When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 299

Chapter Ninety–Nine: We Need To Talk

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The drive back to the Noah estate was really quiet for Daisy Noah, as if the weight of the afternoon had settled over her like a heavy, invisible cloak.

She sat beside her mother in the backseat of the luxury vehicle. Across from them, Richard Noah remained occupied with something important on his tablet, speaking occasionally in low, authoritative tones with his assistant through a discreet earpiece. Business never truly left men like him. Not even during family matters or arranged meetings that carried the future of two powerful dynasties.

But Daisy barely paid attention to any of it. Her thoughts kept circling back to the same moment, the same piercing question that refused to leave her mind.

‘Who is he?‘

The question still lingered hours later, echoing with unsettling clarity. And what unsettled her most was not the question itself, but how quickly and accurately Lucien Virelli had seen through her carefully constructed walls.

Daisy leaned her head lightly against the cool window glass, watching the passing scenery without really seeing it. That man was dangerous. Not in the loud, boastful way she was used to from most wealthy men. Not in the arrogant billionaire manner that usually grated on her nerves. Lucien Virelli felt dangerous precisely because he paid attention. Too much attention. The kind that stripped away pretense and left a person feeling exposed.

“You’re thinking too loudly again.”

Her mother’s gentle, knowing voice pulled her back to the present immediately.

Daisy blinked and turned toward Celeste Noah beside her. “What does that even mean?”

Celeste smiled faintly, the expression warm and maternal in the soft glow of the cabin lights. “It means your face reveals every single thought you’re trying so hard to hide.”

Daisy sighed softly and looked away again, resting her cheek against the window once more. “I didn’t know this family suddenly became experts at reading minds.”

“That young man reads people carefully,” Celeste replied calmly, her tone carrying quiet observation rather than judgment. “It’s rare to meet someone who sees so clearly without needing to speak much.”

Daisy frowned slightly, a small crease forming between her brows. “You noticed it too?”

“I notice everything about my daughter,” Celeste said simply, reaching over to adjust the light cashmere throw across Daisy’s lap with tender care.

That answer softened something inside Daisy immediately, melting a layer of her defenses.

For a moment, neither of them spoke again. The quiet hum of the vehicle and the faint sound of her father’s low conversation filled the comfortable silence.

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Chapter Ninety–Nine We bird to talk

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Then, very softly, Celeste asked, “You don’t like him?”

Daisy responded without hesitation. “He’s unsettling.”

That made her mother laugh quietly, the sound light and melodic in the enclosed space.

“There’s a difference between unsettling and unlikeable, my dear.”

Daisy looked at her suspiciously now, one eyebrow raised. “You like him.”

Celeste smiled again, a knowing glint in her eyes. “I think he’s intelligent. Sharp. The kind of man who doesn’t waste words or effort on games.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Daisy muttered, crossing her arms lightly.

Her mother’s amusement deepened slightly, the corners of her eyes crinkling with quiet fondness.

Daisy groaned softly and leaned back properly into the plush leather seat, tilting her head toward the ceiling. “Mother, that man looked at me like he already knew my entire life story in the first five minutes.”

“And did he?” Celeste asked gently.

Daisy froze briefly. Because somehow… it felt like he almost had.

Celeste watched her daughter carefully for a long moment before speaking again, her voice soft with wisdom earned through years of navigating elite circles. “You know, sometimes the people who see us clearly are the ones we fear the most. They force us to confront things we’d rather keep hidden.”

Daisy immediately shook her head, rejecting the idea outright. “No. Absolutely not. We are not romanticizing this situation. Not even a little.”

Her mother laughed properly this time, the warm sound unexpectedly easing some of the heaviness sitting inside Daisy’s chest.

But only slightly.

Because beneath everything, Ray still remained there, occupying the deepest corners of her mind.

The memory of the woman answering his phone returned instantly, soft and intimate, like a knife twisting slowly. And just like that, her mood shifted again, the brief lightness vanishing as quickly as it

had come.

Celeste noticed immediately. Her expression softened with quiet understanding and concern.

“You really do love him,” she said gently, no longer asking but stating the truth she had already seen.

Daisy looked away toward the window immediately, her throat tightening. Neither denial nor confirmation came this time.

And somehow, that silence hurt more than any words could have.

Celeste slowly reached over and held her daughter’s hand gently, squeezing it with maternal warmth.

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Chopw’s Ninety Ning, ww Need to k

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When did you become so afraid of being loved, my sweet girl?”

That question settled deeply inside Daisy, sinking into places she rarely allowed anyone to touch. Because honestly, she did not know the exact moment.

Maybe it started after years of growing up around strategic marriages and emotionless alliances. Maybe it began from watching powerful families turn relationships into calculated negotiations and business contracts. Maybe somewhere along the line, Daisy had simply stopped believing that real love stayed. That it didn’t eventually leave, demand, or disappoint.

So she learned to leave first.

Never need anyone too much.

Never surrender fully. Never let herself fall too deeply.

And now? Now the one man who had truly wanted her–all of her–was slipping away from her fingers, engaged to someone else while she sat here paralyzed by her own fears.

Daisy swallowed quietly before forcing a small, fragile smile. “I think I’m terrible at emotions.”

“No,” Celeste corrected gently, still holding her hand. “You’re just scared of the ones that truly matter.” The vehicle finally entered the Noah estate shortly afterward, the grand iron gates opening smoothly to welcome them home. But even after they stepped out into the cool night air and walked toward the illuminated mansion, her mother’s words stayed with her, lingering like quiet echoes she couldn’t quite

shake.

Meanwhile, across another exclusive part of Lisbourn, the Virelli estate remained as calm and controlled as ever. Night had fully settled outside the massive floor–to–ceiling glass walls overlooking the glittering city below, while soft instrumental music played faintly from hidden speakers somewhere deeper inside

the mansion.

Inside his private office, Lucien Virelli stood near the expansive window with one hand resting casually inside his pocket, reading through detailed reports displayed across a sleek holographic screen. The cool blue glow reflected faintly against his sharp, refined features. Focused. Calm. Completely unreadable.

A soft knock sounded against the heavy door.

“Come in.”

The door opened quietly afterward and Viviana Virelli stepped inside, graceful and composed even at

this late hour.

Lucien glanced toward her briefly. “You’re awake late.”

Viviana smiled faintly, moving further into the office with elegant steps. “So are you.”

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She stopped beside the whiskey table near the fireplace, her eyes studying her son with the quiet perception only a mother possessed.

“You’re thinking about her.”

Lucien looked back toward the sprawling city lights beyond the glass. “That obvious?”

“Very obvious.”

A quiet, comfortable silence followed. Natural. Understanding.

Unlike many powerful families where relationships were formal and distant, the bond between Lucien and his mother carried layers of quiet trust beneath the surface formality. Viviana knew her son better than almost anyone ever could. And Lucien trusted very few people beyond her.

Viviana poured herself a cup of herbal tea calmly before speaking again. “She’s beautiful.”

Lucien’s expression remained composed. “Yes.”

“But that’s not what caught your attention.”

This time, something almost resembling faint amusement flickered briefly across his face.

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