Her Voice

The boutique had gone unusually quiet, tension clinging to the air as everyone had been waiting for the staff to gather the bags.

A staff member returned moments later, balancing a velvet tray in her gloved hands. She placed it gently on the counter in front of Daisy. Three bags sat inside, each a different shade of pink: a soft ballet blush, a muted dusty rose, and a bold hot pink structured tote.

"I'm afraid these are the only ones we currently have in pink at the moment, Miss," the woman said politely, though her eyes flicked between the card and Daisy's face with curiosity.

Roxanne let out a laugh, sharp and hollow. "Three? That's it?" She took a slow step forward, arms crossed. "Honestly, I was expecting fireworks after the whole dramatic 'black card slap' moment."

Then she snorted. "Is that thing even real? Or did you borrow it from some sugar daddy you're not telling us about?"

Daisy didn't react right away. She studied the tray in front of her, her silence loud enough to turn a few heads. Then she exhaled, "I don't need fireworks to burn people like you," she said quietly, then turned to the staff. "Add all three to the bill. And if you get any new pink ones this season, send them to my address."

The staff blinked, startled, then nodded. "Of course, Miss."

Daisy picked up the hot pink one, turning it over in her hands like it was nothing more than a whim. "And Roxanne," she added, glancing over her shoulder, "you can keep wondering where the money came from. That's half the fun, isn't it?"

The transaction was completed with the quiet beep of the machine and the swift flick of Daisy's signature.

She took the shopping bag from the staff, gave a polite nod, and turned on her heel.

Roxanne was still standing there, arms folded, lips pursed into a smug little curve as if she thought she still had the upper hand.

Daisy didn't even slow down.

Wham!

Her shoulder slammed straight into Roxanne's with just enough force to knock her slightly off balance.

"Oh—sorry," Daisy said sweetly, not even glancing back. "Didn't see you down there."

Aurora stifled a laugh as she hurried to catch up, bags in tow, leaving Roxanne frozen, jaw slack and ego bruised in the middle of a boutique that suddenly felt a little too quiet.

Outside, the doors swung shut behind them.

"Did you just—" Aurora started.

"I did," Daisy replied coolly. "Let's go before I decide to buy the entire boutique just to get her banned."

Aurora laughed and shook her head. "Daisy is Daisy, after all."

"You know what I was thinking at that moment?" Daisy suddenly stopped, her expression turning serious as she met Aurora's eyes. "Him. Will he call me?"

Without waiting for a reply, she quickly reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

"Oh, thank God, he didn't…" But her words trailed off as she glanced at Aurora. "Or… is it too early?"

The moment the words left her lips, her phone lit up and rang.

She flinched in shock. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Him?" Aurora leaned in, trying to peek at the screen.

Daisy nodded, then quickly cleared her throat. "Ahem… ahem…" She swiped to answer. "Yes, hello, Mr. Kingsley? Did you land safely?"

"I wouldn't be calling if I crashed, would I?" he said, voice cold as ever.

Daisy let out an awkward laugh, glancing at Aurora. "Ha… ha… Wow, you're really funny, Mr. Kingsley. What a sense of humor."

He didn't even acknowledge her attempt. Instead, he cut straight through with a simple, "Did you enjoy shopping?" he asked, his tone flat, polite on the surface, but cool enough to remind her who she was talking to.

Daisy blinked. "I—uh—yes. Very much, actually," she said, trying to match his indifference but failing to keep the edge of defensiveness out of her voice.

"Good," he said, pausing just long enough for the word to sting. "Make sure you finish everything you requested two days off for… while enjoying your little shopping spree, I assume?"

Definitely sarcasm.

Daisy bit the inside of her cheek, her fingers tightening around the phone. He wasn't wrong, not entirely but did he have to say it like that?

She cleared her throat, suddenly aware of how dry it felt. "Understood, Mr. Kingsley," she said, steadying her tone.

There was a short pause on the other end. Then, his voice again, just as curt, "Good. I'll follow up by noon tomorrow."

The line went dead.

Daisy slowly lowered the phone, staring at the screen as if it had personally offended her. "I should've just bought the boutique," she muttered.

Aurora raised a brow. "Should we go now?" she asked with a smile, trying to brighten the mood.

"No! Just hearing his voice for a few minutes turned my whole body into an ice cube," Daisy said as she suddenly grabbed Aurora's hand. "Feel this. I'm not joking."

Aurora's eyes widened. "Oh my God, your hand is freezing!"

"I told you," Daisy grumbled. "That man is like winter in human form."

While Daisy and Aurora were busy laughing about him, Theo, on the other side of the country, sat in silence, staring at the screen that had just gone dark.

Her voice had, for a brief moment, lightened something heavy inside him. But the dull ache behind his eyes, the one that had returned right after the meeting, hadn't budged.

He sighed, loosening his tie with one hand as he leaned back against the leather headrest. The hotel suite was quiet, but his mind wasn't.

For a few seconds, he remained still until he took a deep breath before dragging a hand through his hair. The headache, it was throbbing.

'So, not the voice.'

He could finally cross that one off the list.

Her voice lightened his mood, sure, but it didn't do anything for the pressure building behind his eyes. If anything, acknowledging that truth made him more irritated.

That left the other possibilities.

'Her presence? Her scent?'

Theo clenched his jaw and stood up, reaching for the glass of water on the table.

This wasn't some mystery he had time to solve. And yet… he found himself chasing answers anyway.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered, under his breath.