"What? The contract was signed? Why wasn't I told?" Edward asked, staring at Anna. He didn't want anything to do with Jessica. The Coco's scandal wasn't solved yet, and he had the troublesome Lin Group to deal with. He should have known this wouldn't be so simple. It wasn't just about business cooperation.
Sir, did you forget? You authorized the top management to sign contracts in common cooperative cases. You didn't really want to be bothered by the details, so you told me simple cases like this didn't need your approval." Anna replied with a frown. Edward looked distracted -- maybe it was because of all the things happening recently. He normally didn't forget things.
"Oh! I must have forgotten. Okay, you can go back to work now, " said Edward. He furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes to closely examine the file in his hands, trying to find some clues.
Anna looked at him with concern. Then she turned around and left. FX International Group signed the contract with Lin Group, and that meant a lot of trouble for Edward. Jessica could get close to Edward, taking advantage of their working relationship to do other things. And there would be no reason she couldn't.
Edward massaged his temples and lay back in his chair. He silently picked up the phone and unlocked it. He gazed lovingly at the calm and beautiful woman on the screen. He'd taken the picture when Daisy first donned the delicate gown he gave her, gliding gracefully down the stairs. The photo made him feel at ease. She gave him the strength to pull himself together and deal with all the difficult tasks he faced now.
He couldn't get enough of her yesterday, making love constantly. He was so engrossed in the harmony when their bodies tangled together, as if he were desperate to absorb her into his body and let her be a part of him. He was enamored by the feeling of intimacy when she clung tightly to his body. His heart was completely melted.
Luke pounded on the door and walked in, a pile of files in his hands.
"Mr. Mu, this is the material about the investigation of Mrs. Mu, " said Luke with a trace of hesitation in his tone. He had checked the contents of the files. He wondered what Edward would think of them after he read them himself.
"Oh! Let me take a look. This took too long, Luke." Edward raised his eyebrows at him. Then he reached his hands and took over the files.
"Sorry, Mr. Mu. You might be disappointed. The only things I found were before Mrs. Mu joined the army. I don't have any information on the base or its troops, " said Luke. Luke knew very well that it took him a long time to gather this information. And he also knew that what he had on her was incomplete. He felt bad, but thought it best to admit this mistake quickly and clearly.
"Okay! I see. I only need information on her civilian life. I know that the military can be secretive, " said Edward. He didn't expect that he would get any information from the army base. He only wanted to know what happened between Daisy and her family.
"Mr. Mu, umm... I'll take off if there's nothing else." Luke paused when he said this. He wanted to remind Edward not to be too emotional after he read though the files. But he gave up the idea. Luke felt bad for Mrs. Mu. And for Edward, Mrs. Mu was as important to him as his own life, and the information revealed would be a blow. Things might never be the same between them.
"Okay! You can go now. Take care, " said Edward. He didn't open the files immediately. He sat for a bit, losing himself in memories and feelings. He took a deep breath and then slowly opened the files.
His face darkened as he read through the files, his hands trembling. His eyes glazed over in fury.
'I have the truth now. Leo Ouyang, you are so vicious. I am almost surprised by your scheming. You have turned a lovely innocent girl into such a quiet cold woman.' Edward thought.
He smiled in self-mockery. Now he knew why Daisy was irritated when he mentioned her family and why Leo didn't know of Justin's existence. Daisy had no connection to her family. She didn't call them, and they didn't contact her. They knew nothing of her life.
'I'm really a jerk! How could I be so cold to her before?' Edward cursed himself. He wondered what encouraged her to be so persistent and climb to her current rank in the military all by herself. And how she brought up Justin alone for all those years. If he had not taken care of Justin himself, he would not have known how hard it was for a woman to live alone with a child.
He closed his eyes in agony. It was storming in his heart. He was heartbroken. Not long ago, he had regarded her as a rich young lady brought up in the wealthy Ouyang family. He had thought that at least she led a decent life, so he enjoyed the comfort and warmth she had given to him. Now the cruel truth was before his eyes, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were before. It must have been so hard for her to share herself with him.
'Leo, did you forget you have another daughter named Daisy? You have gone all out to try and foist Mary on me. But have you considered what will happen to Daisy if you succeed?' Edward thought.
Edward picked up the phone again, eyes rimmed with red. 'Daisy, what should I do? I can't bear to hurt you again. You have already suffered too much!' Edward thought.
He was not in the mood to work right now. He gazed at her picture on the screen in a trance. 'A dark childhood, a cruel father, a shameless step mother and a step sister, you've achieved so much in spite of these people's hurting, maybe they are the reason of your achievements. You have come a long way. I can't say that you're lucky to have grown up that way.'
He flipped through his phone, and her familiar number kept popping up. He smiled bitterly and finally gave up the idea of calling her. He was afraid that he couldn't control himself, couldn't hold back the urge to rush to her and hold her in his arms. And he feared losing himself in this love even more.
He really didn't know why he would have these deep feelings. He cared about her, everything she did, her joy, her pain. It was hard for him to gave up his dignity and pride, to give his whole heart to her. The door to his heart was locked, and he couldn't bring himself to hand her the key.