Chapter Nine
Lawliss
After dinner, the chef serves dessert, and we all settle into the living room. Janette is fast asleep on my father’s lap, while Elisa and Lauren are whispering to each other, conspiring about who knows what. I take a bite of the cake and can’t help but moan.
“That good?” my mom’s voice cuts through, causing me to flinch. I look over my shoulders to see her watching me with a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. I turn and nod, savoring the rich flavor. We fall into a comfortable silence, both of us lost in thought, when her next words strike me like a jolt.
“I’m sorry.” I blink, not sure I heard her right.
“Excuse me—what?”
She smiles faintly. “Do you want me to repeat it?”
“Oh, no. It’s just… unexpected,” I stammer, suddenly feeling like a teenager caught off guard. I can’t help but blink at her rapidly. She raises an eyebrow, then chuckles.
“Did I really just leave the acclaimed and renowned lawyer speechless?” Of course she did. My mom is not one to apologize. She’s always right in her dictionary. It wasn’t always easy dealing with her, especially at work when our opinions clashed and we wanted different things. Yes, she’s grown softer towards us as we grew, but never apologized. Thinking back, this is the first time she’s apologized to me.
I open my mouth to respond to her unexpected apology, but before I can get a word out, Elisa claps her hands, shattering the moment. The tension in the room cracks like ice, leaving behind a strange, almost awkward quiet. She stands up at the same time as Lauren; their movements synchronized like they’ve been waiting for this cue. My suspicion flares. Those two are up to something.
“Alright, ladies! Time to stop moping and start living!” Elisa declares, her grin wide and infectious. She winks at me, clearly determined to lighten the mood. “Lawliss, you’re coming out with us tonight, no excuses.”
I raise an eyebrow, half-laughing. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, she’s serious,” Lauren chimes in, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “We’ve already decided.”
I glance at my mother, expecting a frown or some small protest, but she surprises me by giving a tiny nod of approval. “Go on, Lawliss. You could use a night out,” she says, her voice softer than usual. There’s a look in her eyes I can’t quite read. It looks like a hint of worry, maybe pride. I’m not sure.
I let out a breath, feeling the tension of the evening slip away, just a little. “Alright,” I say, letting a smile tug at my lips. “Lead the way.”
I stand as well, then meet my sisters halfway. We pick up our stuff and prepare to leave.
“You can leave her with us,” Mum says to Aria, noticing her leaning toward Janette, who’s fast asleep on the couch.
“Are you sure?” Aria asks, hesitating. She glances down at Janette, uncertain.
“What, you don’t trust us? We raised you, didn’t we?” Dad chimes in with mock offense, drawing giggles from all of us.
Aria chuckles, “If you say so.”
We say our goodbyes, and Mum waves us off with a soft, “Have fun tonight.” I can feel her watching us as we leave, her words laced with something more than she lets on.
As we head for the door, Aria wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Tonight’s all about you, sis. Time to shake off the past and make some memories.”
I inhale her sweet honey scent and lean into her. Those words coming from her are more than encouragement. Aria has been through a lot, leading her to be calm and collected. She’s the steady one among us.
I’m yet to deal with the media just like she did and I don’t know what to expect. Thanks to my family’s support, I’m prepared for what is to come.
I step outside, breathing in the cool night air and I still can’t quite shake the nagging thought of Eddie and that damn document.
* * *
We arrive at the bar and Elisa gets us in without joining the long queue outside. As we pass the long line outside, I can feel the curious gazes turning our way, a quiet buzz of whispers trailing after us. Elisa flashes the bouncer a knowing smile, and with just a nod, we’re whisked inside, skipping the line entirely.
Elisa has always been a charmer. She moves with such ease that the whole world knows her name, and I can’t help but wonder how she manages to make it look so natural. Not that our family isn’t popular but it's just that Elisa knows how to use it to her advantage.
Inside, the pulse of the music hits me like a wave, thick and intoxicating, the bass reverberating in my chest as we make our way towards the VIP section. We pass the noisy ground flow to another section and suddenly, I’m stepping into a different world. The dim, golden glow bathes everything in a kind of luxurious haze, and the soft leather couches and perfectly arranged crystal glasses feel miles away from the chaos of the crowded dance floor below.
Aria’s arm is draped over my shoulder, grounding me, while Lauren’s is wrapped around my waist, relaxing me. Being in a place like this is way out of my comfort zone. My face is usually buried in a book or documents. Running my own firm and being the head of my family’s legal sector leaves little to no room for other commitments.
We arrive at a designated booth and take a seat. The server comes by to take our order.
“What would you like?” She asks me but Elisa jumps in, listing off drinks for all of us without a second thought. Lauren leans in, feigning horror.
“Remind me again, why are you picking drinks for everyone?” Aria’s playful tone cuts through and Elisa gives a careless shrug. “Someone’s gotta save you from yourself.” I shake my head, smiling as I watch my sisters go back and forth with Lauren joining in. I swear, Elisa and Laurel should’ve come as twins; they always have an endless banter only they understand, filled with teasing one minute and laughter the next.
“So…” Lauren raises her glass at me. The server had come back to serve us with our order. I raise my head, looking at her skeptically. Elisa is sitting beside me and Aria and Laurel are opposite us with a glass table separating us.
“So, what?”I ask.
“Don’t play dumb Lawliss. We all know you are too smart for that.”
“What?” I whisper and she raises a brow at me. I belatedly realize why they want me to come out with them. They want to grill me about what happened in Florida. Shit. There’s no backing out of it now.
