“Daisy?” Juliette murmured in disbelief, and Daisy responded to her murmur with a small smile. The woman walked toward Juliette, who was stunned by her presence. How did Daisy know she was at this hospital?
“You… how do you know I…” She cleared her throat softly to ease her confusion and then continued, “How did you know I was here? At this hospital?”
Daisy approached and sat on one of the sofas in the hospital room. Seeing this, Juliette immediately got out of bed and walked over to her. Her hazel eyes never left Daisy’s beautiful face, which still wore a smile. Juliette didn’t understand what Daisy wanted or why she had gone through the trouble of asking Christian to arrange this meeting. Daisy pulled a tablet from her bag and wrote what she wanted to say to Juliette on the screen. Once finished, she showed the screen to Juliette.
“I want to tell you something. It’s about your mother, Aunt Meryl.” Juliette frowned as she finished reading Daisy’s message.
“What about my mother?” Juliette asked bitterly.
“Didn’t she already leave the De Lavigne residence with a lot of money in her pocket?” This time, Juliette couldn’t hide the sadness and disappointment in her tone. Her mother’s betrayal had left a deep wound in her heart, one even more painful than any physical wound she had endured.
Daisy shook her head gently. She erased her first message and began typing again, this time for a bit longer, which made Juliette guess that what her stepsister wanted to say was rather lengthy.
“Daisy, how did you know I was here?” Juliette repeated the question that Daisy hadn’t answered yet. Daisy’s hands stopped moving, and she lifted her head, looking directly at Juliette, then sighed softly and glanced toward the door.
“Christian?” Juliette murmured, following Daisy’s gesture.
“He told you?”
Daisy typed again on the tablet screen and showed it to Juliette. “A few days ago, he came to the De Lavigne residence, and I accidentally overheard his conversation with Aldrich. So I intercepted him and forced him to talk.”
Juliette read the words one by one with a smile on her face. Although Daisy couldn’t speak at the moment, she still had the power to make the other family members do what she wanted. Juliette glanced at Daisy and commented, “It seems that you De Lavigne’s are quite skilled at getting what you want.” Of course, Juliette’s comment carried a bitter undertone, as her words weren’t just directed at Daisy but also at someone else she didn’t want to name right now.
Daisy grinned widely at Juliette, hearing her comment. She typed again on the tablet and showed it to Juliette. “I’m here because there’s something I want to tell you.”
“About my mother? Yes, you already told me. So what’s the matter?” Daisy looked at Juliette for a few moments before lowering her head and typing on her tablet. When she found what she was looking for, Daisy showed the screen to Juliette, playing a video that made Juliette’s brow furrow.
“What is this?”
Daisy pulled out her phone and typed: “I’m sure Robbin already showed you the video of his conversation with your mother about the agreement, right?” Juliette nodded slowly.
“I happened to be there at the time, or rather… I eavesdropped on their conversation.”
“How… did Robbin not notice you? And isn’t Robbin’s office soundproof?”
Daisy smiled and replied: “Just so you know, he’s not the only one who can buy bugging devices. Besides, ever since I left the hospital, my father and I have been planning to bring Robbin down. My crazy cousin has to pay for his actions.”
Juliette wondered why Daisy bothered writing on the tablet when it seemed more cumbersome, primarily when she could simply type on her phone. Still, Juliette didn’t want to question it, as artists like Daisy often thought differently from her. Pushing aside that stray thought, Juliette refocused on the more pressing matter. “Does Robbin know about this?”
Daisy shrugged casually. “Whether he knows or not, he won’t suspect us. Even if he does, he can’t accuse us of anything. Robbin has many enemies, you know.”
“And?”
“The video you saw? That’s CCTV footage that my father worked hard to obtain. He hired a hacker to get it.”
“William was willing to spend extra money just for this video?” Juliette wondered to herself. She looked down at the tablet screen and replayed the video from the beginning. In the footage, she saw her mother leaving Robbin’s office, unconscious and being carried out by two of Robbin’s men, one of whom was Aldrich. Juliette glanced at Daisy for confirmation that the video was real and not fabricated.
Juliette returned her gaze to the screen and watched the same scene until the background changed to the mansion’s backyard, where a van was parked. She held her breath as she saw her mother being roughly shoved into the truck before Aldrich closed the door, and the van drove off at an average speed, leaving the location.
“What happened to my mother?” Juliette asked in a hoarse voice. She lifted her head, diverting her gaze from the screen to Daisy’s face, seeking an explanation.
