Chapter 6

Liam was still searching the area with his eyes when his guards drove to a stop in front of him.

“Did you see any old lady while you were driving over?” Laim asked.

“No sir, we didn’t see any old lady” William replied softly.

“We have to get you home sir, you still have a press-conference to attend to” William stated. Liam took one more quick glance around the area before he made his way towards the car.

Just when he was about to step into the car, the guard beside him let out a sharp scream and dropped dead. His warm blood trickled down his head which had been bored open by a bullet.

“Secure the young master!” William yelled out, pulling out his gun which was tucked in behind him. He pointed it around searching for where the shot was made, but it was difficult as it was already dark. The guards circled around Liam and carefully pushed him into the car where he will be secure.

Another bullet was released and a guard dropped dead.

“It’s a sniper, he is on top of the building” guard announced and almost immediately a car drove in and opened fire on the guards.

******Back to present******

“They manage to shot me through the window and that was how I lost consciousness.”

“The old lady, I also met an old lady and gave her some cash. She also asked me to make a wish” Lara added.

**********

Ryan knocked twice before the familiar voice from inside the room permitted him to come into the room. he had a warm smile on his face, a smile that portrayed him as innocent. The cold look in his eyes was now replaced with warmth.

“Momma, how are you doing. Looking ever young” Ryan said as he walked over and pecked her on the cheek.

Mrs. Browne smiled and raised her hand in the air to signal the lady that was massaging her should to stop and leave the room.

“Ryan” Mrs. Browne called and paused a bit so the maid would leave the room.

“Have you cleaned up your mess?” She asked as soon as the door shut close.

“Mum, I got this. Besides, I made sure that there are no loose ends”

Mrs. Browne sighed and sipped her drink; she had always known her son to be impatient and careless.

“You know how much I hate to clean up after you, this was the same way you misbehaved and impatiently poisoned Liam’s mother which almost exposed our plans” Mrs. Browne said giving Ryan a hard glare.

He chuckled nervously and stretched out his hand and picked up the cold glass of his mother’s drink. He finished the content of the glass in one gulp before returning the glass back to the table.

“Mum, you worry too much. Well, I actually came to find out when we will be getting Liam out of the way. I need to resume as the CEO of the company”

“Liam needs to be alive for now, maybe after your father’s funeral and then, we will figure out a way to scare him into leaving it peacefully or we’ll do it the hard way” Mrs. Browne replied and just then the door opened, interrupting their conversation. They both turned their gaze to the door to see Liam walking in with a bright smile on his face.

“Mum” Lara called out gleefully and sat beside Ryan; “Or should I say stepmom” She said and laughed, nut neither were Ryan nor his mother smiling. They were not still over the surprise that Liam was smiling at the sight of them.

“I saw this big guy early when I return from the hospital, but I haven’t seen you. Don’t you want to come check up on me, and see that I am alive?” Lara muttered.

“Well, Liam. I visited in you back in the hospital but you were unconscious. I didn’t even know you have been discharged, but seeing you now makes me happy” Mrs. Browne replied with a plastic smile on her face.

“Oh, is that so. Well, I’m back now, the plans of the assassin didn’t work. I am like a cat with 9 lives, I just keep coming back” she said and laughed, rising up to her feet; “I’ll retire to my room now. I need to rest and freshen up” She muttered and walked out.

William was already waiting for her by the door. After she had dropped Liam and Kate back at Kate’s apartment and agreeing to meet up again, she came home. William told her about Mrs. Browne and so she decided to drop by and say hi.

“I don’t know why you don’t like that lady, but c’mon William, Mrs. Browne is a nice person” Lara said as she walked away from the door.

Meanwhile Ryan and his mother watched in surprise as Liam walked out.

“That’s new” Ryan muttered.

“I think he knows something. Maybe he figured out that you were the one that tried to assassinate him” Mrs. Browne stated, her brows curved in agitation.

“C’mon, relax mum. He won’t figure that out easily”

“Then why would he come here and start talking about assassins. You underestimate Liam and that’s why he was able to outsmart you and get on your father’s good side, leaving you at the bottom of the food chain”

“Mum!” Ryan called loudly, his blood boiling in obvious rage. His mother’s statement had just pissed him off. He hates it when his mother compares him with Liam.

“I’m just saying the truth. And if you don’t learn to get your head out of the clouds and act like an Heir of Browne Empire, I might as well disown you and let Liam have it all” Mrs. Browne kept lamenting knowing fully well that it was getting her son angry.

“Mum, I’ll I just want is for you to be proud of me, how can you say all these to me”

Mrs. Browne stood up and slowly walked over to Ryan, placing her hand on his shoulders she said “Ryan, I love you and that’s why I am doing all these, just so you would have a better life”

“I’ll make you proud mother, I’ll prove myself to you” Ryan muttered and looked up to her. She flashed a smile and returned back to her seat.

