Chapter 199 The Assistant Throws Out the Trash
If the person she was dealing with wasn’t her elder, she would have turned on her heel and left, not giving him the time of day.
But she was raised to respect her elders, so as much as she disliked the topic and didn't want to engage, there was no choice for her.
"Whom do you want me to marry?" Daphne asked directly.
"Three days from now, there's a gathering for you young folks; I put your name down." Marcus' face remained stern as he spoke, "Just show up when it's time."
Daphne replied with a faint, "Got it."
She had grown accustomed to this type of directive communication from him. It was also the reason their relationship was strained.
Afterward, there was little dialogue between the two. Gavin said a few words and then left with Daphne.
Once they stepped out of the old house and got into the car, Gavin finally voiced his confusion, "Why didn’t you let me speak up for you back there?"
Since Marcus had brought up the arranged marriage, Daphne had been subtly signaling to him not to interject.
"Speaking or not, the outcome is the same. If I had said anything, it would have only made him angrier and led to more scolding," Daphne had a resigned attitude, already aware of his temperament. "If I keep quiet, I just have to endure his nagging."
"Are you really planning to go to that gathering he mentioned?" Gavin inquired.
"I'll go," Daphne maintained her indifferent stance. "If I don’t, he won't let it go."
"Maybe I should find the time to talk to him," Gavin was still reluctant to see Daphne forced into something she disliked, "He hasn’t shown much interest in your daily life over the years, always assuming you’re not capable of this and that."
In Marcus's view, Daphne had never been in the public eye because she wasn’t adept at anything. He feared she would embarrass the Murphy Group as its heiress if her identity went public.
But the reality of it was that Daphne was exceptional, far surpassing him.
"No need," Daphne knew too well, "It wouldn’t make a difference."
If it would have helped, she could have brought up Frontier Capital Group, but she knew what Marcus wanted was only the alliance of marriage. To him, marriage was the only thing of extra value.
"Should we inform your dad?" Gavin asked again.
"No. If Dad knew, he'd surely argue about it," Daphne wasn't being too kind, she just didn't want to add to the troubles, "With Marcus’s age, a heated argument could be dangerous, and Dad would feel guilty if anything happened."
Gavin was conflicted, suddenly at a loss for words.
It dawned on him that having the ability or wealth didn’t guarantee the freedom to live life as one wanted. Life was full of disappointments.
"Sometimes I wish you weren’t so rational," he sighed, "Being too understanding can lead to being taken for granted."
"I won’t allow myself to be taken advantage of," Daphne’s response was straightforward.
Her rationality had limits; if Marcus pushed her too far, perhaps even to an engagement, she wouldn't hesitate to break ties. But until it reached that point, she could tolerate it.
Gavin gave her another look but ultimately said nothing more. When they reached the company, Gavin went on to attend to his work, and Daphne headed to her office.
She never expected to see a bouquet of stunning roses on her office desk. Daphne furrowed her brows and asked around, "Whose flowers are these?"
"They seem to be for you," one of her colleagues responded.
"Someone came looking for you Daphne and left the flowers," another added.
Upon hearing this, Daphne glanced at the roses. There was a card nestled among the petals, with a message from someone named Charles. Daphne simply returned the card to the bouquet and instructed her assistant to throw it away.
Initially, Jesse had been her assistant, but as her company, Frontier Capital Group, had been preoccupied with a chip development partnership, she had The Murphy Group hire a new assistant for her while Jesse returned to the home office.
The assistant, holding the elegantly wrapped flowers, hesitated, "Really throw them out?"
"Just one word from Daphne was enough, "Throw."
Reluctantly, the assistant disposed of the flowers.
This action of hers did not go unnoticed. The buzz began to spread through the office area outside her room, with colleagues chattering animatedly.
"Is Consultant Daphne always this cold?"
"I'm really curious who sent her the flowers. Knowing they were thrown away must be chilling."
"Perhaps for Consultant Daphne, men are just a distraction from making money."
"I agree with that."
None of these comments reached Daphne's ears, as she would block out all distractions once she dove into her work. But someone else was indeed aware of what had transpired.
Over at The Lancelot Group, Charles had finished discussing a partnership and had returned to Gedser. As the workday was winding down, he glanced at the time and nonchalantly asked a busy colleague nearby, "Did Daphne receive the flowers?"
Mark stiffened. How was he to inform his boss that Miss Murphy had mercilessly trashed the bouquet?
"Are you deaf?" Charles's voice was tinged with a noticeable coldness.
"She did receive them," Mark attempted to offer some comfort, his gaze darting about, "but they were in the trash within seconds by her assistant."
Charles's expression grew stern. Did she really dislike him that much?
"Boss..." Mark hesitated but decided to speak his mind, "I'm not sure if I should say this or not."
"Don't," Charles cut him off.
But Mark continued anyway, "From the act of sending flowers alone, it's pretty clear that Miss Murphy has completely given up on you. If you keep bothering her, she'll only find you... annoying."
Previously, Charles had ignored advice, and as a result, Miss Murphy divorced him. If he continued to ignore warnings now, Mr. Murphy might be provoked enough to confront him physically.
Charles's gaze turned icy, "Didn’t I tell you not to say it?"
This time, Mark kept silent. The boss was in a romantic mess.
Charles instructed in a detached tone, "Keep the flowers coming. One bunch every day. Don't stop until I say so."
Mark remained silent for a moment, then acknowledging the obstinacy of the man before him, he finally responded with a simple affirmation. "Okay."
The next day, Daphne once again received a floral delivery from Charles, sparking intense discussions in the office.
She disliked being the center of attention.
After having her assistant throw out the flowers for the second time, Daphne sent Charles a message, clear and to the point.
Daphne: [Stop sending me flowers.]
Her words were straightforward, much like her personality, never one to conceal her thoughts.
Charles's reply came quickly.
Charles: [I'm following the plan. I'm pursuing you.]
Daphne paused, then quickly grasped the meaning of Charles's words.
Someone had been holding off because Kayla suggested Charles was pursuing Daphne. But if Daphne showed no reaction, like still waters, they would grow suspicious.
Eventually, Kayla's lies would come undone.
Thinking about this gave her a headache. She wondered why this person was targeting Charles. Without any animosity toward him, she, along with Lucia and the others, could strategize at a leisurely pace.
However, if no one was targeting Charles, she and Charles might not have ended up divorced. After all, it was that person who had sent Kayla over.
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