Chapter 242: Are You Hot?

Daisy's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red upon hearing Zane's words, her gaze fixed on the ground, too shy to meet his eyes. As the air between them grew thick with unspoken words, the arrival of security guards broke the silence. "Ms. Cooper, are you alright?" they rushed in, concern evident in their voices. Quickly regaining her composure, Daisy instructed, "These men attempted extortion in broad daylight. Take them into custody and call the police." "Understood, Ms. Cooper!" the lead guard responded promptly. Soon, the office was left with just Zane and Daisy, the former wrestling with a tumult of nerves, eager for her response. Zane, no stranger to female attention, found none of it meaningful until Daisy. Her beauty and intellect captivated him, and now, seizing the moment, he had laid bare his feelings. "Please, sit down. I'll make you some tea," Daisy offered, breaking the silence with a voice that betrayed her nervousness. Zane, looking out of place on the sofa, nodded silently, the man known as Tiger in King City, now seemingly meek and restrained. As Daisy handed him a cup of tea, she noticed beads of sweat on his forehead, a sight that nearly made her chuckle. "Are you hot?" she asked, a puzzled look on her face. "Ah... yes... a little," Zane managed, a bit flustered. "The air conditioning is on low, though," Daisy remarked, her brows knitting together. "It must be the adrenaline from dealing with those thugs," Zane quickly explained, though Daisy understood his nervousness wasn't just from the altercation. In this moment, Zane appeared endearingly vulnerable to her. "Was everything you said earlier true?" Daisy finally broached the subject, her tone serious. "Absolutely. I, Zane, never lie. Especially not about this. I've never said those words to any other woman," Zane replied, his sincerity unmistakable. Daisy found no reason to doubt him and nodded, "To be honest, I don't dislike you either. I feel safe with you, but..." "There are no 'buts.' If you're with me, I swear, I'll be good to you and only you," Zane interjected before she could finish. Their gazes locked, conveying more than words could express. "Let me finish speaking, then you can decide," Daisy continued. "Alright," Zane consented, though his forehead now glistened with sweat. "I come from a rural background..." "So do I," Zane interjected. "I have no family name, no background." "Neither do I," he said again. "I was once in a relationship with Dustin Williams from The Williams, and we nearly got engaged." At this revelation, Zane fell silent, processing her words without immediate response. Witnessing Zane's reaction, Daisy felt a sudden surge of loss, even inferiority, hesitating before confessing, "Honestly, I feel so insecure, almost unable to believe in love anymore... When I was with Dustin Williams, we had already..." "Stop, you don't need to say more. I've been told all about it. Back then, all I could think about was tossing that bastard Dustin Williams into the sea for the sharks," Zane interjected passionately. "Such a wonderful girl, and he didn't know how to cherish you. He deserves a thousand cuts." "Let me make this clear to you, you are the one I want to protect and care for in this life. No matter what your past was or what you've been through, it doesn't matter to me," Zane continued, his voice firm with conviction. "I care about who you are now. For the rest of my life, I want to protect you, marry you, and have children with you." Zane finished his declaration and hastily drank a cup of tea, nearly scalding his throat. "Are you sure?" Daisy asked, her voice quivering. "Absolutely sure!" Zane affirmed. At his words, Daisy's eyes welled up with tears, overwhelmed by emotions she hadn't expected to feel. She had feared his disdain upon learning about her past with Dustin Williams, but his reaction was the opposite. "You don't have to cry. If I said something wrong, or if you're not ready, just tell me," Zane, seeing her tears, panicked a little. "You dummy, of course, I accept," Daisy chided softly, her affection for him evident. Hearing her acceptance, Zane was overjoyed. He stood up, lifted her in his arms, and spun around, elated. "Put me down, what if someone sees us!" Daisy protested, half-heartedly. "What's there to fear? You've agreed to be my girlfriend. It's not against the law to hold my own girl," Zane replied with a possessive grin. In that moment, Daisy felt like the happiest woman in the world, her cheeks flushed with joy. However, their bliss was interrupted by a voice at the door, "You two aren't breaking any laws, but could you please close the door? You're making it hard for the rest of us with all this love in the air." Startled, Zane quickly set Daisy down as they both hurried to compose themselves. "Uh, Henry..." "Henry..." The newcomer was none other than Henry, who wore an amused look, teasing them, "So, Zane, is this why you've been frequenting Lumin Sky Group lately? For a love affair?" "You two are moving pretty fast," Henry remarked as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. "Henry, stop making fun of me," Zane pleaded, his embarrassment evident but overshadowed by the happiness of their newfound love. "Right, Henry, we were classmates after all. Don't tease me," Daisy chimed in, her face flushed with embarrassment. Chuckling, Henry conceded, "Alright, no more jokes. Honestly, I'm really happy for you two. Maybe you should pick a good date and make it official soon," he suggested, still with a hint of mirth. "Stop it, Henry, you'll make me mad..." Daisy protested, her cheeks reddening further. "Henry, did you come here for something specific?" Zane quickly changed the subject, hoping to divert Henry's playful teasing. Henry smiled, dialing back his teasing. "I came to check on how things are going. I was worried you might have gotten too caught up in your romance to remember the tasks at hand." "That could never happen. Just dealt with some flies here, which is why there was a slight delay," Zane explained. "Flies?" Henry's curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" Daisy hurriedly filled in, "Some people pretended to discuss cooperation but then tried to extort us. Thankfully, he arrived just in time, or else..." "Where are they now?" Henry asked, his interest clearly heightened by the audacity of someone daring to extort at Lumin Sky Group, especially in broad daylight. It suggested either a bold manipulator behind the scenes or sheer foolishness. "The security team took them away. They should be in the security room by now," Daisy informed. "Let's go have a look," Henry said, standing up and heading towards the door. Zane and Daisy quickly followed, eager to see how Henry would handle the situation.