Chapter 5

Lyra's POV 

I was awakened the next day by a soft knock knock at my door as the morning sun streamed down through the window. 

“Good morning, my sweet pumpkin,” a sweet romantic voice echoed into my ears.

My eyes were heavy as I yawned persistently. “Hey Gary, today is supposed to be Monday right?” I asked, with my mouth still wide open.

“Of course, but get ready and let me send you home. The Jenkins Group needs their rightful CEO, you know. Moveover, you need to make your daddy more proud this time around and I'm here to make that happen.”

Instantly, I didn't know how my blurry eyes got cleared. 

For a moment, it's like a dream come true to me. I whispered on my lips as I though I was saying some few words to the universe for making our path cross with Gary.

A few moments later, I was ready and strolled downstairs to meet Gary. “Let's go,” he said as he took me by my hand.

As the car's engine roared to life, my heart burst with joy. I can't describe how I felt but even the blind could sense the happiness in me.

It wasn't long when we glided through the heart of Los Angeles with just a few minutes drive to get home.

Well, when the car was parked in the compound of my father's mansion, my heart fluttered with disgust when my gaze fell on my stepmother about to step out with her brows furrowed. 

Of course, she smelled of luxury from head to toe. “Let me go out alone for now,” I suggested to Gary and he nodded his head.

Just as I slid out of the door and she caught a glimpse of me, her jaw dropped. It was as if she had seen a lion about to devour her wholly. I mean I'm not amazed.

As I tiptoed towards her, her eyes and mouth remained widely opened as her words got stuck in her throat. Then she was hit back to reality when I got near her, probably she thought she was dreaming.

“What! Lyra?! Is that really you? We thought…”

I interrupted rudely. “I was dead, huh?” And my blazing gaze boring into hers.

“I'm still that sweet stepmother you grew up with, Lyra,” she said, but her voice depicts otherwise.

“Of course, I'm happy you're back. I mean we were worried sick about you when we were told you were out of prison, but never set eyes on you.”

She took a few steps to hug me but I pushed her away and she landed on the floor. “You think I don't know what you did right? Your end is near, Selina. Trust me!”

“You want me to believe that crap you spilled now. Come on, I know better so called sweet stepmother,” I said with a brief smile.

“What the fuck is happening there!” Gary yelled. And the next thing I saw was a bunch of bodyguards together with him standing behind me as he tiptoed to my side.

At that moment I could sense my stepmother's body shaking and trembling as she remained rooted to the ground. “Are you okay?” He murmured to me.

“What? Mr Cromwell!” she shouted his name with her eyes squinted. Well, he's a prominent person. There's no one in the entire city and beyond who doesn't know him.

“It's…a pleasure to have you here,” she stammered.

Meanwhile, Gary didn't utter a word to her. To him, she's just a tip of the iceberg and can make her vanish into thin air without a trace just within a blink of an eye.

“I'm sorry something came up. There's an urgent meeting I need to attend and it's very important,” he added.

“Alright, I will be able handle things myself Gary, trust me,” I replied.

Then he whispered into one of his bodyguards ears before turning to face me again. “They will be here to protect you in case of anything,” he revealed and left.

I stood there fuming at her words as I pondered on my next step when her phone buzzed loudly and she answered the call quickly. 

Meanwhile, I didn't know why I decided to snatch the phone from her hand. But I thought it was necessary.

 I kept the call on speaker when my gaze fell on the caller ID at once. Pearl?

“Hey mom, the board of directors is set for the declaration of the CEO position. What the heck is delaying you? You should be here by now,” Pearl, my step sister revealed behind the phone. 

Suddenly, my stomach churn and my heart felt like it was on fire. I ran my hand through my hair with the boiling rage in me increasing. What the fuck!

Indeed my life was a lie and the truth is about to bury me now!

“What?! How dare you!” I exclaimed, as Pearl's words suffocated me.

“Who the heck is going to be declared as CEO of the Jenkins Group?!” I dropped the call and turned towards my stepmother.

“It's not what you think okay…,” she stammered as her voice came out low.

“Pearl, huh?” I laughed as I spoke.

“Get me to the Jenkins Group now!” I ordered the bodyguards, it was as if my blood was about to dry up.

Before I knew it, we were cruising through the entrance of the Jenkins Group. It's been ages since my eyes set on this premise. The atmosphere was still refined with lobby features that attracted attention.

I slid out of the car and strolled straight into the reception. “Can I help you with something? Or do you have an appointment?” Hailey, my father's receptionist, asked. She has worked with him for the longest.

Well, I'm not amazed she didn't recognise me at first sight. I pulled my sunglasses down and all of a sudden it was like her soul jumped out of body. “What?! Miss Jenkins, is that really you?” She asked, as her lower lip trembled.

I gave her a wicked and dangerous smile. “Is the board meeting taking place at the conference hall?” I questioned.

She looked at me with her brows furrowed, probably she thought I'm hallucinating. “How did you know about that? I mean…yes it's,” her words were as if she was having a slumber, with her body shaking.

There and then, we stomped straight to the conference hall.

“Wait here,” I beckoned the bodyguards and crawled inside alone.

Pearl's voice rang loudly into my ears as I swung the door, “Mom, thank goodness you're finally here.”

As I showed myself, everyone's face froze in stunned silence with their jaws dropping in awe and eyes wide open. 

Pearl took a step back as realization hit her like a cold bucket with her breath coming in shorts. “Lyra?! No, no, no! This is not possible!”

I laughed with delight as the murmurs and whispers spread like wildlife. “It can't be her…”

“Are you not happy I'm very much alive sweet stepsister?”

She grasped as she drew a loud, audible breath and my question hangs in the air. I took a few dangerous steps towards her and pulled her chin up. “Or you're disappointed, you can't ripen what you didn't sow anymore, huh?” I said as I laughed sarcastically.

Out of nowhere, I was interrupted by a very familiar voice that made nervous prickles run down my spine. “Honey, I hope I'm not late. By the way who came along with Mr Cromwell’s security men?” 

At first I thought I was mistaken but, as we rotated our heads towards the voice, I was shocked to the core as my thoughts whirled and my jaw dropped in awe. “What? You?”