LISA'S POV Liam's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze burning with an intensity that made my skin prickle. "Lisa, listen to me," he said, his voice low and urgent. "You need to go home. Now."I raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of defiance. "Why? What's going on?"Liam glanced around the room, his eyes darting towards Leo, who was watching us with an unreadable expression. "This isn't the right time or place for this conversation," he muttered. "But trust me, you need to get out of here before things escalate."I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But Liam's words struck a chord deep within me. I knew he was right. This wasn't the time or place for a confrontation."Okay," I said finally, nodding. "I'll go."Liam's face relaxed, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Good," he said. "And Lisa?"I turned to him, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yeah?""Tell Leo to back off, okay? His behavior towards your family isn't helping. If he wants to win your father over, he needs to show some respect."
LISA'S POV As we pulled up to my house, I could feel my stomach knotting with anxiety. My mum, dad, and sister were already outside, their faces twisted with anger."Great," I muttered, feeling a sense of dread. "They're already here."Liam glanced over at me, his eyes sympathetic. "You okay?"I shook my head, feeling a sense of resignation. "No, I'm not. But thanks for asking."Liam nodded, his expression understanding. "I'm going to drop you off and go. I don't want to be involved in this anymore."I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "Thanks, Liam. I appreciate it."As Liam pulled up to the curb, my family began to stalk towards us, their faces furious."Lisa, get out of the car now!" my mum shouted, her voice shrill.I sighed, feeling a sense of exhaustion. "I'm coming, I'm coming."Liam leaned over and opened the door for me, his eyes locked on mine. "You okay?" he whispered.I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude. "Yeah, thanks."As I stepped out of the car, my family closed in
LISA'S POV I suddenly remembered that there was one person I hadn't tried talking to yet - my mum. I decided to go to her, hoping that she could help me find a way to get my dad to accept Leo.I found my mum in the kitchen, cooking dinner. She looked up as I entered, and I could see the concern in her eyes."Lisa, what's wrong?" she asked, putting down the spoon she was using.I took a deep breath and explained everything to her - about my dad's refusal to accept Leo, about my sister's anger, about my own frustration and desperation.My mum listened attentively, her expression growing more and more serious."Lisa, I know your dad is stubborn," she said when I finished. "But this time, it's not just about being stubborn. He's scared."I was taken aback. "Scared? What do you mean?"My mum hesitated before answering. "He's scared to give you to Leo in marriage. He thinks it's risky."I felt a surge of anger. "Risky? What does that even mean?"My mum sighed. "Your dad and Leo's family ha
LISA'S POV My dad spoke up, his voice firm but resigned. "You know what, maybe Louisa's right. You can marry Leo, Lisa. But don't come running back to me when things go south. Because I won't be able to help you then."My mum nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with concern. "Lisa, sweetie, please reconsider. You're making a huge mistake."But I was resolute. "No, mum. I've made up my mind. I'm going to marry Leo, and I'll deal with the consequences."My dad sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. You're playing with fire, Lisa. And you're going to get burned."My mum tried again, her voice soft and persuasive. "Lisa, think about what you're doing. Think about the family business, about your future. Is Leo really worth risking all of that?"But I was stubborn, refusing to listen. "I'm not risking anything, mum. I'm following my heart. And that's all that matters."My dad threw up his hands, exasperated. "Fine. Do what you want. But don't come crying to me w
LISA'S POV My dad spoke up, his voice firm but resigned. "You know what, maybe Louisa's right. You can marry Leo, Lisa. But don't come running back to me when things go south. Because I won't be able to help you then."My mum nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with concern. "Lisa, sweetie, please reconsider. You're making a huge mistake."But I was resolute. "No, mum. I've made up my mind. I'm going to marry Leo, and I'll deal with the consequences."My dad sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. You're playing with fire, Lisa. And you're going to get burned."My mum tried again, her voice soft and persuasive. "Lisa, think about what you're doing. Think about the family business, about your future. Is Leo really worth risking all of that?"But I was stubborn, refusing to listen. "I'm not risking anything, mum. I'm following my heart. And that's all that matters."My dad threw up his hands, exasperated. "Fine. Do what you want. But don't come crying to me w
LISA'S POV I finally shook off the gloomy mood and picked up my phone, dialing Leo's number with a sense of determination. He answered on the first ring, his voice smooth and detached as always."Hey, Lisa. What's up?""I was thinking we should meet up tomorrow to discuss some things," I said, trying to sound casual despite the excitement building up inside me."Okay, sure. My office at 2 pm?""Sounds perfect," I replied, already imagining the look on Andre's face when he found out about our meeting."See you then," Leo said, his tone still lacking any enthusiasm. I knew he didn't care about me or our fake relationship; it was just a means to an end for him.I hung up the phone and couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. This was it, the start of my plan for revenge.As I hung up the phone with Leo, I felt a surge of excitement mixed with nerves. I had taken the first step towards my revenge plan, and now I had to see it through.I spent the rest of the day in a daze, my mind
LISA'S POVAs I stepped into my hotel room, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Finally, I could escape the tension that had been building up all day. I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, letting out a deep sigh. My eyes scanned the room, taking in the plush carpet, the soft glow of the table lamps, and the inviting bed. I kicked off my heels and padded across the floor, feeling the softness of the carpet beneath my feet.I flopped down onto the bed, swinging my legs up onto the duvet. The softness enveloped me, and I let out a contented sigh. But as I lay there, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Andre and his girlfriend were still out there, watching me. I sat up, my heart racing, and scanned the room again. But I was alone.I tried to focus on my breathing, to calm myself down. But my mind kept wandering back to Andre's words. What did he know about Leo? And why was he so determined to sabotage my plans?I threw off the duvet and got out of bed, pacing across the
LISA'S POV I let out a deep breath and dropped my hands to my sides, feeling a sense of defeat wash over me. "Liam, I'm sorry. I was wrong to try to make you do something you didn't want to do. I know you're just trying to help me, and I appreciate that."Liam's expression softened, and he nodded. "It's okay, Lisa. I understand what you're going through. But let's just focus on finding a way to deal with Andre that doesn't involve using me as a prop, okay?"I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. I had been planning on using Liam all along, even if he didn't know it. I had wanted him to pretend to be my boyfriend, to make Andre jealous. But now, I felt ashamed of myself."Let me go get us some wine," I said, trying to change the subject. "I could use a drink."Liam nodded, and I got up from the couch, walking over to the mini-bar in the corner of the room. I opened it and scanned the selection, my eyes landing on a bottle of red wine. I reached for it, but as I did, my hand slipped and th