Chapter 26

Ellen's POV:

We arrived at the store which Chad sent the address of. I noticed it was a clothing boutique, a very expensive one. Well, Chad is a celebrity, of course we can afford it. Once we walked in, Mira turned to me.

"I'll distract Chad, you go talk to Lila… Or Lyric, since that's what you call her."

I nodded. She walked deeper into the store and made a call on her way, after talking for some time, she faced me.

"Lila is in the jewelry corner. Go meet her there. I'll be with Chad on the food stand in this place."

"Yes ma'am. Thanks ma'am," I said, and she nodded, she walked away and I set out looking for the jewelry corner, to wait for Lyric.

***

Lila's POV:

I was with Chad in the clothing line when he received a call. He had excused himself to answer it, and I busied myself by looking at the different clothes. We had already finished shopping, but he wanted us to stay.

After some time, he returned.

"Lila, I'll be gone for a while. Mira is in this store and she'd like for me to see her."

"Mira Kentucky? Can I come too?" I asked excitedly.

"Uh, no. Here have this," he said and gave me his credit card. I collected it.

"The PIN is 22345. Get yourself some jewelry. I'll be back in a jiffy," he said and, giving me a light kiss on the forehead, left. I smiled as I watched him go and got some things at the jewelry corner but not for me though. I had already brought enough things.

I soon saw the corner and began admiring all the jewelry and accessories on display. I got so lost in admiring them I bumped into someone. It was a woman, and she was much older.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry…" I hurriedly said as I moved back.

"It's okay… It's okay," she said as she straightened up.

"I'm so sorry ma'am, I wasn't looking." I apologized again. She smiled gently. She had a pretty smile, I noticed.

"It's fine. Really." She said gently. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing if I should leave or stay.

"So… You're here to buy jewelry?" I asked cautiously. She looked at the stands and nodded.

"I guess I am. That's why I'm here in the first place isn't it?" she asked, and I chuckled.

"Of course," I muttered.

"What's your name?" she asked after some time.

"Lila Walker." I replied, and she stretched her hand out for a shake.

"I'm Ellen, nice to meet you."

Something about this woman struck me and I immediately felt as ease with her.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"I'm twenty-three, going on twenty-four."

"Twenty-three…" She trailed off. "I have a daughter your age," she muttered.

"Really? Where is she?" I asked, and she looked downcast.

"Something happened a long time ago… And we got separated from each other." She said despondently, and I felt pity for her.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you find her soon." I tried to reassure her. Suddenly, she took my hands in hers and smiled brightly.

"Actually, I think I already have."

I was surprised. So quickly?

"You have? Who is she? How can I recognize her?" I asked, and she sighed softly.

"She has a mark, behind her right ear, see I have that mark too, but it's on my left."

My heart skipped a beat at hearing that. I have a mark on my right ear too.

"Here, let me show you." She offered and came closer, removing the hair behind her left ear. When I saw the mark, my heart pounded. It was just like mine. I immediately withdrew my hands from hers.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I have the same mark too…" I whispered, trailing off. "What does that mean?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, prodding me to say it.

"You're my mom!? No way!"

"Yes honey…" she blurted out, tears in her eyes. "I'm your mother!"

I still understood nothing.

"B-but how come?"

"I've been looking for you all these years! I finally found you through your dance instructor, Mira Kentucky."

"Mira Kentucky? You know her."

"Yes, I work for her. She came home one day and showed me a picture she took of your mark and I recognized it immediately. I knew I had to find you and meet you."

"But… But I don't recognize or remember you."

"It's okay if you don't remember me. It was such a long time ago. We got separated when you were five and a lot has happened since then. But if you really want to remember me, I can help," she said and began humming a tune.

I recognized it instantly. It was the same tune Dean was playing the day I got caught. Apart from that, I could faintly remember someone singing it too."

"I know that tune." I muttered. She nodded happily. "Did you make that?"

"No, your father did."

"Dad, what about him?" I quickly asked. She slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry honey, but he's no longer here with us."

"He's dead?" I asked, and she nodded. Then she held my hands again. I let her fondle it warmly.

"There's so many things I want to tell you and more that you need to know, but I can't do it now. Guess I'll have to be content with just seeing you today, I have to go."

"No wait, see Chad." I tried convincing to stay, I didn't want her to leave just yet.

"No, not yet, maybe some other time. Goodbye, honey, Mom loves you," she said and kissed my forehead, patting my hair fondly. I rubbed against it, hastily cleaning off the tears in her eyes. She walked away and I watched her go.

Chad appeared right after.

"Who's that woman?" He asked when he got to me.

"That's my mom." I thoughtlessly replied. He peered at me.

"Your mom?"

"That's what she said."

"Why didn't you introduce me to her?" He said after a while.

"I tried to, but she said she couldn't wait."

"Weird, I only got a glimpse of her but I can tell I recognize her."

I looked up at Chad.

"You do?" He stared at me.

"Yep. Just don't remember where. Come on let's go, I already made Mira goodbye." He said, and I trudged along with him, carrying my shopping bags.

