Page 21 of Due Process
How can such a tiny human cause so much destruction?I smiled as my boy continued to give her hell.
My phone began to ring just as Phoenix managed to grab Heather’s handbag and launch it against the wall.
I answered the call blindly, turning the speakerphone on loud when my best friend’s voice drifted through.
“Did you give your son a briefing on the assignment? Because he’s executing it brilliantly. An overachiever like his mama, huh?”
I guessed Daisy had decided to tune into the live stream alongside me. I wasn’t remotely surprised; she was an IT prodigy who had a predilection for hacking.
We had met in college, and it was a hard-won friendship. Everyone was conned by the small, petite girl named after a flower. But I wasn’t fooled by her name, soft-spoken voice or pixie-like features.
There was a bulldog hiding within. And much to my delight, I was proven right after we struck a mutually beneficial deal. At one point, she needed some legal advice, and I, in turn, required the expertise of a computer engineer. We had been inseparable ever since… Until she moved to another country to be with her pilot husband.Barf.
“Did you manage to track her outgoings?” I asked.
“What? Do I look like an amateur?” Daisy scoffed in condemnation. “Let’s just say, Felix didn’t pick the smartest out of the bunch.”
Her statement was interrupted by a faint creak from the office door. I bolted to my feet to block the monitor behind my back.
“Everything alright in here, Stella?” Dad asked, popping his head in.
“Yeah, Dad. All good. Just finishing off a few things.”
“And you couldn’t do this project at home?” he asked with a perked brow.Shit, he’s so onto me.
Dylan Foster had held suspicions ever since I started back at work. The change was abrupt, and he couldn’t wrap his head around my sudden urgency to return.
I had desperately wanted to tell him from the very first. But I knew my dad, and he was severely protective.
I was his only child, his golden girl, the one person in his life who could do no wrong. So, I knew that as soon as he found out about Felix, he wouldn’t be able to hold back—probably burn the whole building down with my husband still inside.
My dad wasn’t known for subtlety or restraint, which meant that if he found out too soon, my plan would go up in smoke. I had to hold off—just for a bit longer.
Sensing my distress, Daisy interrupted and chimed in.
“Sorry, Mr Foster! I asked Stella for an urgent favour that is of the highest security clearance. She had to go somewhere private, which meant your house.”
As soon as he heard her melodic voice, his face relaxed, and a genuine smile grew. “Is that you, Daisychain? How have you been, baby girl?”
I groaned, knowing she would get a kick out of that nickname and torture me with it later.
“I’m good,” she said. “Miss your daughter, though, so I’ll have to visit soon.”
“Well, don’t forget about her old man here! We would love to have you.”
“Can’t wait, Mr Foster.”
“Don’t call me that. We’ve discussed this.”
Before she could reply, I cut in. “Alright, Dad. Gotta get back to it.”
He picked up on the cue, said goodbye to Daisy, then left, closing the door behind him.
Slumping back into my chair, I took the phone off speaker and held it to my ear.
“Don’t say a word,” I snapped.
“I didn’t say anything.” She didn’t have to. Just based on her tone, I knew Daisy was smirking.
