The sun rose as expected, beautiful. Another day, another hope.
House seems empty โ maybe they're leaving. If so, where? I don't give a damn care for them.
A phone notification โ Faye:
'๐กu๐ฑ, ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต? ๐๐บ ๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต!'
Not a bad idea. I arrived at the bar she texted. Damn, so crowded โ a mixture of liquor and perfume.
Faye shouted from near the VIP room:
"Hey Ly, here! "
Though not evening, this bar operates 24/7. I joined her:
Faye mentioned casually:
"I heard from Benj, your father favors his mistress."
I rolled my eyes:
"I'm here to enjoy, not mind their drama, Faye."
She chuckled and ordered whiskey.
"Why are you inviting me here? "
She frowned. Not good question either.
A shattered glass echoed through the whole place.
A group of men were harassing a waitress โ not a girl, a woman working.
Faye whispered:
"So early for that commotion!"
I raised an eyebrow:
"What's going on?"
Faye leaned in:
"That's Houseff's son, Eliot, and his friends. Rich kids in the city."
Interesting. My palm itched โ time to intervene.
No words, I grabbed the waitress' arm and pulled her behind me.
Eliot sneered:
"And who are you? Come on, Miss. Join us โ we'll make you happy tonight."
His friends laughed. Still, my cold aura remained.
Suddenly, a blonde guy touched my butt. I was about to punch him when he suddenly fell to the floor, clutching himself.
That was gross. A voice interrupted:
"You should have mercy on the girl โ she can barely satisfy one of you."
A cold, sweet voice sent shivers down my spine.
Men gulped. Fear was visible on their faces:
"Laurelโ" one whispered.
The guy stood up โ tall, lean, piercing blue eyes:
"Want to join us? I'm willing to play."
But his tone suggested otherwise. Eliot stammered:
"Mr. Andersonโฆ. It's just a misunderstanding, right Miss?"
I smirked:
"I don't tolerate filthy mouths. You were harassing a waitress โ don't lie."
Eliot sweat bullets. His friends shifted uncomfortably.
Suddenly, a gun appeared in Anderson's hand โ he shot the ceiling!
BANG!
The crowd gasped. I remained still.
Anderson blew out the gun smoke:
"I hate liars. Choose wisely: life or death."
Silence.
My phone rang โ Dad. I ignored it.
My phone rang again. Dad wasn't giving up.
"Let's go Faye. I need to tame a weak wolf at home."
We left the bar, and I arrived home to:
Ella, Caroline, and Dad sitting on the sofa โ posing like royalty.
Caroline placed a folder on the table:
"Sign this, Lysandra."
Dad spoke firmly.
A transfer agreement. He wanted my inheritance.
My eyes narrowed:
"I'm not fool enough to sign this paper."
Dad's face twisted in anger:
"Then get lost from my sight. From now on, you're not my child."
I clapped slowly, three times:
"It's my pleasure to cut ties with a man worse than a homeless stranger."
I added firmly:
"I'll leave for a while, but remember, you're not Moore โ you'll never get a cent from my family, Mr. Ricky."
Dad's face turned purple with rage.
I turned to leave, then heard a knock on my door.
It was Nely, our loyal housekeeper.
Nely handed me a set of keys and some cash:
"Pack and leave. Use this money for a better life. Thank you for everything, Lysandra."
Tears fell as I hugged her tightly:
"I'll find you once this matter is settled. I promise."
Before she left, Nely gave me a warm smile โ a reassuring smile.
I entered my mother's old closet, found a hidden vault.
My mother's words echoed in my mind:
'๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ถ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐บ.'
CLICK. The vault opened.
Company assets, states, and establishments of Moore โ everything Dad wanted.
I packed my belongings and those papers, then walked out while they watched me leave.
Faye welcomed me to her apartment:
"This is your room. Arrange your things, I'll cook dinner."
Her place was cozy โ not big, not small. Just right. Neutral.
My phone buzzed โ Benjie:
"I heard you're being arranged to marry Alaeric Grayson?"
I sighed, looking out the window as night fell:
"Not anymore. Dad wouldn't touch my dignity. I know their scheme."
Benjie's voice was calm yet firm:
"Why don't you leave? You don't have to endure this."
I chuckled, deciding to tease him:
"I can still endure it, Benj."
He sounded worried and angry:
"You keep saying that. But Lys, you're human. You're his flesh and blood. I've known you since childhoodโฆ I just can't stand by and watch the Lysandra I know vanish piece by piece."
My laughter burst out โ couldn't hold it in!
"Benj, I was joking! I'm not living with them anymore."
He sighed heavily, relieved:
"Good. Where are you now?"
I glanced at Faye cooking dinner:
"A friend's place. Don't worry, I'm safe."
Benjie paused, then added:
"Lys, be careful. Grayson's son isn't the only problem. Your dadโฆ he's crossing lines even I don't dare touch."
Some noise echoed โ a shattered vase?
I stood up, alert. Faye called out:
"Lys, food is ready! "
I walked towards her voice, then turned back to the shadow:
"What are you doing there? "
My voice firm, cautious.
The figure replied calmly:
"Nothing."
Suddenly, the man jumped down โ but his figure vanished into darkness.
Like he knew how to hide perfectly in the shadows.
I narrowed my eyes:
Who are you?
Faye called again, breaking my focus:
"Lysandra, dinner's getting cold!"
I turned to head to the dining table, then glanced back โ still no one.
Shrugging it off, I joined Faye for dinner:
"This looks delicious, thanks for cooking."
Faye smiled warmly:
"Anytime, Ly. You need a break from all this drama."
I nodded, taking a bite โ savory flavors filled my mouth.
Just then, my phone buzzed again โ unknown number:
"You owe me gratitude, Lysandra Moore."
My eyes widened. How did they get my number?
Faye noticed my expression:
"Who is it?"
I showed her the message. Her eyes narrowed:
"Block the number. It's probably a prank."
But I had a feeling it wasn'tโฆ
I blocked the number, but my mind lingered on the message:
"You owe me gratitude, Lysandra Moore."
Who could it be? Eliot or his friends seeking revenge?
Or maybe Dad's doing โ to scare me into signing those papers?
Faye interrupted my thoughts:
"Ly, stop overthinking. Enjoy your dinner."
I nodded, taking another bite. But my appetite vanished.
I pushed the plate away, glancing at Faye:
"Mind if I call Benj? Need some clarity."
Faye smiled:
"Go ahead. I'll clean up here."
I stepped outside onto the balcony and dialed Benj's number.
He answered on the first ring:
"Lys? Everything okay?"
I filled him in on the mysterious message.
Benj's tone turned serious:
"Be cautious, Lys. This could be related to your dad's schemes."
Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind meโฆ
I spun around, phone still in hand โ Benj's voice faintly audible.
A tall figure emerged from darkness into balcony light.