“I need you to do something for me Ryan. The financial secretary in Browne’s Corp, used to work for me and helped me in diverting funds. But now he has decided to tell Liam everything he knows, if we don’t up his payment”

“I’ll fix him up” Ryan stated and rose up to his feet.

*******

Ever since Lara had dropped them off, Kate and Liam had not said a word to each other.

If what they were saying earlier was true, this would actually mean that she let a man into the bathroom to scrub her back. Her heart raced at the thought of this. She would turn and steal glance at the person seated on the other side, she still locked like Lara, sounded like Lara. Then how possible is all these they are saying to her.

“Are you really, Liam Browne?” She asked breaking the cloud of silence that hovered around them.

“Yes, I am. Although it may be hard to believe since all you can see is the body of your friend”

“Then tell me something that only the CEO Master Liam would know?” Kate asked again with her curious eyes locked on him.

“Well, which department do you work in?”

“Editorial department”

“Well, I was actually going to sack all the Workers in that department for the bad job they did in my last speech. You might have gotten the sack email already” Liam said.

Kate laughed; she was amazed at how Lara could lie with such sincerity in her eyes. She slowly stopped laughing when she saw that Lara wasn’t even breaking a smile.

“Check your email” Liam muttered softly.

Kate glanced at him one mor time before picking up her phone. How would she be lying with such a serious look on her face, Kate wondered as she scrolled in search of her mail app.

Liam watched quietly. He knew he had scheduled the Mails to be shared yesterday, which means she would have gotten the Email already.

Kate starred at her screen with a look of shock and disbelief. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She looked up to Lara, who was seated on the other side watching her.

“How is this possible?” Kate muttered, letting her phone drop from her hands down to the floor.

“Lara, I’m your best friend and you still do this shit to me. because of this rent, I get to pay my bills, for both the apartment you and I live in” Kate barked angrily as she rose up to her feet. The air tensed up immediately.

Liam moved up the couch as Kate inched closer. Her lips vibrating as she spat angry words.

‘Kate, you have to calm down. I didn’t know, I was...” Liam stuttered trying to explain himself, but he could not even say a word in his defence. He just realized that not only has he hurt her, but he also hurt the thousands of workers in that department, sending them into the streets, just for one error.

“GET OUT!” Kate’s loud voice echoed around the room.

“C’mon Kate, don’t do this”

“If you are truly master Liam, then you won’t know what it means to suffer without a roof under your head. Our lives aren’t as fancy as yours” Kate added and started pushing him out of the apartment. She managed to push him out and locked the door.

She hadn’t even gotten this month’s pay… where would she go from here? She muttered as she returned to the chair and crashed on it.

The loud thunder roared immediately he stepped foot outside. The door shut close on his face. He knocked but got no reply.

He sighed and turned around. It was then he noticed how dark the skies had become, burden with water that they would soon release to the earth.

The cool breeze pierced through his skin, causing his hairs to erect. He couldn’t believe he was getting cold already, back in his body, he loved the cold and hardly gets cold.

He thought about going to any of the houses he bought in the outskirts of the town, but that would be risky because it was heavily guarded and no one would recognize him.

The thundered roared again and then the droplets of rain followed.

He couldn’t stand there any longer, he had to find some shelter. He stepped into the cold rain and was about walking away before Kate’s voice stopped him.

“Come in”

“Thank you” Liam muttered and ran in; he was already drenched by the rain.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to chase you out” Kate voiced out as she closed the door.

“It’s alright, I understand that you were angry”

“Just go upstairs and clean yourself up” Kate said and pointed to the room upstairs.

“Can I borrow you cell phone, I need to call your friend and tell her to reinstate you all that got fired” Liam said calmly.

Kate handed the phone over to him and he took it and ran up the stairs to clean up before he catches a cold.

Kate crashed on the Leather chair. So all they said was true. So, Lara was now in a multi billionaire’s body. Why did it all happen. There must be a reason for this switch.

Meanwhile Lara had barely slept when William walked in and announced that the investors with whom he was supposed to sign a deal with was here.

“They came under the rain?” She asked in disbelief.

“Yes sir. You have to get dressed now” William urged and walked into the dressing room to get him a new dress.

Lara grumbled, not because her beauty sleep has just been disrupted, but because she had no clue on what William was about to ask her to sign.

“Liam!” she muttered loudly and threw her gaze to the table in search of her phone.

“Williams, are you with my phone?”

“Yes sir” he replied and ran out and handed the phone over to him.

He swiped up the screen but a screen lock came up. He placed his finger on the fingerprint spot and the phone unlocked.