Chapter 21: A Weird Alien

The air in the living room grew tense, pressing down like a storm about to break. Sensing the shift, Daisy instinctively tugged at Theo’s sleeve. "Shall I leave first?" she whispered. But before Theo could answer, Richard’s voice cut in. "He’s not ready." "So when will he be ready?" Theo asked, his tone low but pointed. "I’ve given him enough time. He’s been playing around." Daisy blinked, confused. "Wait..." The word slipped out before she could stop it, too soft to mean anything, yet loud enough to be heard. And now, suddenly, the room was silent. All eyes were on her. She froze, realizing she had unintentionally stepped right into the middle of it. "Ah... I mean..." In a flash, she bent down slightly, scrunching her face as she clutched her stomach. "I’m—uh—having a stomachache. Err... where’s the toilet?" Her voice was strained, her acting questionable at best, but the desperation in her eyes sold it. A beat of silence. Then Liam, bless his soul, pointed down the hall with a look of concern and barely concealed amusement. "Second door on the left. Don’t die." Daisy nodded furiously and made a quick escape, her pride slightly crumbling, dignity left somewhere between Theo’s sleeve and her fake stomachache. The moment the bathroom door clicked shut behind her, she leaned against it and stared at the mirror. "What the heck..." she mumbled, eyes narrowing at her own reflection. She had expected drama, sure, some over-the-top rich family tension, maybe a petty fight over inheritance. That was what happened in her own family. Her mother was erased from the will the moment she chose to marry her father. No arguments. Just a quiet cut-off, like she had never existed. Daisy took a deep breath. "Remember, Daisy. You’re here just to observe. Nothing more." She practiced a smile in the mirror. It looked passable. Then she exhaled, loud and long. "Let’s go back." She opened the bathroom door, straightening her posture like she hadn’t just faked a stomachache. "Done?" Theo was standing right there, arms crossed. "Oh my gosh!" Daisy stumbled back into the bathroom, startled by his sudden appearance. He stared at her like he’d done nothing wrong. "Let’s go," he said, casually holding out his hand as if expecting her to take it. She blinked at him, confused. Theo, instantly catching on, stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Lock. "Can you stop blinking your eyes like that?" "Sorry?" she said, clearly not expecting that to be the issue and blinked even more furiously in response. "I said don’t blink like that..." His voice was getting lower. Daisy instantly stopped, her eyes wide opened. Daisy froze. "But... humans are supposed to blink. Otherwise, my eyeballs will dry up and fall out or something." Theo bit his lip and slowly closed his eyes, as if grounding himself. Just for a second. When he opened them again, his expression was unreadable. "Just... don’t blink with that expression. Your foxy eyes—" He stopped himself, realizing he’d almost said too much. "Foxy eyes? But I thought mine were more... doe-like?" She rushed to the mirror, peering at her reflection with theatrical urgency... Then suddenly froze. "Wait..." Theo, still standing exactly where he was, tilted his head slightly, watching her. "What does me... blinking have to do with you locking us in this bathroom?" Theo was caught off guard. Just for a second. His eyes flickered, like he hadn’t expected her to connect the dots so quickly. But then, just as fast, his usual composure slid back into place. "We need to talk." His voice was calm again. As if the tension from earlier had never happened. Daisy narrowed her eyes, not blinking this time. "About what? My blinking? Or my so-called foxy eyes?" "No... about our marriage." He stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "I’ve already made sure none of the staff leaked the information. So for now, let’s just act like we’re engaged." Daisy frowned. "Sorry? And why, exactly?" Her tone was sharp, laced with disbelief. Theo didn’t flinch. "Because I said so." Cold. Dismissive. Final. "Ha, as if marriage is something that simple..." she muttered under her breath, frustration seeping out in a whisper. Theo’s eyes narrowed. "It was that simple the moment you agreed... after hearing about the money." The words hit harder than she expected. Daisy’s lips pressed together tightly. "I guess it did sound simple to you... since you’re the one giving." She blinked again but this time, not out of confusion. Her eyes were stinging. And she hated that he might notice. "If you know," he continued, not even a flicker of guilt in his voice, "then act like you were told." Her lips crumpled slightly, like she was holding back the ache lodged deep in her chest. That quiet, bitter ache of knowing... that in the end, she was nothing more than the girl who said yes for the money. He knew it. He saw it. And he used it like it meant she had no right to feel anything at all. "One more thing..." Theo broke the silence that had been thick between them since his last harsh words. "You don’t have to stay when he announces our engagement." This time, Daisy didn’t speak right away. The frown on her forehead appeared for just a split second then vanished behind a practiced smile. "Okay." She swallowed hard. "So... should I go home now?" "No," He said, turning to the door, "Eat first, then go." She blinked, then forced a smile, wider this time, too wide to be real. "Ah, I’m not really hungry. And if it gets too late, it’ll be hard for me to catch a bus or taxi home." Theo glanced over his shoulder. "Give them whatever reasonable excuse and remember to be at my office by eight tomorrow morning." She nodded. No argument. No more words. Theo stepped out of the bathroom without looking back, leaving her standing there, clenching her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.