"I see everyone as equals and consider them worthy of respect. A man is always capable of change no matter what wrong he did in the past. He could always make a difference as long as he still has his better nature in himself." The way Daisy led her life was consistent with her words. For instance, when confronted with armed opponents in missions, she would always hit in a way that would cripple her opponents but not kill. Few people gave much thought to what she was really concerned about in wars - lives. It was the reason why she got more injuries than her co-workers during all those years of work. Sometimes, she would tell herself to toughen up a little but it hadn't worked very well so far.
"If only there were more of you in the world..." sighed Hero. He sincerely felt sad that there was only one Daisy. He would never find anyone as kind-hearted as her again.
Hero wasn't the only one who saw that. Edward knew that too. That was why he cherished Daisy so much and was willing to make all those changes for her, throwing away his old lifestyle and turning into a family man. It was also because of Daisy that Edward still held a bit of respect for Leo, for if not for him, Daisy would never have come to this world. No matter how much Daisy wanted to disconnect herself with her father, their blood tie was never to be changed.
Edward was having a meeting with Leo in a café. "Hello, Mr. Ouyang. May I know why you asked me out this time?" asked Edward as he sat casually on his chair after greeting Leo. He knew from his secretary that Leo had been wanting to see him. He didn't give him what he wanted easily but waited a few days before agreeing to meet him.
"Ed... Mr. Mu. You know what I am here about. Of course, it's about Daisy." Though Edward was his son-in-law, Leo didn't dare to call him by the name. He knew that the couple hated his guts after what he did to Daisy. Besides, he was discouraged by the obvious distant look of Edward.
"If it's about Daisy, why don't you go and see her directly? Though we are a couple, I can't make decisions for her," Edward said matter-of-factly. He knew why Leo was there and what he wanted. He just didn't want to help him. 'For so many years, you only saw Mary as your daughter. And if you have trouble doing something, shouldn't you be reaching out to your beloved daughter Mary? Why bother coming here to see me?' Resentful words filled Edward's head but he didn't say anything.
"I tried, but she won't see me. That's why I am here. Could you please send a message for me? I just want to talk to her." Leo had been going through agonizing remorse since he found out that Daisy was his own daughter. He hated himself for being such a fool and having treated her so badly. If given a chance, he would have surrendered everything just to know the truth.
"I am sorry but my hands are tied. My advice is that you go and talk to her directly if you really want her to forgive you. It's a matter between you and her. Thus, it should only be dealt with by both of you. If I stepped in and talked in your favor, it would only irritate her and drive her away from me as well as from you."
Edward knew Daisy well enough to understand that she wouldn't want him to meddle in her relationship with her father. Daisy found it even harder to forgive herself than to forgive her father. She never doubted the cause of her mother's death but believed that it was a pure accident. It pained her to think that the murderer of her mother lived freely out of prison for all these years while her mother was buried underground. She even had trouble enjoying the happiness from her family with Edward. She couldn't stop thinking that she didn't deserve how her mother sacrificed herself for her.
"I do want to see her and talk things out with her in person, but she keeps avoiding me. It's been days and I haven't been able to see her for once," The older man said with defeat. He wouldn't have come to ask Edward for help if he had been able to get Daisy to meet him.
"Honestly, I think it serves you right. Never thought you would have to taste your own medicine, right? However, making things right still depends on you. It's for you to figure out a way to turn her mind around. Her heart was broken, so it won't be easy." Though Leo seemed to be in great pain, Edward didn't feel sorry for him. As the saying goes, everything happens for a reason. He knew he deserved it.
"Are you sure that there is absolutely nothing you can do? Maybe I should ask Brian to come back and talk to her. She is close to him, isn't she?" Leo was desperate. He had tried everything: texts, phone calls, and even waiting for hours at the gate of her house. None of them worked. Worse, she had blocked his number. She was either gone or would sneak out of the house by driving in a different car whenever he tried to visit her, leaving him no opportunity to even get near her.
"I don't know whether they are close or not, but I do doubt if Brian would want to come back," Edward sneered. The only reason Brian left home was that he couldn't stand to see the conflicts and fights in his family. He loved them both but also knew that the chances were slim for the two of them to ever embrace each other again.
"He would... I guess." After a moment of silence, Leo resumed, "There is another thing I want to ask you about. Would you mind letting me see Justin? I miss him." Leo was almost begging. He had spent a lot of time contemplating his past after the dramatic changes in his family. And the more that he did so, the heavier his heart became. In front of Edward now was an aged man who had lost his spirits.
"I will let Justin know that you want to see him, but it's completely up to him whether he would meet you or not." Edward was a democratic parent who didn't like imposing his own thoughts on his child. Even though Justin was still very young, Edward respected him and always encouraged him to make decisions on his own.
I get it and I know you wouldn't stop him from seeing me. I just want to spend an afternoon having a little fun with him, that's all." Wringing his hands nervously made Leo look old. It was such a great contrast compared to his confident and high-spirited former self.
"I will inform you when I hear an answer from Justin." A lot of thoughts poured in as Edward pondered about the drastic changes of Leo. He wondered if Daisy would feel sorry and forgive her father once she saw what he was like now. Maybe she would. But just as an old saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, it would take Leo a long time before Daisy accepted him again.