Page 110 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
Her mind raced. This was crazy! Matt knew nothing about James – they’d never even met!
He sighed heavily. “Do you remember what Charlie and I were working on before I did my internship?”
“Sort of.”
“Of course you do.” His voice hardened. “It was an idea: a well-developed one for new airline software. The problem was we didn’t have the investors, but we’d have got them. We’d planned to start pitching it when I got home.”
Daisy had a sudden, awful feeling she knew where this was going.
“Only when I was away, James approached Charlie and persuaded him to sell it for a fucking pittance.” Matt’s expression matched his voice. “I assumed you’d told him about our idea, and about us having no money.”
Her mouth dried. “I didn’t tell James a thing.I didn’t even know him then, remember?By the time you were doing post-grad, he was working and looking for opportunities to start up by himself. So he had his ear to the ground, just as he does now.”
Vaguely, she was aware that the rain seemed to be getting heavier. It didn’t seem important anymore.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter how he found out,” Matt was saying. “He robbed us: he and his investors got to develop our idea, and made millions from it, while we got nothing.’
Daisy knew for a fact that James hadn’t made millions, but now didn’t seem the right time to argue on that point. She glanced at the signed form in front of her.
She should just put it in her bag and go find Fionn. She needed to leave. She wouldn’t have to see Matt again unless Granary House was placed in the competition. It might even win.
The irony was, she couldn’t do it anymore. Not after what Matt had done. He hadn’t just hurt her – he’d hurt James. She had no idea if her relationship with James was over, but she knew he’d never betray her the way Matt had. He’d never deliberately hurt the people closest to her. Before she was tempted to change her mind, she ripped up the form.
“What are you doing?” Matt stared at her.
“Coming to my senses,” Daisy said, grimly. “You should sell this place, you know. It’s really beautiful, but it’s way too big for one person.”
Matt rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “There’s no need to do this, Daisy.” His phone rang and he checked the caller ID. “It’s Kayley. Let me take this and then we can talk, okay?”
She wouldn’t change her mind. Not now. “Go ahead. Answer it.”
CHAPTER 50
Matt stood and jabbed his finger across the screen. “Kayley? Hang on, I can’t hear you.” He strode out to the hall.
Alone in the kitchen, Daisy slumped slightly as she looked around. She’d poured so much time and love into this house … maybe she shouldn’t have torn up the form. Only she wanted nothing more to do with Matt.
She’d been an idiot. About everything, if she were being honest. Mainly because she hadn’t seen Matt for what he really was: arrogant and insecure. And, worst of all, capable of holding a grudge against her and James all these years.
“Christ!” He came back into the kitchen.
Daisy got to her feet. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Kayley – she’s stuck on the road beyond the driveway. The river’s burst its banks again and the road’s flooded. She tried to drive through – I think she said they couldn’t get out of the car ... I couldn’t hear her that well and then I got cut off – fucking signal!”
Daisy looked out through the patio doors. The rain was getting heavier by the minute, it seemed. “She and Tim willprobably just have to get out of the car and walk the rest of the way. I mean, how far away from the house are they?”
“Tim got delayed so he’s not with her!” Matt scowled. “So she insisted on driving back by herself. Well, I’m assuming Drew is with her.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “But I think I caught the word ‘injured’.”
“Who’s Drew?”
“Her bodyguard.” He turned to go.
“Hang on!” Daisy said.
Then the patio door opened and Fionn and Niamh burst into the kitchen, sliding the door quickly shut behind them.
“It’s crap out there,” Fionn declared, flicking wet hair out of his eyes. “And Kayley doesn’t seem to be here yet. What’s the story?”
