Chapter 202

“Let’s hope so,” Tuff said with a bitter smile.

He now had another task on his plate: to look into what Kayla had gone through after she went missing. He hoped that by the time Landon returned, he could give him a full account.

After his conversation with Tuff, Daniel headed to the Zuckerberg Estate. Maisie was busy making coffee, while Joanna was leisurely practicing calligraphy. At first glance, everything looked calm and peaceful—like a kind mother and a gentle daughter enjoying a quiet moment together. But the more Daniel saw this, the more uneasy he felt. Joanna had never been the gentle, virtuous woman type.

“Mais!” Daniel called out as he entered.

“Daniel?” Maisie exclaimed, her face lighting up with surprise and joy. She jumped up, forgetting all about the coffee maker still running, and rushed toward him. “Daniel, what are you doing here?”

Joanna, still practicing her calligraphy, shot Daniel a brief, indifferent glance before lowering her head and continuing as if nothing had happened.

“It’s been so long. How have you been?” Daniel asked, ruffling his little sister’s hair with a gentle affection. He hadn’t forced Maisie to stay–she was the one who insisted on staying at the Zuckerberg Estate to keep Joanna company, shutting herself off from the world. Ever since moving into the Zuckerberg Estate, Maisie had barely stepped outside. That was just way too harsh for a girl her age, right in the prime of her youth.

“I’m doing great, Daniel. How about you?” Maisie stepped back, giving him a once-over. After making sure he wasn’t hurt, she grinned. “Daniel, you look even more handsome than before.”

“Do I?” Daniel chuckled.

“Yeah! You’ve got this whole manly vibe going on now.” Maisie winked playfully. “Daniel, you can’t keep getting better. You’ll have all the girls in Lunova swooning over you.”

Daniel burst out laughing.

“Daniel, I just learned how to make coffee. You have to try it!” Maisie said, tugging him out to the terrace.

“Okay.”

Maisie led Daniel onto the terrace and personally poured him a cup. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Daniel grinned and praised her sincerely, “Wow, this is really good! Looks like you’ve picked up some real skills. Whoever ends up marrying you is going to be seriously lucky!”

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“Daniel!” Maisie squealed, blushing as she stomped her foot in embarrassment. Her personality was still as innocent and a little bratty as ever. But deep down, her heart felt hollow and cold. The scandal with her mom and the Meyers family had already spread all over Lunova. No wealthy family would ever dare to take her as their daughter-in-law now. Her love life was over before it even started. She didn’t even have a single dream left.

“By the way, Daniel, did you guys settle what you talked about on the phone last time?” Maisie asked in a low voice, glancing around as if afraid someone might overhear.

Daniel shook his head.

Maisie’s smile faded away. “Daniel, is there anything I can do for you guys?”

“All I want is for you to be happy,” Daniel said with a gentle smile. “And don’t just hide away in here all day.”

“Daniel, what about Amelia?” Maisie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“She’s pregnant, and right now Aiden is keeping her in Dreicean. I still have to find a way to bring her back,” Daniel replied, his tone serious.

Maisie bit her lip, her eyes stinging with the urge to cry. In the end, this matter still had everything to do with her mother. Landon’s fate was still up in the air, and Amelia was stuck in Dreicean, pregnant and detained by Aiden. It was honestly just heartbreaking. They used to have such a bright future ahead of them, a life where they could grow old together. But now, everything had changed. If she were in their place, she knew she wouldn’t last a day living like that.

“Daniel, I’m so sorry…” Maisie’s voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks. If she used her mother to threaten the Kington Gang, maybe Amelia could come back. But she just couldn’t do it. There was no way she could cross that line. After all, that was still her mom–the one who gave her life and raised her.

“This isn’t your fault, so don’t apologize,” Daniel said with a gentle smile, taking a sip of the coffee. “Oh, and by the way, I’ve made up my mind I’m going to pursue Edith again.”

“What?” Maisie blurted out, totally stunned. Edith wasn’t a bad person, but in Maisie’s eyes, her image just didn’t match up to Daniel at all.

