LISA'S POV I trudged through the front door of my father's house, feeling like I'd been put through a wringer. The stress of the day weighed heavily on my shoulders.Dad looked up from his armchair, concern etched on his face. "Hey kiddo, how'd it go?"I flopped onto the couch beside him, letting out a deep sigh. "It was a disaster. Louisa's not giving up without a fight."Dad's expression turned grim. "I knew she wouldn't. She's always been ruthless."I rubbed my temples, trying to ward off the impending headache. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. She's constantly quarreling, trying to undermine me at every turn."Dad placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You're doing great, Lisa. You're standing up for yourself and what's rightfully yours."But his words of encouragement did little to alleviate my frustration. "It's not just about me, Dad. It's about the company. Louisa's going to ruin everything Mom and you built."Dad's eyes clouded over, memories of my mother f
LISA'S POV I stared blankly at my phone, my heart sinking as I read Leo's message. "I'm done playing games, Lisa. Our arrangement is over."The words cut deep, but I wasn't surprised. I'd seen it coming. Leo had never truly wanted me; he'd only married me to spite my father. To prove a point.I remembered the day he proposed, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Marry me, Lisa," he'd said, "and I'll show your father what it means to cross me."I'd been young and naive, blinded by the luxury and power Leo offered. But now, I saw him for what he truly was - a ruthless manipulator.Our marriage had been a sham from the start. Leo had never loved me; he'd only used me to further his own agenda. And now, he was discarding me like trash.I felt a wave of anger wash over me, but I pushed it down. What was the point? I'd known what I was getting into. I'd made a deal with the devil, and now I had to pay the price.But as I looked around my opulent prison, I realized I couldn't take it anymore. I
LISA'S POV I watched Leo's expression change, his eyes hardening as he nodded. "Take all the time you need." But I saw something else there, something that made my heart sink.Resentment. Frustration. Maybe even hatred. I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized Leo was tired of me, tired of the drama I'd brought into his life. Tired of me.I took a step back, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. "Leo, I—" I began. But he cut me off. "Just take the time, Lisa. Think about what you want." His voice was cold, detached.I nodded, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. This was it. This was the end. I turned and walked away, leaving Leo standing alone in the room.As I closed the door behind me, I felt a sense of despair wash over me. I'd lost him. I'd lost everything. I wandered through the streets, my mind reeling with thoughts of Leo, of my family, of the mess I'd made.How had it come to this? How had I let things spiral so out of control?I stopped in front of a sma
LISA'S POV I slammed the car door shut, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. That's it, I'd had enough of Leo's games.As I drove away from the house, my phone rang. Leo's brother. I ignored it.Instead, I dialed Alex's number, our secret investigator. We had a score to settle."Alex, it's Lisa," I said, my voice firm."Lisa, what's going on?" Alex asked, concern etched in his voice.I pulled into a parking spot and took a deep breath. "Meet me at the coffee shop on 5th Street."Alex agreed, and I arrived first, my foot tapping impatiently on the floor.When Alex walked in, I waved him over. "Did you forget why I hired you?" I asked, my hand thumping on the table.Alex's expression turned cautious. "No, Lisa. You wanted me to investigate Andre's life."My ex-husband's name still left a bitter taste in my mouth."Exactly," I said, my eyes narrowing. "But you've stopped giving me updates. What's going on?"Alex leaned back, his voice calm. "Lisa, you've been busy with your new marr
LISA'S POV As Kate disappeared from view, Leo's friend, Marcus, sauntered over, a sly grin spreading across his face."Hey, Lisa, don't mind Kate. She's just Leo's ex," Marcus said, his voice low.I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.Leo's expression turned cold, his eyes warning Marcus to shut up.But Marcus continued, "Yeah, they had a wild ride, but Leo's moved on. You're the new flavor of the month, Lisa."The group chuckled, their laughter like a slap in the face.I felt a sting, but Leo's silence hurt more. He didn't correct Marcus, didn't defend me."Thanks for the info, Marcus," I said, my voice icy.Marcus winked. "No problem, sweetheart. You should know what you're getting yourself into."I turned to Leo, expecting some sort of explanation or reassurance.But he remained stoic, his eyes avoiding mine.Fury and humiliation boiled inside me.Without a word, I turned and walked away, leaving the party behind.I locked myself in my room, the silence a welcome respite.My mind reeled
LISA'S POV I stood there, my head held high, as my family discussed my life as if I wasn't even in the room.Dad's words cut deep. "Now that Lisa's married to Leo, we can't trust her anymore."I felt a sting, but I remained silent.Mom's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of understanding.But Dad continued, his voice firm. "That's why I demoted her from CEO to nothing. She has no role in the company now."Becky's grip on my hand tightened.Louisa snorted. "Good riddance. She didn't deserve the position anyway."I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep my temper in check.Dad's words kept coming, each one a dagger to my heart. "Lisa will take over the company until you're ready to leave that marriage."Leave Leo? Was that even an option?Dad's reasoning was twisted. "I couldn't let you run the company, not with Leo's influence."As if I was some puppet, controlled by my husband.Louisa chimed in, her voice dripping with malice. "Yes, Dad's right. You're too busy be
LISA'S POV I stomped out into the darkness, blinded by tears. No one was taking me back, but I had to get to Leo; whatever his motives were. Did I care anymore? Not exactly but there just has to be some way that Louisa blinded everyone, or they've had it in them all along to make a fool out of me, and I never noticed. How did I expect to? When all I ever thought of was giving Andre a taste of his own medicine, and trying to win Leo's trust - I still needed his help. Just then, a taxi pulled up from around the corner and I hailed it without a second thought. I had to get away from everyone and everything that constantly reminded me of my pain. And Becky… she didn't try to put her neck on the line for me. It seemed she was somehow in the know of this nasty plot against me, but she put up quite a sordid act of not understanding what the whole situation meant for me. I took out my mobile phone and stole a glance at the screen. Damn! It's late already, but I'll have to act super angry t
LOUISA'S POVI glanced at the paper once more. 5th street. Coffee shop. But I've been sitting here for literally an hour and half. Maybe this person had other motives. Shit! Why didn't I think of that? What if they were only interested in airing me out to Lisa? What did it matter anyway? That sister of mine should be aware that I'm interested in her downfall only. I looked out of the window again. There was no sign of anyone. So, I took yet another sip of the black coffee I had ordered. Why hadn't I discovered this spot all these years? They made coffee the way it should be; not those things we get served at the office. And that's because of Lisa's incompetence! If she couldn’t see to the smallest thing as good coffee , what good was she anyway? I was tapped out of my reverie as the door bell tingled again. This place was so old-fashioned, yet so up-to-date. I guess they wanted to retain the architectural heritage. Wait. That's a familiar face. It's Becky Lyn. Why's she craning her