Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Was he angry because she left without saying anything?

Next Day

Daisy woke up to the pale morning light filtering through her small window. The sky outside was gray and soft, the sun hidden behind a layer of clouds. The first thing she noticed was the empty bed. Cedric was gone. His shoes were gone too, the scuffed leather no longer sitting on her floor. The sheets were rumpled, and the pillow still held the faint indent of his head.

She sat up in her wooden chair, her back stiff from sleeping upright. She had not meant to fall asleep, but exhaustion had pulled her under sometime in the early hours, her body too tired to fight it any longer. Now her neck ached, her legs felt heavy, and her mouth was dry.

She stood up slowly and stretched her arms above her head, her joints popping, her muscles protesting.

Today, she wanted to meet Grandpa James. She had not seen him in days, and the thought of his warm smile and kind eyes made her heart feel warm, made her forget for a moment how cold her life had become.

She also wanted to get Alessio’s number. She needed to apologize to him for leaving the event without saying goodbye. She had been rude. He had been kind to her, and she had run away like a scared child, disappearing into the night without a word.

Daisy washed her face and changed into her lavender dress. She brushed her caramel hair until it shone, the strands slipping through the bristles like silk, and tied it back with a simple white ribbon. She looked at herself in the cracked mirror. Pale cheeks. Dark circles under her eyes. But her eyes were bright and determined.

She walked downstairs.

Jenna was sitting in the living room, reading a newspaper, a cup of tea steaming on the table beside her. Her silver hair was pinned up in an elegant twist, and she wore a tailored black dress, ready for work. She did not look up when Daisy entered.

Daisy stood at the edge of the room, waiting.

Jenna turned a page. The paper rustled.

Daisy pulled out her phone and typed:

I want to visit Grandpa James today.

She held out the screen.

Jenna’s eyes flickered to the phone, then back to her newspaper. Her expression did not change.

”Fine,” she said. ”Go.”

Daisy’s eyes lit up. She nodded quickly, her hands clasping together in front of her chest in thanks. She turned to leave.

”Be back before dinner,” Jenna said, her voice cold and final. ”Or don’t come back at all.”

Daisy nodded again and walked out the door before Jenna could change her mind.

The hospital was busy when she arrived. Nurses hurried past with clipboards and trays of medicine, their shoes squeaking on the polished floor. Visitors crowded the elevators, holding flowers, balloons, and worried expressions. The smell of antiseptic filled the air.

Daisy walked through the lobby, her sandals clicking on the white floor. She reached the elevator and pressed the button.

The doors opened.

She stepped inside and pressed the button for the fourth floor, but her finger slipped and hit the number three instead. She pressed four again, harder this time.

The elevator began to rise.

Daisy thought about Grandpa James. She wondered if he had eaten breakfast.

The elevator stopped at the third floor first.

The doors opened, and Daisy saw him.

Alessio stood in the hallway, his tall frame blocking the light from the windows behind him. He was wearing a black suit today, the jacket tailored perfectly to his broad shoulders, his dark hair combed back from his face. His green eyes were cold and unreadable.

But he was not alone.

Beside him stood a man who looked like him. His arms were covered in tattoos, intricate designs that curled around his wrists and disappeared under his sleeves. Snakes and roses and words in a language Daisy did not recognize. He stood with his weight on one foot, his posture relaxed but alert.

He was Rafael.

Beside Rafael stood a beautiful girl with long black hair that had subtle blonde highlights woven through it, like sunlight caught in dark water. Her eyes were deep blue, wide and nervous, darting around like she was afraid of being seen. She clung to Rafael’s arm, her fingers curled into his sleeve, her body half-hidden behind his shoulder. She looked at Daisy for a moment, then looked away.

Eva.

And behind them stood another man. Tall and serious, with dark eyes. He was holding a clipboard, his fingers tapping against the edge. He wore a grey suit, professional and neat, not a single wrinkle. His expression was blank and professional.

Alex. Alessio’s personal assistant. He had been on a business trip and had just returned today, joining his boss at the hospital.

The elevator doors started to close.

Daisy’s hand shot out to stop them. The doors hesitated, then slid open again.

She stepped between the doors quickly, her heart pounding, her palms sweating.

Alessio’s green eyes landed on her.

They were deadly. Cold and sharp, like a blade being drawn. Like she had interrupted something important, something private, something she had no business seeing. His expression did not change. He just looked at her, and the air between them seemed to freeze, to harden, to become something solid and impenetrable.

Daisy swallowed.

She lifted her hand and gave a small wave.

Hi.

Rafael’s eyebrows rose. He looked at Daisy, then at Alessio, then back at Daisy. His expression shifted from curious to confused, his head tilting slightly. He had never seen anyone approach his brother like this before, so casually, so unafraid.

Eva peeked out from behind Rafael’s arm, her blue eyes wide. Did any woman have the guts to talk to Alessio? After all, he was so cold, as cold as an ice cube, so rude and unresponsive, so intimidating that most people could not even meet his eyes.

Alex glanced up from his clipboard. His dark eyes swept over Daisy once.

Alessio said nothing. He did not acknowledge her gesture at all.

Daisy’s heart sank. Was he angry because she left without saying anything?