Chapter 4
Hearing her best friend's full support, Lisette felt a warm surge in her chest. That's what real friendship looks like - no questions, no doubts, just standing by your side.
"Scarlett, you don't have to sell your villa. Just help me buy up Maverick's assets dirt cheap. Hit him where it hurts."
There was a pause on the other end, then Scarlett's excited voice came through: "Lisette, you finally snapped out of it. Ready to crush that lowlife scumbag?"
Lisette tightened her grip on the phone, trying to sound casual, "Yeah, just got tired of his face, figured I'd teach him a lesson. So, are you in or what?"
"In, obviously!" Scarlett didn't hesitate, her voice full of that ride-or-die energy. "You know I live for this kind of stuff! Leave it to me - I'll skin him clean and leave nothing but scraps."
"Thanks, Scarlett."
"Oh, come on. Save the gratitude. Just wait for my good news!"
After the call ended, Lisette let out a long sigh.
The next morning, Lisette woke up groggy and disoriented, momentarily unsure of where she was.
Right - on Tobias' private jet, heading back to Veridia.
Last night, after wrapping up their discussion about the pitch, Tobias had suddenly decided to inspect the site himself and had dragged her along without warning.
"You're up?" That low, smooth voice came from nearby.
She looked over and saw Tobias sitting a few feet away on a sofa, laptop on his lap, clearly knee-deep in work.
The morning light outlined his sharp profile, his expression focused, exuding that calm authority that came naturally to him.
"Yeah," Lisette mumbled, rubbing her eyes, her voice still rough from sleep. "Are we there yet?"
"Almost." He shut the laptop and looked at her. "Your proposal got the board's approval."
"Already?"
All she'd done was tweak his original idea a little based on her memories from her past life - just highlighted a few crucial points. She hadn't expected they'd bite, let alone move this fast.
"Yeah." Seeing the surprise on her face, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Tobias's mouth. "That means you're in charge of the project moving forward."
"Wait, me?" Lisette pointed at herself, looking like she'd just heard something totally absurd.
"Tobias, are you serious? You're handing over a multi-million-dollar project to me? Aren't you the least bit worried I might screw it up?"
Tobias leaned back lazily, calm as ever. "I'm not worried. Your husband's loaded, remember?"
"Huh?" She blinked, not catching on right away.
"I said, your husband's rich," he repeated, lips curving ever so slightly. "Even if the project tanks, I've got enough to cover it."
The words hit Lisette straight in the chest like a sucker punch to the heart. A wave of emotion crashed over her, completely swallowing her up. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but her throat tightened so much she couldn't get a word out. In the end, all she managed was a heavy nod. "Alright! I promise - you won't lose a cent!"
Tobias looked at her with a quiet smile, his eyes meeting hers that were blazing with determination, but he didn't say anything else.
The plane touched down smoothly at Veridia Airport. His assistant and the car convoy were already waiting outside.
Because of work, Tobias had to head straight to the office. Lisette hesitated, then said, "Hey, Tobias... I won't go back to the office with you, alright? I kinda wanna stop by home and see my brother."
Tobias was flipping through some documents when she spoke. He looked up, met her eyes, and simply nodded. "Okay. Let the driver take you."
"No, no, don't worry about it!" Lisette quickly waved it off. "I'll ask my brother to pick me up. No need to trouble your driver."
Even as she spoke, she was already pulling out her phone, dialing that all-too-familiar number ingrained in her bones.
The call barely rang once before it was answered. A warm, eager voice tinged with fondness came through the line. "Lisette? Wow—I almost forgot what your voice sounds like. What made you finally call your poor, neglected brother?"
Just hearing that familiar voice almost made her break down on the spot.
She forced the lump in her throat down, trying to sound normal. "Bryce, I missed you. Can you come get me at the airport?"
"The airport? You're back in Veridia City?! Wait right there - don't move! I'll be there in ten!"
