’t look bitter all the time." She chuckled softly. "It scares me sometimes."
His gaze lingered on her, unreadable. "So... I’ve been scaring you all this time?"
"Hm..." Daisy met his eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze back to the cup in her hands. "I guess you were... before. But it’s gotten better these days."
"Then that’s good..." He drew in a shallow breath, his eyes falling to his plate, still untouched.
"Is something wrong? Are you really that worried about me?" She gave his shoulder a playful poke, her tone teasing as if to lighten the air between them.
"Hm." He shook his head. "I need to go to the office today. I’ve been away for two days, and until I pass all the responsibility over to Liam, I guess I still need to do my job properly."
Daisy nodded in understanding. "Go," she said, blinking as she sipped the last of her drink.
"But..." His voice slowed, deliberate. "I’ll need to bring you along."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Why?"
"Because I don’t know what will happen if I’m not around you. That morning, two days ago, I was only gone for two hours to settle something at the office and you ended up in the emergency room."
Daisy quickly raised her hand, fingers splayed. "I promise nothing will happen again. I was probably just too tired that day, but... I’m fine now, see?"
She pushed her chair back and stood, giving a playful little twirl to prove her point, as if her full recovery could be summed up in a single spin.
"No." Before she could react, Theo stood and scooped her up with the ease of someone carrying a toddler. "You’re coming with me to the office."
"What are both of you doing?"
Theo turned, and Daisy had to twist her head more than usual since she was facing backward.
"Why do you care?" Theo tightened his hold on her. "Let’s go."
He strode toward the stairs, but Camellia darted forward and grabbed his arm sharply. The sudden pull made him shift his footing, and Daisy’s arms instinctively wrapped tighter around his neck.
"I told you we need to talk! And unblock me! Right now!" Camellia’s scream ricocheted through the big dining room, her voice cutting through the morning quiet like a shard of glass.
"What’s left to talk about?" Theo glanced at Daisy, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Hold on tight."
"I know you’re marrying her just to avoid—"
"Who told you that nonsense?" Theo’s gaze cut sharply to Camellia, his voice like ice. "I chose her because... the moment my eyes landed on her..." He shifted Daisy higher in his arms, his expression softening as he looked up at her. "I knew she was the one for me."
Camellia’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
"You can’t be serious," she breathed, her voice trembling. "You barely even know her."
Theo turned to the stairs. "Sometimes," he said without looking back, "it doesn’t take long to recognize what’s yours."
And Daisy, who, at that moment, was looking straight at a furious Camellia, stuck out her tongue in a childish mock.
Camellia’s eyes narrowed to slits. She lunged forward, her fingers snatching for Daisy’s hair.
Theo pivoted sharply, his arm tightening around Daisy as he twisted his body out of reach. "Don’t," his voice dropped low, the warning slicing through the air. "We both know why you’re chasing after me..."
Camellia’s breath caught, but she still met his gaze with defiance.
"You’re not in love with me," Theo said, his tone steady but heavy. "You’re in love with my brother... and he’s gone. I’m not Julian, Camellia. I’ll never be him."