Whatever this was, Cyrus knew he had to make a strong impression, not let anyone get the best of him. He had to go in strong and—
“Babycakes.”
This wasn’t good. No good. Not good at all. But he had to brazen this out. Bully her. Bully anyone.
He came close as if to kiss her, and just as she stiffened, he whispered into her ear, “Remember my threat.”
He leaned back, but instead of cowering like she usually did—
“He just threatened me again,” his ex-girlfriend blurted out.
What the—
Cyrus could no longer keep his temper. “You bitch—” He raised his hand, thinking to slap her—
“Don’t.”
Cyrus froze.What the—what was his dad doing here?“D-Da—”
“Just sit down, son, and let’s...let’s get this over with.”
Cyrus couldn’t remember hearing his dad sound so defeated. But then, he also couldn’t remember having so many people in one room look at him without approval.What the hell was happening?It was making him feel panicky, but he told himself he was overthinking things. All he had to do was pretend everything was fine, and sooner or later, it would be so. He always got his way in the end.Always.
And so for now...
“Sure, Dad.”
He decided to play along.
“But I’m afraid this is all a misunder—”
“I’ve already read Ms. Dunn’s statement.”
Cyrus forgot about playing it cool the moment he heard this. “She’s lying, Dad! She’s nobody! You shouldn’t even be listening—”
Henry could only shake his head, unable to believe he had been so damn blind all these years. “Stop making it worse for yourself.” He had raised a monster...and he hadn’t even noticed until it was too late.
“I’m not! All I’m saying is that we don’t need to bend over backwards for someone like her. This is our company—”
“No, son. It isn’t, and it never was.”
Cyrus could only laugh weakly. “What do you mean it’s not? Whose else could it be but—”
“Mine.”
Cyrus’s head snapped to the door. He hadn’t even heard it open, and now, standing by the doorway of all people—
Lyrius Havington, the world’s biggest killjoy.
“Get out,” Cyrus growled, “if you don’t want to lose—”
“He’s your uncle,” Henry thundered, “so show him some respect!”
Kyara couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and her ex-boyfriend seemed to feel the same way, if his slack jaw was anything to go by.
Lyrius...was Cyrus’s uncle?
He had told her earlier that he had a plan, and that all he needed from her was to trust him, and so this...this was it? He was Cyrus’s uncle, and as she continued listening to Henry, all the missing puzzle pieces started falling into place, and she came to realize just how the rumor mills got everything completely wrong.
