Chapter 30 Saving Daisy
The house Nicholas and I rented was near the old campus—basically the suburbs. Completely opposite direction from where the Rosewood family lived. I'd deliberately chosen this location to stay far away from them.
On the way, Melissa sent me updates.
[Cate, Andrew and James just got home.]
I told her to protect herself and not get exposed. Who knew what the Rosewood family might do if they got desperate?
Melissa sent back a meme. She said:
[If they suspect me, they'll get rid of my whole family pretty fast anyway.]
[I'm not scared of being exposed now. Saving her is what matters most.]
[Hold on, I'm going to the surveillance room to livestream what's happening.]
After that, she went quiet for a while. Worry and anxiety gnawed at me. Why had Melissa's attitude shifted so suddenly? Just moments ago, she'd agreed to lay low.
Though thinking it over, she had a point. If Sabrina really suspected her, hiding wouldn't help. Might as well make herself useful while she could. But... what if something dangerous happened?
My mind raced through possible solutions. My phone suddenly chimed with a notification. I opened it—Melissa had sent a private livestream invitation through some network platform.
Livestreams saved the content. If we didn't make it in time and the surveillance got destroyed, this would be crucial evidence. The image had that telltale screen interference pattern. Not HD quality, but good enough.
Once again, I was looking at the room I'd lived in for over a decade. The Rosewood family had surveillance cameras in practically every corner. Originally, my four brothers had installed them to protect Sabrina from my supposed bullying.
So many times Sabrina had framed me, and I'd asked to check the footage. They'd always brushed me off with excuses. That's why the Rosewood family's surveillance system had become decorative—nobody bothered checking it regularly. Which was exactly how Melissa and I had exploited that gap.
Inside the room, Daisy sat stiffly on my old bed. Andrew and James had pulled up chairs in front of her. Michael and Jason stood off to the side.
"Who are you people?"
After Daisy had been brought to the Rosewood family house today, Jason had handled the handoff. She didn't recognize these two yet. Through the wariness in Daisy's eyes and the way she instinctively glanced at her phone, I could tell she was remembering the Rosewood family files I'd sent her.
Andrew wore a fake smile. He briefly introduced himself and James.
Hearing their names, Daisy's pupils contracted. It matched. Her panic intensified noticeably.
Andrew tried to calm her. "Don't be nervous. We just want to discuss a business arrangement. During the trial period, we'll cover your room and board."
He lifted his chin, casually surveying the space. "Once we reach an agreement, you'll stay in this room. What do you think? Anything you'd like us to add?"
My heart seized painfully. I'd lived in that room for over a decade, and my eldest brother had never treated me with this kind of gentleness. Now I had to watch him hand my room over to someone else.
Daisy was the new test subject. But she wasn't the old me.
Nicholas, driving, noticed my emotional shift. He glanced over. "What's wrong?"
My voice came out muffled. "Nothing."
"Catherine, you've already cut ties with them. Don't let the past trap you anymore."
Nicholas kept his eyes on the road as he said this. Something inside me caught. All those bitter feelings seemed to drain away at once. My mind went blank for a moment, like I'd truly cleared all the memories.
"Yeah. I know." It took me a while to respond.
If those memories couldn't fuel my revenge, they shouldn't stick around. The Rosewood family didn't deserve my pain. But comparing was human instinct. I fell into an extremely complicated, conflicted state.
I heard a faint sigh, but I was too focused to care.
On my phone screen, the livestream continued. Andrew, sensing the atmosphere had mellowed, brought out the main event.
"Ms. Smith, this document is our cooperation agreement. Take a look, and if everything seems fine, just sign and leave your thumbprint. I heard the agency scammed you out of a hundred thousand. I'll compensate you separately for that."
Andrew, who'd clawed his way through the business world, excelled at psychological manipulation. Daisy struggled to resist. Under pressure, she accepted the agreement.
Andrew continued, "Rest assured, this agreement centers on you. We're just thinking long-term, making sure our cooperation is legal and legitimate. If you have any requirements, feel free to bring them up."
Michael suddenly spoke up. "Ms. Smith, do you know Catherine?"
Daisy looked up at him blankly. Her reaction made all four of my brothers visibly relax. I couldn't help but laugh.
Did they really think I was that careless? From the moment Daisy and I connected, we'd never exchanged real names. If Nicholas hadn't helped investigate Daisy's background, I wouldn't know her either.
Michael seemed to realize his question wasn't very smart. "Or has anyone contacted you recently, telling you not to work with us?"
Under their scrutinizing gazes, Daisy shook her head stiffly. She'd been exposed.
I didn't panic at all. The longer she stalled, the better.
My four brothers wanted to keep probing, but Daisy pointed to something in the contract and started asking questions. I felt proud. She remembered my instructions and was trying to buy time.
Minutes ticked by. Daisy ran out of things to nitpick about. She instinctively glanced toward the door.
Nicholas and I were about to reach the Rosewood family house. In the distance, I could see the flashing lights of approaching police vehicles.
Andrew picked up on something. "Ms. Smith, we're showing plenty of good faith in this cooperation. What exactly are you worried about?"
"I..." Daisy stammered, unable to form a coherent response.
Andrew turned to James. "We'll have to do it that way."
From the god's-eye view of the camera, I watched Jason quietly light a scented candle. James tried to distract Daisy with random conversation.
"No time left. They're trying to hypnotize Daisy and force her to sign." I spoke rapidly to the arriving officers.
Then I stepped forward, entered the passcode, and opened the Rosewood family's front door without any effort. The group stared at me in confusion.
"Come on! Saving her is what matters."
Everyone snapped into action. The Rosewood family's servants had all gone to bed early—nobody wanted trouble.
I led them unobstructed to my former room. The group forced the door open violently.
"Freeze! Police!"