CHAPTER TWO.

EPISODE TWO.

Jenna's POV.

The ride home was almost suffocating for me as anger was all I felt throughout.

I know I shouldn't be an emotional wreck around Ryker, but I can't help it, my heart rips apart in guilt every time I see him because he's like a mirror I can see my sister through.

When he hit me with the wrecking question asking about my niece's name which I had no idea about, I haven't even seen her before, or have an idea about what she likes or not, yet, I wish to protect her badly.

What if I'm the bad person in their story? What if I end up ruining her childhood?

Tears poured afresh from my eyes as I rested my head on the window.

What do I do? How do I gain custody of this child?

From what I learnt, Ryker has been present in my niece's life since her conception, Lana makes sure to rub it on my face every time she has the opportunity to.

Even though, it was a marriage of convenience, Lana loved him wholeheartedly.

It didn't take my driver much time to get to my parents' house. A wave of nausea hits me as I stare at the huge building.

This place sickens me so much, it makes me remember how tiny my parents viewed me, how myopic they are with my dreams and desires.

My dad wanted us to live by his rules and dreams, he made us his trophy, It took me years to escape from his grasp, even the company I had so many plans for is now crumbling because of my dwindling purse.

My life is just so miserable.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask no one in particular as the loud buzzing sound from the house becomes more bold as my driver finally parked in the garage.

"I think your Dad will be hosting some of the shareholders tonight, Ma'am." Ben, my driver answered in a careful tone.

"What?"

My jaw tickles in anger. Dad is hosting some shareholders?

When we are still grieving Lana's death and her murderer is out there?

"You gotta be kidding me." I scoffed aloud and bustled out of the car straight into the house.

Dad was sitting in the dining room laughing heartily with Mom over some shits they're reading on the phone.

I walked straight to the stereo producing the music and slammed the whole device on the ground in anger.

A screeching voice filled the room followed by a deafening silence. 

They both stared at me with a horrified look on their faces.

"Are you crazy? How dare you ruin my stereo?" Dad was quick enough to reiterate his posture.

"Jesus Christ, Dad, Lana died a week ago, how could you be in a festive mood?" 

Tears fray the end of my voice, I swallow back my tears again, because he will see me as a weak woman if I break down in front of him.

He enjoys it when people cry, and I won't give him that look of satisfaction.

"We are mourning, this is mourning. I don't see any other way to do that." Mom bitched back at me, her shrill voice reverberated repeatedly in the room.

"She lived all her life for us, Mom. She saved us from bankruptcy, she carried this household name and worshipped Ryker just so we won't eat crumbs, Lana didn't deserve to die."

"Exactly, Jenna. Then, why did she allow herself to get killed off like that?"

I squeezed my eyelids shut, which is almost a futile attempt to block my ears from listening to their debilitating words because there's no use convincing them to see things in my own way.

They won't see Lana pains, all they care about is filling their purses at every chance they get.

"What are you going to do about her daughter? Are you going to let her rot with that son of a bitch?" I yelled out at the top of my voice that my stomach hurts so bad.

The splitting image of my niece wrapped around Ryker arms continues to haunt me, because how did I get attached to that tiny cherub I've never met before?

"What are we going to do about what? Why are you freaking out when the girl is with her biological father?" Mom replied in a nonchalant voice that almost made my restraint snap but I held it all in.

If anything, I need their help to get her full custody, and I won't be able to get that with my voice raised at them.

"I don't trust Ryker,Mom."

"And who does?" Dad splayed his arms out lazily and shrugged.

"That girl is the only trail that Lana left, there's no way we won't protect that girl." I deadpanned, even if they don't give a fuck about Lana, her daughter did nothing wrong.

"Exactly!" Mom chimed in an anticipating tone that almost threw me off balance.

Did she just agree with me?

"And how exactly are we going to do that? We don't have any legal grounds to claim that child."

"Because we don't need to claim her. You just have to be in her life and make her get attached to you." She inputted again, heightening my confusion.

My brows thicken and her eyes drip in maliciousness. She's way too amped up about this which is not only suspicious but dangerous as well.

"And what are you getting from this, and how exactly am I going to get closer to her when Ryker is in the picture?" I scoff because there's no way on earth I have to suck up to that asshole just to achieve my goals.

"We're getting Lana's share which has been willed to Arlene, her daughter in the company while you achieve your aim or whatsoever."

"Mom, that's too wild, are you going to hurt her?" 

"Why would I hurt my own grand daughter?" She recoiled but her body reactions exhibit nothing but contempt.

And I've never been more scared than this in my life, because Mom isn't only desperate to get her hands on Lana's money, but she's ready to take her daughter out of the picture if it's necessary.

"You can't get that money under Ryker's nose, Mom."

"Of course, I don't have to. Because you will get it easily if you marry him."

"Ryker?" I slammed at her in shock. His name has never sounded more bitter than this.

Marrying Ryker has to be one of the weirdest things I've heard in my life. I can't even survive in the same room with him for a minute.

Dad's smile grew wider and it became clearer that they'd planned all these before I came, they knew I'm going to come here to rant on how they didn't care about Lana.

"That's never going to happen,Dad." I shake my head angrily, trying to shake off the sense of creep and dread seeping into my body.

"You can't be serious?! I can't do that." I screamed again as they refused to say a word.

"You will do that, because that's the only way to keep money running in the family, maybe you can save your dead ass company as well."

"Y'all are crazy." I scoff and find myself walking out of the house without awaiting their response.