"There is no need to ask. I like everything you cook for me. When have I ever complained about your cooking?" He took a look at the lovely breakfast before looking back at her with great affection, as if he could see no one else around but her.
Come on, stop flattering me like that. Just dig in, or I might be really late." Seated herself beside him, Daisy began eating her own breakfast prepared by Mrs. Wu earlier. Everyone else in the house was still asleep, so Mrs. Wu made Daisy's and Mark's meals first. Everyone else's breakfast would be served about an hour later to make sure that they could enjoy it before it got cold. That was why Daisy made sure she cooked for Edward today.
"I thought you were heading to the hospital first," Edward asked with his mouth full. He had seen right through her.
"So, I guess this is one of the reasons why you insist on sending me to work?" Daisy stopped eating, turned around and looked at him with a frown.
"Well, you can guess." Edward still tried to hide it from her, even though she knew very well what he was up to. So he decided to play along under the circumstances.
I guess there is no doubt about it, sir," smirked Daisy. She knew him well enough to read his mind. And most of the time, it was all up to her whether to blow his cover or not.
Edward smiled noncommittally, but a trace of slyness could be seen in his eyes. To be honest, even he himself had failed to explain why he would care about Hero. After all, that man could never pose any threat to him. Come to think of it, he thought that maybe it was because that Hero was sweet on Daisy. And this fact left him feeling uneasy. Daisy was his, and no one else's. Only Edward could have her.
It is true that everyone is special, but one might still find it disturbing when being compared to others. And what Edward feared the most now was being compared to Hero by Daisy. He had been feeling good about himself, but this time, he really got stressed out and worried that he might lose to Hero. Because he had to admit that Hero had sacrificed almost everything for Daisy. His love was so profound and selfless that even Edward was shocked by it.
So when they got to the hospital later and saw Hero's condition through the thick glass of the ICU, his heart trembled again. Hero seemed almost lifeless, with tubes attached to him all over. Edward had heard about his standing out and taking the fall, but he never expected that he would want to end this by suicide. If he was ever able to come around, Edward must ask him exactly what kind of emotions let him make the tough decisions.
How is he now? And what did the doctor say?" Daisy asked the constables keeping watch outside. She had spent some time watching Hero, and this just left her with more questions.
"The doctor said that he was still in danger. And...it is unlikely that he'd ever wake up," one of the constables replied gingerly. He kept his head bowed low and avoided any eye contact with Daisy. Instead, he kept his gaze at the bottom of her army trousers.
"Are you telling me that he will remain in a vegetative state?" Daisy asked in a somewhat shaky voice, turning back to look at Hero. If that was the case, this man might prefer dying in peace now, she thought to herself. After all, that was why he committed suicide in the first place, wasn't it?
"The doctors said that they wouldn't rule it out," the other constable answered, holding his breath. They knew clearly who they were talking to, so they spoke every word with the utmost respect.
"But I heard that the operation was successful." she asked, turning back to them. A sudden dizziness overpowered Daisy. Before Hawk was caught, Hero had already been an acquaintance of hers, and they had met for a few times. But she mistook him as a law-abiding and honest man back then. So she was taken aback to discover that he was indeed behind the whole illegal munitions business. Honestly, she felt bad seeing such a powerful man reduce to a vegetable.
"It was successful, yes, but he suffers from complications." Hanging their heads even lower, the two constables were almost shaking in their shoes, fearing that Daisy would flare up at any minute. It seemed to them that people in high office tended to have bad tempers, at least that was the case with their chief.
Alright, I get it," Daisy said, biting her lip. At last, she heaved a sigh and looked back at Hero without another word. She appeared to be calm, which surprised the constables a bit. They exchanged looks, still feeling amazed that she didn't get mad at them. Edward was lost in thought. When Daisy finished the conversation, he suddenly hit upon an idea. Casting a glance at her back, he went out without a word. It was still early in the morning, but he took out his phone and dialed Tom's number without a second thought.
"Listen, who do you think you are? No, scratch that, I don't care who you are! It's too fucking early to call me!" The moment Edward held the phone to his ear, he heard Tom's ear-shattering snarl, sounding like he was going to kill him.
It's me." Edward frowned and quickly held the phone far away from his ear, in case he went deaf. What was wrong with the guy? Edward thought to himself. How come he would get angry so easily early in the morning?
"I don't know who you are. Just give me your name!" said Tom grumpily. He kept scratching his head irritably, half asleep.
"I beg your pardon, Jerry?" Edward asked in a deep voice, gnashing his teeth. If Tom could see Edward now, he would surely be scared out of his wits by his handsome yet grim face.
"Eh... Edward? I didn't know it is you! What do you want at this hour?" Having been stunned for a second, Tom quickly changed his attitude and asked in a fawning tone. But on the other end of the line, regret was written all over his face. 'Just my luck!' he thought, banging his head against the headboard.
"Are you free today?" asked Edward, who tried to calm himself by flicking the dust off his clothes. But his brows kept wrinkling.
"Sort of. Why? Are you inviting me to dinner?" Tom said teasingly. Awakened by the call, he forced himself out of bed and quickly went to the mirror. He had to take a closer look at his face to see whether he got pimples or not, for he felt that his face was a bit rough when he touched it.
"Since you are free, do me the favor of seeing a patient I know," responded Edward. Unlike the constables, he could easily read the dismay on Daisy's face, so he wanted to do something for her. Putting aside the facts that Hero was a criminal, and he had been involved in the previous kidnapping, he did try his best to protect Daisy and Justin at that time. For that reason, Edward thought he was indebted to Hero. So he would now like to return the favor. It didn't matter whether Hero would accept it or not. What Edward wanted was to make Daisy happy again. He didn't want her to agonize over the matter any more.
Can I take my words back now? groaned Tom, drawing a long face. Had he known that Edward wasn't going to buy dinner or anything today, he would have claimed that he was too busy.
I think you the answer to that, Edward said with a malicious smile, thinking that it was no use for the guy to act stupid on purpose in front of him.