Daisy typed something on her phone and showed the screen to Juliette, who read: “From the bugging device, my father and I heard gunshots. It wasn’t visible in the video, but at the time, we assumed that Meryl was injured by a shot fired by Robbin.”
Juliette’s face paled as she read what was on the screen. “Why? My mother agreed to give me to him, didn’t she?”
Daisy shook her head. “No. Your mother refused. She didn’t want you to marry Robbin. To her, you two were siblings, and if the marriage happened, it would ruin the De Lavigne family’s reputation, as well as yours. Besides, the late Uncle Anthony had already warned your mother about Robbin’s obsession with you. So, I think Robbin hurt your mother to warn her and get back at her for saying ‘no’ to him.”
“Oh my God… how could it come to this? And where is my mother now? After Robbin told me about the agreement, I didn’t believe it, and he contacted my mother. I spoke with her… was there something… did Robbin…”
Daisy nodded her head. She stood up and walked over to Juliette, who was sitting beside her. She gave her a brief hug. Feeling warmth for the first time since Leo’s death, the sadness and tears that Juliette had been holding back spilled over. She sobbed quietly in Daisy’s arms.
“Why… why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong?” she murmured between sobs. Juliette was distraught. Her soul was unsettled, and her heart ached from the deep wound caused by Robbin. She felt lonely. She was alone. Leo, the man she loved, was gone. All her dreams had been shattered in a short period.
Daisy gently rubbed Juliette’s back, trying to offer comfort to the woman who was engulfed in deep sorrow-all caused by her cousin, for some reason, which made Daisy feel guilty, too. She held and comforted Juliette for a long time, grateful that Robbin was occupied with a meeting with shareholders and the board of directors, which would take hours. She wasn’t afraid of being caught by him.
Daisy would have to thank Christian later for allowing her the chance to talk. Once Juliette had calmed down and her sobbing subsided, Daisy typed on her phone: “I’m sorry for your loss. I never thought my cousin could be so cruel, and I apologize on his behalf.”
Juliette shook her head. “You don’t need to do that. What Robbin did wasn’t your fault, Daisy.”
Daisy gave a sad smile in response to Juliette’s words. “And don’t worry, Julie. My father will save your mother. She’s being held in one of Robbin’s private villas, and my father has promised to rescue her. After all, your mother is Uncle Anthony’s wife. We’ll get her out before it’s too late.”
“Are you sure? What if Robbin retaliates?”
“We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. We have to stop him before he can act.”
“Is my mother okay?”
“Our spies at the villa say your mother was shot in the shoulder, but the wound has been treated. Robbin probably didn’t want to raise suspicion when he forces Aunt Meryl onto a commercial flight.”
“He’s going to exile my mother from here,” Juliette whispered, her lips trembling.
Daisy immediately took Juliette’s hand, gently squeezing it, and wiped the tears from Juliette’s cheeks with her free hand. “That’s not going to happen. It won’t happen. You need to think positively and trust us. Once we rescue your mother, my father will make sure she’s placed in a safe location, far from Robbin’s reach, until this is all over.”
“Thank you, Daisy,” Juliette whispered with deep gratitude. She was thankful to have someone on her side who was willing to help. If Daisy hadn’t come, she would still have believed that her mother had betrayed her, which was not the case. “I’m truly grateful.”
Daisy nodded. “But there’s one more thing I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Will you work with us? My father thinks that if you help, everything will be more accessible. Robbin won’t suspect anything if it involves you. He trusts you completely and is blinded by his crazy love for you.”
“So William wants me to help him? To capture Robbin?” Daisy nodded briefly and took the tablet from Juliette’s lap. Juliette watched as Daisy made a video call to William. When the call connected, Juliette immediately asked, “You want me to help you?”
“Yes, Juliette. You’re my only hope. I need to teach my nephew a lesson. I can’t let him continue like this, living in darkness.”
Juliette glanced briefly at Daisy, seeing her stepsister nodding in agreement before turning back to the screen. William’s expression was severe, and a trace of anger flickered in his eyes. After all, the man must be furious that his niece had been hurt by the nephew he trusted and loved dearly. “Are you sure about this? What if you’re wrong?”
William shook his head. “No. I’m sure about this, Juliette. So, what do you say? Once this is over, I’ll ensure your safety and make sure Robbin can’t find you or your mother.”
Juliette weighed William’s offer. She knew she couldn’t do this alone, and William’s help was what she needed to make Robbin pay for what he had done to her loved ones.
“Alright. I accept your offer.”
…