“Oh, that…” I feign ignorance as I take a sip of my drink.
“Yeah.. that.” Elisa bumps my shoulders slightly and I instantly regret sitting beside her with what I’m about to share.
“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
“ARIA! Don’t come out with us if you don’t want to know,” Lauren chides.
“Hey… Hey…” She raises her hands in surrender and then takes a sip of her drink. Relaxing on the leather couch, she crosses her legs, looking every bit the C.E.O she is.
“So I did go out,” I finally settle on.
“We know that. Skip to the good part,” Lauren chimes in.
“I don’t remember telling you.”
“Call it telepathy.” Of course, she knows everything. After a bad breakup with her ex-boyfriend. Lauren has been tracking us obsessively, thanks to the HW Security app we all have for security reasons. I shake my head.
“I had a one-night stand,” there I said it. Aria's drink sputters from her mouth while Lauren's mouth has a huge O shape. Elisa, on the other hand, exclaims, “OH MY GOD.”
“Will you keep it down?" I chastise. It feels risky yet safe to tell them about it. Risky because I barely know what it means to me and safe because I know they’ve got my back.
Honestly, the best thing I could have done was to dodge, smile, and wave it off. But sitting here with their wide eyes fixed on me makes me feel the need to let someone in, even if it’s just my sisters. If I don’t, I know I’ll keep second-guessing every moment, every choice.
“You did what?” Elisa, having ignored my comment, blurts out.
“Well, the idea just hit me like a light bulb when I was talking to this guy I met.” I pause, debating how much to share. In the end , I decide to reveal just enough but not everything.
“I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, it’s safe to say he’s the best sex yet,” I hurried to add.
“He was that good?” Lauren crouches forward from across the table, whispering like she’s about to spill state secrets.
“Lauren, stop,” Aria huffs, shoving her back onto the couch.
“He was…” I trail off, only to freeze mid-sentence when a hand slips over Lauren’s eyes from behind.
“Dashiel, I could spot you a mile away by your perfume alone,” she says, smacking his hands off her face playfully. The rest of us chuckle, the tension of the conversation dissipating for a moment.
Dash—short for Dashiell, though we never call him by his full name—grins like a guilty kid caught sneaking cookies. He rounds the table and wedges himself between Elisa and me, ignoring her dramatic groan of protest.
“Are we plotting Derrick’s demise?” he asks casually, grabbing a chip from the tray by the drinks and popping it into his mouth.
I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself. “We—”
“I—”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
The overlapping voices are interrupted by the loud, obnoxious blare of his ringtone. The melody feels like it was chosen specifically to annoy anyone in a five-foot radius.
“Hold that thought.” Dash waves a hand, standing to answer his phone. “A minute,” he says, already walking off.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Lauren rolls her eyes and slumps back against the couch. “Of course. He vanishes just as dramatically as he arrives.” I laugh softly but don’t add anything. My thoughts are already elsewhere.
“You know his company got the contract?” Elisa says, her tone suddenly shifting to something more serious.
“Which one?” Lauren asks, her interest piqued.
“The one with M Industries.”
“You don’t say.” Lauren whistles low. “No wonder he’s extra busy these days.” We all fall silent at the mention of M Industries. The name alone feels like it carries weight, a whispered threat in polite company. I shift uncomfortably. My worry has always been the way they operate—everything about them is so damn opaque. No one knows who leads the company. Not the media, not the boardroom sharks, not even Dash, or maybe he does now.
“I heard the grandson’s supposed to make an appearance now that their headquarters have moved here,” Elisa says.
“Yeah,” Aria mumbles, her voice heavy with something unspoken.
“What is it?” I ask, looking at her directly now. I’ve been so out of touch lately, too wrapped up in my personal mess to pay attention to anything happening at work. A sinking feeling settles in my chest. I’m starting to regret letting Derrick and all his drama derail me. Never again, I promise myself. Never again will I let a man have that kind of control over me.
“There’s nothing here for such a massive company like that to put down roots,” Aria finally says, crossing her arms. “I also heard they’re trying to get into textiles.”
“Well, that would be the only reason to set up here,” I mutter, trying to piece it all together.
Dash returns before I can dig any deeper. This time, he slides in beside Elisa, his earlier grin back in full force. “What’d I miss?”
“M Industries,” Elisa blurts out immediately.
“Ugh, don’t start fishing for information, Lis,” Dash says, giving her forehead a playful shove when she leans toward him like she’s interrogating him.
Elisa taps my shoulder and gestures for me to switch seats. I sigh, but I do as she asks, swapping places and plopping down beside Dash.
“What now?” he asks, quirking a brow at me.
I don’t answer immediately. Instead, I lean in, narrowing my eyes dramatically. Then I press a hand to his chest, letting my voice drop to a mock whisper.
“My husband cheated on me with his secretary,” I say, dragging my words out as if confessing some deep, terrible truth. Strangely, saying that no longer hurts.
Dash laughs loudly, swatting my hand away, but I keep up the act, caressing his chest with exaggerated coyness. Lauren giggles behind me, and I shoot her a mock warning glance—only to freeze.
The feeling comes first. That prickle of awareness, like someone’s gaze cutting through the air to land squarely on me. Slowly, I glance past Lauren.
And there he is.
Piercing blue eyes lock onto mine, sharp enough to pin me in place. His stride is confident and purposeful as he heads straight for our booth.
“Oh no,” Dash whispers beside me, his voice suddenly low and tense. But I barely hear him. My focus is on the man coming toward us.
It can’t be.
But it is.