Daisy's Code Novel by Amelia Bennett

Daisy followed Lance outside. The place was buzzing with students, but they ducked into a quiet little grove away from the crowd.

“Alright, what’s up? You look so serious,” Daisy teased, a smirk on her face. Ever since that awkward first encounter that landed her in his car, she figured Lance was someone important. Now, seeing him all flustered made her curious about what was going on.

Lance sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Laura’s trying to set you up.”

Daisy felt like she’d been hit with a ton of bricks. She knew Laura wasn’t exactly her biggest fan, but she still doubted that Laura would harm her.

“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything to her. Why would she do that? And how do you even know?” Daisy asked, furrowing her brow. Even if she acted dazed sometimes, she could handle herself-there was no way she could run a big company if she didn’t know what was happening around her.

Lance looked at her, a mix of frustration and sympathy in his eyes. He raised his hand and playfully flicked her forehead. “I heard Yvonne talking to one of your classmates outside the convenience store and thought you should know. I can’t believe you’d think I’m lying.”

As he spoke, he feigned heartbreak, looking dramatically pitiful.

“Stop acting. You’re terrible at it,” Daisy shot back, unimpressed. However, she didn’t doubt Lance’s word-he wasn’t the type to joke around.

“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll keep my guard up,” Daisy said with gratitude.

“What’s your plan?” Lance asked, raising an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

Daisy shot him an annoyed glance. “Why are you so nosy, Mr. Lindsey?”

“Are you planning to toss me aside after you use me? I’ve got other uses too.” Lance grinned, wiggling his eyebrows, clearly enjoying the banter.

Daisy smirked back, her eyes sparkling. “Oh really? Care to share what those uses are?”

Lance saw her feign confusion, he felt himself yielding under the weight of her innocent gaze. He cleared his throat, trying not to get distracted by her teasing. “Alright, enough jokes. After school, come find me. We need to follow your classmate and see what he’s to.”

With a smirk, Daisy felt a wave of sympathy for whoever had plotted against her. They had no idea they were being targeted by this clever schemer.

“Got it. I’ll be there,” she said, waving her hand as she turned to leave, giving Lance a cold look as if he was her pawn.

Watching her walk away, Lance chuckled as he called out, “You heartless little thing.” He couldn’t pinpoint when Daisy had become such a significant part of his life. Sure, he knew she could fight, but he couldn’t shake the worry about her safety and whether she might be tricked. So today, upon hearing she was about to become someone else’s target, he immediately relayed the message to her, hoping she could prepare in advance and avoid being outplayed.

Shaking his head, Lance mused, “Daisy, you will be mine.” His curiosity about her had morphed into an obsessive desire to keep her close. Turning away from the woods, he made his way to his convenience store. By the time he arrived, the two pesky people he’d seen earlier were gone. He stepped inside the store.

“Did anything interesting happen today, Harley?” Lance leaned against the counter, watching the customers, and glanced expectantly at Harley

With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Harley replied, Haven’t you seen it all already?”

“Boring.” With a sense of indifference, Lance strode into the break room. As he waited for the school bell to ring, he set the contract he’d brought on the table, diving into his work.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Laura anxiously stared at her phone, waiting for good news from Yvonne. Just then, her phone pinged, ringing in response. She quickly grabbed it, only to find that it was Sherry calling, and her heart raced. It was just yesterday that Sherry had asked her to relay a message.

“Laura?” Sherry’s familiar voice came through the line, and hearing that tone made Laura tremble slightly as she brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello, Ms. Levine, this is Laura,” she replied softly.

Laura had kept Sherry waiting, and Sherry almost thought she dialed the wrong number. “Why didn’t you come today?” Sherry’s tone was sharp, making Laura anxious.

“Uh?” Laura glanced over at Fiona, a bit hesitant. “Mom, didn’t you help me excuse my absence?”

Fiona was caught off guard. She had gone home early in the morning and brought a couple of outfits before rushing over, completely forgetting to get the day off for Laura. She smiled sheepishly and signaled for Laura to hand her the phone. Laura obediently passed it over, wanting to avoid further awkwardness with Sherry.

“Hello, is this Ms. Levine? I’m Fiona, Laura’s mother. I’m really sorry, but Laura was in a car accident after school yesterday evening. She’s still in the hospital, and honestly, I’ve been so shaken up that I forgot to call in her absence. Please forgive me,” Fiona said.

Even though Sherry had her issues with Laura, she couldn’t say anything in light of the situation. Her voice softened, “Oh, see. It’s no problem at all. Just make sure Laura takes good care of herself while she’s recovering, but I’d appreciate it if you could help her keep up with her schoolwork too. We don’t want her falling behind.”

Just then, there was a knock on door and a nurse wheeled in a cart full of supplies.

“How are you feeling today, Laura? Any discomfort?” the nurse asked, jotting down notes in her chart.

Sherry understood the situation and didn’t want to say too much. “Mrs. Wilder, please take good care of Laura. If you need anything, feel free to reach out to me anytime.”

“Thank you so much, Ms. Levine. I really appreciate your understanding,” Fiona replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

After the nurse finished asking questions, she exited the ward, leaving behind just Fiona and Laura.