Chapter 57 Chapter 57

Chapter 57 Chapter 57


Liana's POV

"Hello, Serena," I said the moment she took the call.

"Hello, Liana. How did it go?" She said without wasting time. "I've been dying to hear from you. Did Dominic take the bait?"

"He sure did," I replied triumphantly, reaching for one of the cookies on the tray in front of me. "You know how sloppy he can get with minor details.".

Serena gave a sharp laugh. "Men like him always think they're too smart to get caught."

I leaned back in the plush armchair, letting the joy permeate into my bones. I went on to tell her everything: the impromptu document, the language, the casual way I slid it in like an afterthought. I could almost hear her clapping on the other end of the line.

We'd come a long way. When Serena first started working for me, she was nothing more than a reserved staff with a sharp mind. Now she was more than a confidante, she gave the illusion of a friend. One tempered in battle scars and shared anger. We were women with pasts, and this one was ours to write.

She briefed me on her side, telling me the status of what she was working on, some journalists she'd built a relationship with, and a strategic timeline for dribbling out small truths at strategic times. I grinned, adrenaline coursing at the thrill of it all. By the time we said our goodbyes, my mind was reeling.

I sighed and returned to the documents that had arrived earlier, Dominic's court summons. It was nearly laughable. He was actually suing me. He thought this was a control game of chess and he'd just played his queen move. Too bad I didn't let him see my gun was loaded with fire so he wouldn't know he was going to burn soon. 

A sound interrupted my reflection. Soft footsteps sounded in the hallway so I stood up and peered out.

"Mum?"

She smiled gently and her green silk dress fluttered around her ankles. It was a bit wrinkled at the hem, probably from where it had brushed across wet tile or been washed one too many times. 

"Hi, mama. Need anything?"

"No, sweetie," she said, coming closer to me. "Just stretching these old legs. I heard your voice and thought I'd stop by for some company."

"How are you feeling today? Have you taken your meds?"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "See you getting into your mother mode. Yes, ma'am, I've taken them. But I'm a little cold. Maybe a cappuccino would work."

"Say no more, got you."

"Where's Cam?" she asked not quite directly.

I smiled, though the question always touched something deep in me. "More guidance and counselling today. She won't be back till evening."

"Good, good."

I came to the kitchen and made her a hot cup. When I gave it to her, she looked at it, then at me like she was expecting something else. 

"Where's yours?" 

"I don't want any, Mum." 

"If I'm having cappuccino, you have to. Go make yourself one, or better still,  bring a mug and share mine."

I sighed dramatically, knowing that it was pointless to argue with her. I grabbed a second mug and poured half of hers into it. We sat at the kitchen island, mugs between us.

She drank and peered over the rim. "You look… dull."

"I'm fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me, Liana. I've seen you walk through fire. I know your fine from your 'barely hanging on.'"

I stared into my cup, stirring the foam absentmindedly. "Fine… Dominic's lawyer filed a lawsuit against me." 

Her hand paused in mid-air. "What?"

"It's about Cam," I said. "Because I kept her from him all those years."

The shock on her face turned into something hard and angry. "That man is insane."

"I know," I sighed. "Serena told he was up to something, but I didn't think it'd be anything this extreme. Luckily, I have a backup plan already set up. If he breaks the contract, which he just did, I get full custody and legal grounds. But still. it's Cam that I'm worried about."

Her tone softened. "What about her?"

"I don't know how to tell her," I admitted. "How do I tell her about her dad? How do I tell her the things I faced or why I left or even why I kept it from her. How do I make that make sense without destroying her idea of love and family?"

"You don't have to explain everything right now."

"She's a child but she already needs guidance counseling. She's six, Mum. Six years old, and already trying to make sense of a world I barely understand myself."

"She's tough," Mum said. "Like her mother. She'll be all right."

We were quiet for a while, sipping cappuccino. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was like being embraced. Then she spoke again, soft but loaded. "And Stanley?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

She gave me a knowing look. "You know exactly what I mean, girl. He obviously feels something for you. And I don't want to jump the gun here, but for the first time in three years, I've seen something in your eyes that had been missing"

"You're just seeing things. "

"No. I know exactly what I'm saying."

I hesitated because I knew there was truth in her words. "There's something that I need to tell you," I finally said.

"I'm listening."

"Stanley and I… we kissed."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"And Cam saw us."

"Oh." She put her hand to her chest. "Oh, sweetheart."

I didn't know what else to say.  "I don't know how I feel about it. It just… happened. After everything breakfast while I was walking him yesterday…It wasn't planned."

"But it wasn't nothing either."

I nodded shyly. "No. It wasn't."

We were quiet again. My mom reached out and took my hand gently. You deserve good things, Liana. And you don't have to be afraid of letting them in. Even if they do come with complications.