Chapter 18- Does He Care?

Sophie blinked, her nerves still rattled from Joyce's outburst, as the door clicked shut behind her. Turning to Carissa, she offered a grateful smile.

"Carissa, on behalf of Mother, I'm sorry," Carissa apologized softly.

Sophie waved it off with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Carissa. Um, I think it's best if we leave now. Take care of yourself and get better soon." She gave Carissa a quick hug before leaving with her son.

Alone with Carissa, Daisy approached her with a determined expression. "What happened, Carissa?"

Carissa met Daisy's gaze, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me it's because of him," Daisy pressed, her tone demanding.

"Him? Who are you talking about?" Carissa asked, genuinely confused.

"Be honest with me. I'm sure it's because of David that you were out late yesterday and got yourself drenched, leading to you passing out and catching pneumonia," Daisy accused, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Carissa shook her head firmly. "No, Daisy. It's not because of him," she asserted, her voice resolute. "I got caught in the rain while trying to find a cab home."

"Then tell me the truth about the jacket," Daisy implored, her skepticism evident.

Carissa sighed, meeting Daisy's gaze squarely. "What I said earlier was the truth. I left it at work in a hurry."

Daisy regarded Carissa with suspicion, her head tilted to the side. "I don't entirely buy your story, but… I'll let it slide for now," she said, shrugging. "But you were clearly rattled earlier about…" Daisy leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Your family finding out about David."

Carissa sighed, her hands finding their way to Daisy's shoulders.

"I was. I cursed David countless times, thinking it was him at the door. Imagine the chaos if they found out I'm working at M.I., owned by David, the same guy my family nearly destroyed years ago. Especially Duncan, he was the biggest opponent of our relationship," Carissa explained.

Daisy nodded in understanding. "I see, but your family will likely come around once they know the truth."

"Yeah, I hope so, but I doubt it." Carissa shook her head. "My father has too much pride, and Duncan… well, he's not exactly supportive. I'm sure my father would demand that I quit."

Daisy nodded again. "Got it. So, your little secret stays safe for now?"

"Exactly." Carissa glanced around the room, her gaze landing on her phone. "Speaking of secrets, where's my phone?"

Daisy retrieved it from the cupboard and handed it to her.

Carissa frowned. "Did you guys turn it off?"

"Nope, just silenced it," Daisy replied as she watched Carissa input her password. "You've got some apps locked, huh? Trying to keep your daughter from stumbling upon anything inappropriate?" she teased.

Carissa nudged her playfully. "You're terrible, you know that?"

Daisy chuckled and tapped the screen, her eyes widening. "You've got 100 missed calls earlier."

"Who could that be when…?" Carissa trailed off, staring at her screen in shock.

Daisy met her gaze, her eyebrows furrowed. "Jerky Boss? That's David?"

Carissa nodded, her heart pounding in confusion.

The following day, Carissa made her way to David's abode. As she entered through the automatic door, she jumped in alarm upon seeing David in the foyer, heading towards the entrance.

"You?" His gaze lingered on her, causing her to stumble over her words.

"H...hello. Good day." She cleared her throat and avoided his gaze, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

As he took in her appearance, he noticed her pallor and his shoulders relaxed. "Good day," he responded calmly.

After a brief moment, Carissa spoke again, "I came to see you."

"Alright. Come in." David managed to maintain a stern expression as he turned and led her to the living room.

"Why are you here?" He asked, turning to face her once they reached their destination.

"Um, I spoke to George last night and he suggested that I should speak to you about my unexpected absence from work. So, here I am." She paused for a moment and lowered her gaze. "I apologize for not being able to come in to work yesterday and today, but I promise that I will resume tomorrow..."

"Take the rest of the week off," David interjected with finality. Carissa looked at him in disbelief. "Tomorrow is Thursday, you can resume work on Monday."

Suppressing a smile, Carissa saw the flicker of concern in his eyes before he rephrased his statement.

"You don't look well enough to resume work tomorrow."

"I'm feeling better and-"

"No. Just do as I say." David felt a sudden urge to get closer to her as she relaxed and offered him a brief smile, causing him to turn his back to her.

"Thank you, sir. And for the jacket, thank you as well."

"I didn't wash it-"

"Oh, I did," Mrs. Rita's voice boomed, and both of them turned to see her approaching with a wide smile. She walked up to Carissa, who recognized her, and gave her a side hug.

"Oh, my dear, it's you! I'm happy to see you again. So, you were the owner of that jacket after all."

Carissa nodded. "It's good to see you too, ma'am." She curtsied. "Thank you for washing the jacket, although you didn't have to."

"It was no trouble at all," Rita replied, giggling. "Now, tell me, dear, why were you crying in the rain that night?"

Carissa was momentarily speechless, feeling David's gaze on her as she struggled to find the right words to explain.