After ending the call, Lisette turned to Tobias and quietly said, "My brother's coming."
Tobias's gaze flicked to the redness around her eyes, lingering a second longer before he wordlessly got into the car and left.
Lisette stood just outside the terminal, her heart thudding with that mix of nerves and excitement only a long-overdue reunion could bring.
Moments later, a flashy electric-blue sports car screeched to a dramatic halt in front of her.
The car door flew open, and out jumped a tall, sharp-featured young man in an eye-catching pink shirt, oozing charm with a hint of mischief - Bryce Cavendish in the flesh.
"Lisette!" Bryce rushed over and pulled her into his arms. "Damn, I missed you like crazy! Let me look at you - have you lost weight?"
His hug, the teasing tone, that smothering affection - it was all so familiar, so heartbreakingly familiar.
Lisette buried her face in his chest, a flood of memories from a life lost and regained hitting her like a truck. Before she could stop herself, tears poured down, soaking into Bryce's brand-name shirt like a storm.
Bryce instantly panicked. His hands lifted her face in a flurry, all the playfulness wiped off his face, replaced by fury and worry. "What happened? Who hurt you?! Was it Tobias? Damn it, I'll go tear down Hastings Corp right now!"
Watching him all fired up for her made Lisette's heart ache with both warmth and helplessness. She shook her head hard, clinging to his arm. "No, Bryce, it's not him. No one hurt me, really."
She sniffled, forced a smile through the tears. "I just... missed you. So freaking much."
Bryce froze for a second, then finally let out a sigh of relief - but his worry didn't fade. He wiped her tears away with his thumb, movements rough yet careful.
"Silly girl. If you missed me, just come back. Why cry? I'm right here, aren't I? Alright, alright, no more tears. Cry too much and you'll mess up your pretty face."
Pulling her into his arms again, Bryce gently patted her back, coaxing like she was still a child. His voice softened to something completely unlike his usual self. "Be good. I'm always here for you. Stay a few more days this time, alright? I'll cook you something nice."
"Okay," Lisette mumbled, nodding into his shoulder, though the tears wouldn't stop.
Wrapped in the warmth of his embrace, the sense of being protected hit her like a wave - it made her want to just stay there forever and not think about anything else. But she knew better than that. The danger wasn't gone yet.
Lisette wiped her tears and lifted her head, an uneasiness creeping in. "Bryce, what do you think of Maverick?"
Bryce looked a little surprised at the sudden question. "Maverick? Why are you bringing him up all of a sudden? Haven't seen him lately - heard he's doing some reality show or something."
Lisette wasn't sure how to explain it.
The Ramseys and the Cavendishes had known each other forever. The kids grew up together. After the Ramsey family fell apart, her parents took in ten-year-old Maverick like their own, and even her brothers treated him like real family. And now, that same guy had fooled every single one of them with a perfect mask.
If she suddenly started criticizing him, would they just write her off as being petty?
Maverick was like a ticking bomb-too dangerous. She couldn't let him twist things around and drive a wedge between her and her family.
"Huh? Why the sudden interest in Maverick?" Bryce nudged, waiting for her to say more.
Lisette pressed her lips together. "Nothing, just feels like he's changed... a lot."
Bryce didn't think much of it - just laughed lightly. "We're all changing. Life does that to people. Especially him - he's been throwing himself into acting nonstop. That path's rough. We should cut him some slack."
Lisette gave a faint "yeah" in response.
Yeah... she expected that. Dad, Mom, her three brothers - every last one of them saw Maverick as family. No way they'd believe he had anything but good intentions.
Maybe it was better that way. She'd protect them. Every one of them. No one would get the chance to hurt her family.
As for Maverick... that was her battle to fight. She'd tear off his mask and make sure he paid for everything.
Thinking that, Lisette clung to Bryce's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder, voice quiet. "Let's go home."
"Sure! Home, it is!"
Bryce immediately perked up, clearly in a great mood as he pulled her into the car.
