Chapter 92

Chapter 92

"Mr. Smith, I'm very sorry, but Ms. Bennett specifically instructed us that except for herself and Miss Hall, if anyone else comes to pick up Daisy, she needs to personally call to confirm."

"Also, Ms. Bennett just replied saying Miss Hall is already on her way, and asked you to go back."

Simon's expression froze.

He stood at the kindergarten entrance, looking at the cheerful children and parents inside, then at the teacher's troubled and distant expression. A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

Teresa was guarding against him like this, not even letting him see Daisy?

In her heart, had he really become this unbearable?

Simon closed his eyes. He didn't make things difficult for the teacher. He walked to a tree not far from the kindergarten gate, lit a cigarette, leaned against the trunk, and stared intently at the kindergarten entrance.

After what seemed like forever, kindergarten let out.

Simon's gaze searched through the crowd. Finally, he saw that small figure in a pink jacket.

Samantha was holding her hand, walking out from inside.

"Daisy!"

Simon instinctively took two steps forward and called out.

Daisy heard the voice, looked up, and when she saw Simon, her eyes lit up. Her little face instantly showed delight: "Daddy!"

She broke free from Samantha's hand, wanting to run toward Simon. Samantha quickly held her back.

Simon's heart softened at Daisy's call of "Daddy." He crouched down, reached out his hand toward Daisy, and his face showed a rarely seen gentle smile: "Daisy, come here."

But Daisy hesitated.

She looked at Samantha, then at Simon. Her little feet shuffled in place without moving. She just said softly:

"Daddy, Mommy said I can't go with you alone. I have to wait until Mommy or Samantha is there."

Daisy's words were innocent. Simon froze, his outstretched hand suspended in mid-air.

Teresa had actually taught Daisy this?

What did she take him for—a monster or a kidnapper?

Samantha looked at Simon's instantly frozen expression and the shock he couldn't hide in his eyes. She felt conflicted too.

But she had to stand on Teresa's side.

She stepped forward, shielding Daisy behind her, her tone polite: "Mr. Smith, you heard her. Teresa is just thinking of Daisy's safety. If there's nothing else, we'll be going. Daisy, say goodbye to Daddy."

Daisy pressed her lips together, looked reluctantly at Simon's grim face, and said softly: "Goodbye, Daddy."

Then she gripped Samantha's hand tightly.

Simon stood there, watching Samantha lead Daisy away.

Daisy kept looking back as she walked, her eyes showing confusion and a trace of reluctance.

Simon remained standing there until the two figures completely disappeared around the street corner.

Late at night, Teresa dragged her exhausted body back to Samantha's apartment.

Samantha hadn't slept yet. She was waiting in the living room, her expression somewhat serious.

"Teresa, you're back. Daisy's asleep."

Samantha pulled her to sit down. After hesitating, she still spoke up.

"This afternoon, Simon went to the kindergarten."

Teresa's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Her eyes instantly became sharp: "What did he want to do, pick up Daisy?"

"Not exactly. The teacher didn't let him pick her up like you said. He waited outside, and when we came out, Daisy saw him."

Samantha described the afternoon scene, including what Daisy said and Simon's reaction at the time.

After listening, Teresa was silent for a long time.

There wasn't a trace of softening in her heart. Instead, deeper vigilance and fear welled up.

Simon really wouldn't give up. If he could wait outside the kindergarten today, tomorrow couldn't he find other ways to approach Daisy, or even forcibly take her away?

She absolutely wouldn't allow it!

"I understand. I'll emphasize again with the kindergarten teachers that except for you and me, no one, for any reason, is allowed to approach Daisy, especially Simon and Anna."

Teresa's voice was cold.

"Okay, don't worry."

Samantha nodded. She remembered the look in Simon's eyes when he watched Daisy. After hesitating, she still spoke up.

"But Teresa, looking at Simon today, he seemed pretty upset. Does he really just want to see Daisy?"

"Upset?"

Hearing this, Teresa pulled at the corner of her mouth, showing a bitter smile.

"Where was he before? Now he knows to be upset. Today he might just want to see Daisy, but tomorrow he could use Daisy to threaten me, force me to give in, give up custody, or even withdraw from the Horizon Group project."

At this point, Teresa closed her eyes.

There were some things she didn't say out loud.

She didn't understand Simon, but she knew him well enough.

In his heart, the Smith Group was always the most important thing.

She and Daisy had always been expendable options.

Teresa's heart ached.

She no longer dared, nor wanted, to hold any hope for Simon.

"Alright, as long as you've thought it through."

Samantha sighed and said no more.

Teresa walked into the bedroom, looked at Daisy's peaceful sleeping face, bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, her heart full of tenderness.

'Daisy, I will definitely protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again,' she thought.

She quietly left the bedroom, went to the study, opened her computer, and wrote an email to Preston, asking about the litigation progress.

The final presentation for the Horizon Group project was scheduled for a week later.

When Teresa got busy, time seemed to fly by. Working from early morning to late night, by the time she came to her senses, the presentation was almost here.

The atmosphere in the closed office was tense to the extreme.

The new plan adjustments were basically finalized—bolder and more innovative than the original, but that also meant higher technical challenges and costs.

Teresa and the team were still running simulations repeatedly, striving for perfection.

The office was completely quiet. Teresa and Michael were still inside checking the last set of data.

Teresa stared at a string of numbers and couldn't help yawning. She looked up at the clock hanging on the opposite wall.

It was already 2 AM.

"Alright, let's call it a day."

After checking the last piece of data, Michael looked up and rubbed his temples, preparing to put away the files.

Before Teresa could respond, just as Michael was putting the files away—

A piercing alarm suddenly blared throughout the entire floor, and the red warning lights on the corridor ceiling flashed frantically.

"What's going on?"

Michael reacted quickly, standing up abruptly and wanting to go check the situation.

Just then, the technical director burst in, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling.

"Mr. Collins, Ms. Bennett, our main server and backup server are under simultaneous hacker attack. The firewall has been breached, and massive amounts of data are being forcibly downloaded and erased."

"The tech department is doing everything they can to intercept it, but the attack is too fierce. And the attack path is very strange—it's like it was premeditated, targeting the weak points of our new security system."