***

Ellen's POV:

I felt so ecstatic seeing lyric again. She's even more beautiful than I imagined. She looks just like her father. We were back in the car, and Mira was driving us home. After a while, Mira glanced at me.

"You know," she began, folding her arms. "I expected Lyric to be here with you, why didn't you bring her with you."

"I can't afford to. It'll be too dangerous," I replied.

"Why? You also didn't let Chad see you too."

"If Chad sees me, he might recognize me."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Well, it depends, but right now I don't think it'll be a good idea. I'll have to formally introduce myself to him and by then my enemy would have been aware that I'm also alive."

"Your enemy?"

I smiled at her. "I'll explain everything when we get home."

***

Lila's POV:

We arrived home after a long morning shopping and the extra surprise that came along with it. I met Min ho and Jayden playing video games while Jayden was stuffing himself with some snacks.

"Good afternoon." I greeted, and they all looked at me.

"Good afternoon." They greeted me. "How was your shopping?" Nico asked.

"It was nice and the craziest thing happened to me today."

"Hmm… What is it?" Jayden mumbled, potato chips in his mouth.

"I met my real mom today." I announced, and they all stared at me.

"For real?" Min ho asked. I nodded.

"Yeah… It felt weird, but it was equally a beautiful experience."

"Wow, am happy for you." Jayden said.

"Thanks."

"So, do you look like her?" Nico asked me. I slowly shook my head.

"I don't think so. But she also has a lot of hair…"

Just then, Dean walked out from the music room, making me stop what I wanted to say. His hair was all over his face and he had earphones on his neck. He looked like he had been sleeping. He glanced at me and stopped, his eyes slowly widening. I tried to hide my nervousness by greeting him.

"Good afternoon." I greeted quietly, but he didn't bother to reply. Instead he said.

"Is it just me, or do you look a lot like CG?"

What?

***

Mira's POV:

I listened attentively as Ellen recounted the story of her life to me. I was shocked beyond words. Never imagined something like this would have happened a long time ago and it had been kept a secret from the public.

"So… You're saying CG is your husband and Lila is his daughter?"

"Yes," Ellen replied gravely.

"What about Nikita and Ximena?"

"I'd like to think he married her for the paparazzi. At the time we first met, CG was still really young and was at his prime of his career. When he introduced me to his team and family, they didn't approve of it. They said he needed someone more popular and in the line of music so they prevented us from having any relationship. But Cage insisted we got married in secret."

"Does that make Lila and Ximena stepsisters?" I asked, and she immediately shook her head.

"No?"

"I have to say this, but Cage has an extremely low sperm count. We had Lyric through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). There's no way he could have fathered Ximena."

What?

***

Lila's POV:

"What do you mean, I look a lot like CG?" I stuttered, surprised by his sudden outburst. I turned around and realized I was standing directly in one of CG's portrait. I guess that must've made Dean think that way.

But Dean didn't seem satisfied.

"Come on, help me out guys… Doesn't she look a lot like him?"

Nico and Min ho stood up and went to stand with Dean.

"Yeah… You kinda look like him." Nico muttered.

"You've got his eyes, same intensity only that yours is more feminine," Min ho observed.

"I-I don't understand what you guys are talking about." I began to say but Dean's stares stopped me. Why does he stare at me so creepily?

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice sending cold shivers down my spine. I swallowed. Not knowing how to reply to him, I rushed out of the living room.

***

Ximena's POV:

Me and the girls just finished recording a new song in the studio and we were out for a break. As we took our food and drinks that the maids provided for us, I started up a conversation.

"Hey, have you heard?" I asked, glancing at all of them.

"What is it?" Tori asked.

"Lila has been disqualified."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, I tried to protest against it but my mom said that was her final decision."

"That's bad." Ivy muttered. "She's superb."

"I was really rooting for her to be my next teammate." I muttered angrily.

"So what are you going to do?" Tori asked.

"I don't know, but I will not let this slide so easily."

Then I stood up and picked up my bags and phones.

"Where are you going?" Ivy asked.

"To see Chad." I replied to her. Walking out of my penthouse, I instructed the workers that I had somewhere to go to and they immediately prepared a car for me to use.

"To the Sparks penthouse." I instructed the driver.

"Okay, Miss." He said and started up the car, driving off.

***

We arrived there not long after. Even though we were in the same entertainment company, I still had to request entry. They led me in, and I walked to the entrance of the door. Pressing the doorbell beside the door, it made a sound. I waited for them to pick it up.

"Hello, who's there?" A voice asked. It was Min ho.

"It's Ximena." I replied.

"And why are you here?"

"I'd like to see Chad."

"Hang on a minute," he said, and the line went dead. After a while, he came back.

"You can come in now," he yelled. The door automatically opened and I walked in.

I greeted Minho and Jayden, but I couldn't find the rest of them. From the corner of my eyes, I was looking for Dean as well.

"Where's Chad?" I asked.

"He'll be showing up soon. Just wait a while." Jayden replied.

While I was waiting, someone walked in from the left and I thought it was Chad. Except Chad doesn't wear girl clothes. I looked at the person properly and I was surprised.

"Lila?"

"Ximena?"

"What are you doing here?"