Daisy was lying on the hospital bed after breakfast when someone suddenly burst through the door and jumped on her with a hug.
It was none other than Abby.
"How are you? Are you still in pain? Did you have surgery? Are you okay?" Abby asked all in one breath.
"Calm down, Abby. I'm not dying. I just broke my ankle. And yes, I'm okay," Daisy answered with a small laugh.
After confirming Daisy was truly fine, Abby finally took a proper look around the room. Her eyes landed on someone, and her expression shifted to shock.
"Wait... isn't that the guy from the club that night?" she asked in disbelief. "What is he doing here?"
"Well," Daisy sighed, "unfortunately, he's the one who brought me here. And for some reason, he's been with me since."
Hearing them talk like he wasn't even in the room was Desmond's cue to leave. He was already late for work.
"Well, this has been... lovely," he muttered dryly. "I'll be heading out now."
Daisy just rolled her eyes. She stood up, intending to go to the bathroom, but for the second time that day, she slipped almost falling again. Fortunately, Desmond caught her again.
"I really can't wait to get my legs back ," she muttered under her breath.
Desmond had been heading for the door, but from the corner of his eye, he'd seen Daisy slip. Instinctively, he rushed over and caught her just in time. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he quickly let her go, cleared his throat, and said, "I'll be going now."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and exited the room.
Daisy stood there for a few seconds, rolled her eyes, then walked into the bathroom. When she returned, she found Abby wearing that signature teasing smile of hers.
"What do you want to say?" Daisy asked as she approached the bed.
"You and Mr. Jerk Face seem pretty close now," Abby said, wiggling her brows.
"Don't even go there, Abby. I just want to go home, so help me pack. I've got a lot of work to do."
"You haven't even completely healed, and you already want to dive back into work? You really need to rest," Abby said with a frown.
"I don't use my leg to design, Abby. And besides, I can work from home for the meantime," Daisy countered.
Abby sighed, knowing there was no point arguing Daisy had never listened before, and she wasn't about to start now. So instead, she helped her pack.
As they walked through the hospital hallway, Abby overheard people whispering and asking Daisy about her "boyfriend."
"You have a boyfriend and you didn't tell me?" Abby gasped dramatically.
"I don't have a boyfriend, Miss Dramatic," Daisy replied. "They just assumed Mr. Jerk Face was my boyfriend for some reason."
"Well... I mean, you two do look good together," Abby teased again.
Rolling her eyes, Daisy walked ahead, leaving Abby grinning behind in the hallway.
After settling into the car and arriving at her apartment, Abby dropped her off and left. Now alone in her room, Daisy focused on finishing a design she had to submit the next day.
Meanwhile, after leaving the hospital, Desmond went home, freshened up quickly, and headed straight to the office.
The moment he entered the building, his employees looked at him in shock he was never this late. Ignoring their stares, he kept his face expressionless. But when the glances became too obvious, he snapped.
"Is there something on my face? Or do all of you want to resign?" he said sharply.
Everyone instantly returned to their work.
"This is all that petty girl's fault," he thought bitterly. "Since meeting her, I've been ending up in one bad situation after another."
Entering the elevator, he pressed the button for the top floor. When he got to his office, he immediately called for his assistant.
"Bring me today's schedule."
A few minutes later, Mr. Raymond arrived.
"Sir, you have a meeting in the next two hours, followed by two more meetings later in the day," he reported professionally.
As always, Desmond's schedule was packed. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "And the company handling our design proposal when are they submitting it?"
"They're submitting it tomorrow, sir. That design will determine the signing of the collaboration."
Desmond didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and waved Mr. Raymond off, mentally preparing for the meetings ahead.
Later, in the conference room, the first meeting stretched on for several hours. After that, Desmond and his assistant headed to the next one this time at a high-end restaurant.
When he arrived in the private dining room, he waited for the client to arrive. But instead, a young woman walked in.
"Good evening, Mr. Mervin. I'm your date for tonight," she said in a high-pitched voice.
"I think you're mistaken," he said coldly, his expression darkening. "I'm here for a business meeting. Not a date. Please leave."
"Your mother asked me to meet you here. Don't worry I'll make it worth your time. Better than any boring business deal," she added with a giggle that made his jaw tighten.
Without saying another word, Desmond stood up and walked out.
Clearly, his family had interfered with his meetings again.
Frustrated, he loosened his tie as he slid into the back seat of the car and told his driver to take him home. He was done for the day.
His assistant, seated in the front, could sense the thick tension in the air. The atmosphere was unbearable.
On their way home, they passed the hospital where he and Daisy had been earlier. For a brief moment, he wondered if she was still there.
Unlikely, he thought. She seemed desperate to leave.
He shook his head, surprised he was even thinking about her. Leaning back, he rested his head against the seat and sighed.
It was probably best if he didn't see her again she seemed to bring nothing but chaos.
Still, as he closed his eyes, his mood oddly lightened.