CHAPTER FIVE

​Lysandra’s POV

​The private jet finally touched down on the tarmac after the long flight across the ocean, and I gripped the leather armrest tightly because coming back to this city was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I knew I had to fulfill Evelyn's final wish to be buried in her hometown. 

My business partner, Jason, reached over and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, looking down at my seven-year-old daughter, Lysara, who was happily coloring a picture book in the seat right next to us without a care in the world.

​"Are you doing okay, Lysandra? The pilot just confirmed that the press is already waiting outside the main terminal, and they are going to be completely relentless the second we walk through those doors," Jason said, his voice calm and steady as he helped me gather our bags from the luggage compartment.

​"I am ready for them, Jason, because I am not the helpless, crying girl who fled this place seven years ago, and I am going to finish exactly what my mother started, no matter what it takes," I replied, smoothing down my tailored blazer and holding Lysara's small, warm hand as we walked down the metal stairs into the airport building.

​The moment the automatic doors slid open into the main lobby, a massive wall of reporters and photographers swarmed us, the camera flashes going off in a rapid blur while journalists shoved microphones directly toward our faces, shouting all kinds of chaotic questions at the same time.

​"Miss Villeneuve! Over here, please! Is it true that you have returned to bury the legendary Evelyn Villeneuve, and are you planning to take over the entire tech empire immediately?" one reporter yelled from the front of the crowd, while another pointed a camera directly at Jason and asked, "Is this your husband, and is the little girl your daughter?"

​Jason immediately stepped in front of us, putting his arm tightly around my waist to shield Lysara from the aggressive crowd, and he looked directly at the cameras, saying, "We are here strictly for family business and to handle the upcoming technology presentations, so please give us some space right now," which only made the media whisper louder about us being a wealthy power couple.

​We finally managed to get through the crowd and into our waiting car, and as we drove toward the hotel, Jason turned to me and said, "The media is already running the story that the wealthy Villeneuve heiress has arrived with her husband and child, so everyone thinks we are married, and honestly, it might be safer to just let them believe that for now."

​"I agree, because the last thing I need is people prying into Lysara's background or asking who her real father is," I replied, looking out the window at the familiar streets that I used to walk when I had absolutely nothing, and I added, "Let them think whatever they want, as long as it keeps my daughter safe."

​Over the next two days, my office phone did not stop ringing for a single second because every major hockey franchise in the country was trying to contact us, desperately competing to acquire my new sports technology, and Jason walked into my hotel room holding a thick stack of folders.

​"Every single team wants a piece of this tracking software, Lysandra, but the league organizers just finalized the schedule, and the final high-stakes presentation is going to be held in the private boardroom at the main arena owned by Atlas Devereux," Jason explained, dropping the folders onto the table.

​"Of course it is," I said, a cold feeling settling deep in my chest, but I maintained my composure and looked at him, saying, "We aren't going to run away from this, so schedule the meeting, and let's deliver the pitch, get the contract signed, and leave before anyone starts asking too many personal questions."

​The next morning, Jason walked beside me as we entered the massive concrete stadium, and I knelt down to look at my daughter, saying, "Lysara, you need to sit quietly on this bench right outside the door with the assistant, and I will be back out to get you in just a few minutes, okay?"

​"Okay, Mommy, I will stay right here and play with my tablet," she promised, smiling up at me, and she immediately sat down on the leather seat, swinging her legs back and forth while the assistant handed her a small juice box.

​I turned around, took a deep breath, and walked into the bright boardroom to take my place at the head of the long table, looking directly across the room at the executives who were waiting for us, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Atlas sitting in the center chair. He looked older, his face was much more severe than I remembered, and his eyes were entirely cold as he looked at my face, but he didn't even blink or show a shred of recognition because my dark hair color, expensive clothes, and new name completely masked the girl he had discarded seven years ago.

​"Thank you all for coming today, and let's get straight to the data," I said, my voice completely professional as I began the presentation, and for the next hour, Jason and I explained the software mechanics while Atlas just watched me, occasionally nodding his head but treating me like a total stranger.

​As soon as the meeting ended, the board members stood up to shake hands, and Atlas walked toward the exit door first, opening it to step out into the hallway where Lysara was still waiting on the bench.

​Lysara suddenly let out a loud, ringing laugh because Jason's assistant had made a funny face at her, and the specific sound of that laughter made Atlas stop completely dead in his tracks, his entire body freezing as he turned around slowly to look down at the little girl. He walked closer to her, staring intensely at her face, and he noticed how she had his exact green eyes, his specific crooked smile, and the deep dimples that showed up on her cheeks when she giggled, and he stood there completely paralyzed, unable to take his eyes off her features.

​I stepped out of the boardroom right behind him, my blood running cold as I saw him staring at my child, and Lysara immediately stood up from the bench, running past him to wrap her arms around my leg.

​She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, pointing her small finger directly at Atlas, and she asked, "Mommy... why is that man staring at me like that?"

​Atlas took a slow step forward, his voice barely a rough whisper as he looked from the little girl's face up to my eyes, and he mumbled to himself, "Why does she look like my daughter?"