As they stepped out of the room, Daisy casually let go of Penelope's hand and rummaged through her purse for a wet wipe. She cleaned her hands thoroughly before tossing the used wipe into a nearby bin.
"Daisy, you better not mess with me, or you'll regret it!" Penelope warned, trying to keep her cool.
Daisy chuckled, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Regret it? Oh, Penelope, haven't you grown tired of these empty threats? You should be thanking me. I've got the whole thing on video. I'll make sure it hits the headlines, showing everyone just how 'devoted' you are to your family. Talk about ungrateful!"
Penelope had gone all out that day, gifting Grace a diamond necklace that would make any A-lister green with envy. But with Daisy's recording, there was no getting it back. As she turned to leave, Daisy called out, "Oh, I forgot to mention, that necklace is from the latest collection at the Santos family's jewelry boutique. If you had asked, I could've hooked you up with a friends and family discount."
It hit Penelope then—she had unwittingly lined Daisy's pockets.
She stood there, stunned. By the time she snapped out of it, Daisy was already humming a tune, sauntering away.
Penelope whipped out her phone and dialed Nathalie. Nathalie, sensing something was off from Penelope's tone, answered cautiously. "Do you know what Daisy's been up to? Got any dirt on her?"
"Daisy? She's tied the knot with Mr. Frances Boswell of the Boswell family."
"The Boswell family?" Penelope echoed, incredulous.
"Yeah, the real estate tycoons, the crème de la crème of Northfield."
"Daisy married into the Boswell family? How did she pull that off?"
No wonder Daisy had the confidence to strut around Penelope; she had a powerful family backing her now.
Her voice was icy.
"What, you didn't hear me?" Penelope crossed her arms over her chest. "So, you're the one who married that invalid Mr. Frances Boswell. They say he's on his last legs. Looks like you're set to be a widow, ha!"
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the hospital corridor.
Daisy's hand had made solid contact with Penelope's cheek.
Penelope staggered, nearly falling if not for the journalists who steadied her. She was in shock. "You dared to hit me!"
"I didn't just dare to hit you once, I'll dare to do it again. Penelope, I'm not Allison, someone you can walk all over. If you dare to insult me or my husband again, you won't get off so easily."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Billionaire's Maid Bride