DAISY POV
"Why were you waiting up?" Stefan asked me.
"Because I was worried about you. Can't a sister do that?"
"Really Daisy?"
"Fine, I waited for gossip."
He rolls his eyes as we stop in front of my room door.
"Come on Stefan, tell me how your night went?"
"Fine, I will tell you."
I smiled as he opened the door and we went inside.
I sat on the bed and patted the spot next to me.
He reluctantly sat down, I clung to his arm.
"So tell me how it went?"
"We drank Daisy, that's all we did."
"Hmmm just drank? Nothing more?"
"Yes, Daisy. We just drank, nothing more."
"Hmmm brother of mine, I am shocked at your restraint," I tell him teasingly.
"Daisy, it might shock you to know this. But I do not jump in bed with every girl I meet."
"Or is she not pretty?"
"She is very pretty, the prettiest girl I have ever seen."
"Really now?" I asked amused.
"Except you Daisy."
"I am glad to hear that."
He kissed me on the forehead.
"Goodnight Daisy."
"Goodnight Stefan."
I watched as he left my room, smiling to himself.
My brother was in love, he just didn't know it yet.
I thought about myself, when would I find this love myself?
Should I give Silvan a chance? Did I still have the capacity to love someone again?
These thoughts consumed me as I slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next day
I checked my wristwatch impatiently. I was to meet a business associate here for lunch.
It was thirty minutes past the agreed time and he wasn't here yet.
I prioritized punctuality the most among all things.
And what I hated the most were people who didn't keep to their words.
I was about to leave when a man sat in front of me.
"Excuse me? Who are you?" I asked him.
"You must be Daisy," he replied.
"And who are you?"
"I am Mr. Marquez, the man you were supposed to meet here." he stretched out his hand for a handshake.
I look at his hand, unimpressed.
"and why are you late, this isn't the agreed time we were to meet," I asked him.
"Oh, I thought you women don't show up early for things so I decided to come a little bit later."
I am shocked by his arrogance and audacity.
I had thought Declan was the king of audacity, now I could see he had a master.
"and why would women not show up early?" I asked him.
"You know how you women fuss over makeup and your appearance."
It takes everything in me not to tell him some very bad words.
"Mr Marquez, why did you set up this meeting?"
"It's about your software, it's a genius idea. I want to work with you."
He slides a document over to me.
"These are our terms and conditions; if you accept them, we look forward to working with you."
I look at the document, and I recognize them. It's the same company who were backing Declan.
So now that I had left the partnership with Declan, they wanted to work with me.
The nerve of them, did Declan know about this? Had he sent them?
"So Mr Marquez, I assume you are the representative the company sent?" I ask him.
"Not just a representative, I am the son of the CEO and heir to the company." he bragged.
"I see."
"When you work with us, you and I will be working together closely. And who knows we might even be closer in other ways." he looked at me with lecherous eyes.
I rolled my eyes, this arrogant man thought highly of himself.
I slid the document back to him.
"I am sorry, but I am not interested in doing a partnership with your company," I told him.
He has the audacity to look shocked.
"Why? Do you know how many people are begging to be in a partnership with us?"
I shrugged, "Well, I am not one of those people. I don't want a partnership with your company."
"What insolence, how dare you talk to me like that?"
"Insolence? You are the one who came late to our meeting and didn't apologize for your lateness. Implied that I would be late because of my gender. Made advances at me and you say I am insolent?"
"You.... You... You..." he stuttered.
I stand up from the chair.
"Good day, Mr Marquez," I told him and walked out of the restaurant.
I was about to open my car when I felt someone grab my arm and slam me against the door.
It was Mr Marquez.
"What is the meaning of this? Let me go." I struggled with him.
"You little rude thing, who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?" he asked me; his face was close to mine; it was scrunched up with anger.
He looked like an angry lizard.
"Let me go."
"Now listen here, nobody speaks to me like that. Especially not a woman."
"And yet, you need a woman for the partnership." I fired back at him.
"You were just lucky in inventing the software. Anyone could have done it. At the end of the day, you are just a woman. No one would even pay attention to you if you weren't pretty."
And then he was pulled off me with force. He fell to the ground.
Declan had been the one to pull him off me. And now Declan was on him raining punches on him.
"You bastard, how dare you touch her?" he yelled at Mr Marquez.
I pulled Declan off him.
"Declan, leave him alone. He isn't worth it, you could get in trouble for this."
Mr Marquez used the opportunity to stand up.
He pointed at us.
"The two of you have no idea what you have done. You stepped on the tail of the scorpion, and now you will feel the sting," he yelled.
"I would fear the scorpion sting if it wasn't balding and looks like a sorry excuse for a human," Declan replied.
He lunged towards Mr Marquez who ran away.