Chapter 309: Chapter 308: Edward, let Daisy go
What Daisy Ginger was thinking could no longer be discerned from her calm exterior.
The grief for Alice Lesser’s recent death also seemed to have settled down, neatly packed away by her.
Edward Stephens couldn’t stay in Banyan City for long. He thought to wait until Daisy calmed down a bit, then discuss with her about moving to the United States with him.
Winters in Los Angeles are warmer than those in Banyan City, and Daisy should like it.
*
It was night.
Edward Stephens walked in with a bowl of seafood noodles.
Daisy was curled up on the bed, still asleep. Edward turned on a small lamp and, in the dim light, looked at her slightly flushed, sleeping face.
Then he reached out, gently nudged her, and called her awake.
When Daisy woke up, she stared blankly for a moment, seemingly not recognizing who he was at first.
After a while, she made a small movement and slowly sat up from the bed.
Edward handed her the noodles, "Eat before you sleep again."
Being cared for like this over the past few days, eating and sleeping alternately, she hadn’t gained any weight, her chin looking pitiably thin.
When he held her at night, he couldn’t bear to disturb her and remained very still.
Daisy took the chopsticks, tucked her hair behind her ear, and lowered her head to take a bite of the noodles.
Edward sat beside her, watching her eat her dinner. Only after Daisy had eaten halfway did he say, "In a few days, I will head back to the United States."
Daisy didn’t respond.
Edward continued, "Do you want to go with me?"
Daisy paused slightly, then lifted her head to look at him.
The man in front of her was handsome, born into a life of privilege that granted him an innate nobility, his dark eyes gazing at her filled with deep emotion, seemingly unaware.
Daisy slowly lowered her head, "I’ll wait until I’ve buried my mother’s ashes."
Edward was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to agree so quickly—it was unexpected.
He quickly reacted, looking a bit happy. Despite his normally cold demeanor, his smile was warm like that of a noble gentleman. He gently said to her, "Then I’ll wait for you."
"..." Daisy slowly continued eating the noodles, "Okay."
She kept her head down, her expression unchanged throughout.
*
The day Daisy disappeared was the afternoon of the third day after she agreed to return to the United States with him.
She said she wanted to go out alone to enjoy the sunshine, but by evening, she still hadn’t come back.
At first, Edward almost called the police, until he discovered that Alice’s ashes had also been taken by Daisy.
When she left, she took nothing but Alice’s urn with her. She was wearing just a casual outfit and a cashmere coat that she had on when she left.
Edward checked the surveillance footage, watching her swap cars several times, leaving the city, and then she vanished from all other camera footage.
She left so resolutely, telling no one, not even Ethan Pond or Zoe Hilker.
It was as if she was deliberately avoiding someone.
Edward roughly knew whom she was avoiding.
Agreeing to go to the United States with him was a deliberate act to lower his guard. She allowed him to embrace her and didn’t argue again over the matter of "deception." The moment his vigilance faded, she promptly left.
Edward thought he had never met a woman as heartless as Daisy Ginger.
Leaving so decisively, it was as if she had no attachments, taking only what was most important to her.
It seemed like she stayed in Banyan City just to wait for "Edward Stephens" and Alice.
This was not a conclusion that brought any joy.
Edward had no choice but to send people to find her.
But it was no easy task.
She had entangled him with ease, and left just as casually, never considering his feelings.
Clearly, it was she who first grabbed his hand, only to let go just as easily.
How could he just let her leave so simply?
*
Edward’s refusal to return to the United States did not sit well with Robert Stephens.
It even prompted Lady Stephens to come over.
Robert, who was disabled in both legs and required care, naturally didn’t present as well outwardly as the able-bodied Edward. The board had already begun to consult with Robert, demanding that Edward quickly return to the corporation to serve the Stephens group.
It had been a month since he returned to Banyan City, with no sign of him returning. The elders on the board had already started expressing their dissatisfaction.
Of course, the main issue was Robert felt that Edward was becoming more disobedient.
Lady Stephens, under immense pressure, called Edward to ask about returning to the company’s headquarters in Chicago but was unexpectedly informed that Daisy had left without a word and was missing.
She was stunned for a moment. When she learned that Daisy took only Alice’s urn with her, she couldn’t help but softly say to Edward: "Edward, maybe it’s time to let Daisy go."
Edward clenched his phone tightly.
"Daisy must have thought it through," Lady Stephens sighed, "She wants to live alone now, and we can’t..."
"Mom, you can’t disregard my feelings just to make yourself feel better," Edward interrupted her. "Do you feel guilty for what you did to her? Have you ever considered that your decision back then also hurt me?"
Lady Stephens was taken aback.
"You lied to both her and me. Do you think just because you saved my life everything is alright?"
"If you had told me even a little at the beginning, I wouldn’t have been so easily captivated by her."
He knew nothing either, as a victim in this relationship.
When his heart slowly moved closer to Daisy, he was told she loved someone else.
She called his name, looked at his face, but her heart thought of another man.
He even considered not dwelling on it, wanting to deceive her for a lifetime. He scorned competing with a dead man, willingly becoming a substitute, but now he was told to let her go.
Was it because she saved his life that he didn’t even have the right to fight for her?
He didn’t feel guilty about her at all. The only mistake was failing to guard against Robert, who got ahead of him.
"If you let her go like this, what will I do in the future?" he softly questioned, "You told a lie, but I’m the one who has to cover it. When I finally manage to do so, you want me to let her go myself?"
"Edward, Mom just..."
"I’m not blaming you," Edward’s voice was calm. "I just want to bring her back. She promised me that she’d return to the United States with me, and so she must."
From his calm tone, Lady Stephens detected a certain ruthless determination.
"Edward..."
"Edward, please don’t..." she began to speak with a trembling voice, only to be cut off as Edward ended the call.
The "beep, beep, beep" of the busy tone emanated from the phone, leaving Lady Stephens in a dazed panic.