“Edith is pretty entertaining these days,” Daniel said, pulling out his phone to show Maisie a photo.

Maisie stared in disbelief. “Wait, is this really Edith?”

“Of course,” Daniel replied.

“She looks like a whole different person. Her looks have seriously leveled up,” Maisie said, still staring at the photo in disbelief.

Daniel couldn’t help but feel proud. “She was never ugly, you know–just, well, her sense of style was a bit off. Amelia gave her a makeover, and now she’s honestly pretty easy on the eyes.”

Chapter 202

“Yeah, she really is…” Maisie agreed. She had to admit that Edith really was a whole new kind of beauty now–fresh-faced and elegant. But Edith was from the Meyers family. She was the daughter of Daniel’s family's enemy.

“It’s not fair to blame the kids for what their parents did,” Daniel said, seeing right through her thoughts. He smiled and put his phone away.

Maisie sighed. “Daniel, you’re so generous.”

“You’re just as amazing,” Daniel replied with a smile. From hating Amelia at first to later risking her own life to protect her, Maisie truly was a real member of the Zuckerberg family.

Daniel and Maisie sat together for a while, chatting and catching up. During that time, Joanna didn’t come over once.

It wasn’t until Daniel left that Joanna finally approached Maisie. “What did he say to you? I thought I heard him mention Edith’s name.”

“Yeah, Daniel’s in love with Edith now. He’s going to pursue her again,” Maisie said with a long sigh. “What a twist!”

Joanna’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“He’s already starting his ‘chasing her again after messing up’ journey,” Maisie sighed again. “But I don’t know if Edith will forgive him… maybe she’s too scared to try again.”

“Scared? What’s there to be scared of? When fate comes knocking, you’ve got to answer the door!” Joanna exclaimed, practically buzzing with excitement. Even if she was stuck here forever, as long as Daniel married Edith, half of everything the Zuckerberg family had would eventually belong to the Meyers family. The Meyers family would be back on top in no time.

“Mom, stop overthinking and making trouble for everyone, including yourself,” Maisie warned.

Joanna scoffed, sitting down to drink her coffee. She wasn’t about to spend the rest of her life stuck here.

“Maisie, you should leave,” Joanna said suddenly.

Maisie was surprised. “What?”

“Edith is about to get married. Don’t waste your youth here with me. Go back to the Zuckerberg family–you don’t need to stay here with me anymore,” Joanna said.

“Mom, are you trying to run away?” Maisie’s face fell. “You promised Daniel you wouldn’t leave!”

Joanna rolled her eyes. “If I wanted to leave, I would’ve done it ages ago!”

“Mom…”

“You’re not getting any younger. Go out and find someone to date! Maybe once you get married, Daniel will let me out to give a speech at your wedding,” Joanna said, her eyes lighting up with a dreamy look. She looked so hopeful, acting like it was all real.

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Maisie hesitated. “Mom, you have to promise me you won’t stir up any more trouble.”

“Okay.”

“And you seriously can’t sneak off and try to run away, okay?” Maisie insisted.

“With your brother turning this place into a fortress, how could I even escape if I wanted to?” Joanna said, rolling her eyes.

Maisie propped her chin in her hand, thinking it over for a long time. After weighing it back and forth, she finally stood up. “Fine! I’m off to find myself a boyfriend too!”

Joanna smiled, her eyes narrowing cunningly as if she had been scheming for a thousand years. As soon as she watched Maisie walk out of the Zuckerberg Estate, Joanna immediately began hatching her escape plan. What she didn’t realize was that both Maisie and Daniel had their own schemes brewing–she wasn’t the only one playing smart here.

A few days later, Joanna pulled off her escape.

When Daniel got the news, he just smiled. He hit up Tuff right away, telling him to follow Joanna’s escape route. If they could track down the Kington Gang’s headquarters, they might finally get a lead on Landon. Once they took the Kington Gang down, Aiden would not be a threat anymore.