THREE DAYS LATER (6:00 AM).
Megara stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in a yellow jogging outfit with a matching headband and earpiece. Her gaze was fixed on the glass coffee table, which was littered with paperwork. Slumped over it, fast asleep, was her uncle. The sight told her how important this work was to him—so important, he had passed out here instead of making it to his study.
She began tidying up the files, but a single document caught her attention. As she skimmed through it, a growing number of flaws jumped out at her. "Tsk, this contract would surely tank his stock," she muttered to herself. She placed the papers back on the stack, arranged neatly, and turned to leave. She paused, looking over her shoulder at her uncle. "I'll tell him once he's awake," she promised herself before walking away.
Outside the mansion, Megara jogged, sweat beading on her skin. The sun was already high in the sky, its heat intense and its light blinding. She glanced at her watch—it was 8:20 AM. As she prepared to turn back, a white Lamborghini sped past, startling her so badly that she tripped and fell into the grass.
She stood up, groaning in pain and frustration, and glared at the retreating car. "Are you blind?!" she screamed, wiping dirt off her joggers before angrily throwing a handful of small stones at the car.
The car suddenly reversed, stopping right in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Uriel with a smug, knowing smile. "That was a nice trip into the dirt, wasn't it?" he asked. Megara's hands balled into fists at her sides.
"Hahaha, very funny, fish-brain!" she shot back, folding her arms. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a big, bad bully?"
Uriel just chuckled, getting out of the car to face her. He stood before her, his green eyes meeting her stormy gray ones. "It's the nicest compliment I've gotten from you, sweetheart," he whispered, leaning close to her ear and inhaling her scent. "Mmmm, you smell lovely, as always."
Megara pushed him away, pointing a finger at his face. "You're delusional, Uriel. Now stop wasting my time; as you can see, I'm busy." She tried to walk past him, but he followed, leaving his car behind. "Why are you following me, and what are you even doing here?"
"This is my family's estate, Megara. I have every right to be here," he replied, grabbing her wrist. "And my mansion is only thirty kilometers away.
"Yeah whatever. She mumbles rolling her eyes in disgust.
Have you considered my offer to help my cousin yet?"
Megara yanked her wrist free, her teeth gritted. "Give it a rest, will you? I'm not helping you play imposter. Besides, your brother's enemies might come after me." She tried to walk away again, but he blocked her path. "Move, or I'll move you myself."
He leaned in close to her face. She pulled back, almost stumbling, but he caught her by the waist, holding her steady. "Those weren't my cousin's enemies. They were yours. He was being charitable by helping you, but now my father is on the verge of discovering it."
"How does that have anything to do with me?" she asked, pushing him away harshly. "It's not like I did it. You were the one who did. And now, thanks to your little cronies at school, I can't be at peace because they've brought me into this mess." She spoke calmly, as if calculating something. "It's like he's trying to cover for you, and the only way is to help me, I suppose, so you get to walk away free."
Uriel clicked his tongue, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Hmm, I wouldn't use the word 'protection' because I don't need it," he said calmly. "But I can assure you, he's willing to pay any amount for you to help him."
"Tell him he can keep his fucking money," she said, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Secondly, if he wanted to be discovered, he would have been already. Or do you think he doesn't have massive protection around him?"
"He does have them, but my father is a very intelligent man. He's going to catch up sooner or later," Uriel replied.
Megara narrowed her eyes, studying him. "I smell something fishy in this big story of yours. Don't drag me into it," she warned harshly. "If you do, I'm not going to let you off the hook. I'll tell the world you're a deceiver."
Uriel stared, stunned for a moment, before his smile returned. "I'll see you later, sweetie, I'm leaving but I'll be back." he said, walking back to his car.
Megara couldn't continue her jog. She ran straight back to the house, where she found her aunt, uncle, and cousin Lacey at the dining table, preparing to have breakfast.
Seeing a profusely sweating Megara, Lucas smiled and gestured toward the table. "Good morning, Megara. Come join us for breakfast."
Megara looked down at her sweaty body and shook her head. "No, Uncle. I'll go shower first before I join you," she said, walking upstairs to her room.
Lucas resumed buttering his bread, but his wife, Millicent, looked displeased with his invitation to her niece. Lacey, sensing her mother's mood, quickly looked down at her food.
"Dad, when are you going to lift the ban? It's been four days, and I haven't gone to the spa or even on a date with Evan," Lacey complained.
Lucas gave her a deadpan look that silenced her. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and set down his fork as Priscilla poured him a glass of orange juice. "Sweetheart, you know I'd do anything for you, but I will not lift this ban," he said flatly. "This is a time for you to reflect. And to be honest, I never liked that Evan boy. He looks like a ruffian hiding behind luxury."
Lacey bit her lower lip and gestured for her mother to intervene, but Millicent ignored her. "Dad, I know you don't like Evan, but he's not a ruffian. That's just a modern trend," she defended.
"Lacey, that's enough. I won't say it twice," Lucas warned sternly.
Megara returned to the dining room wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants. She pulled out a chair and sat down, observing the tense silence among the family. She calmly began buttering her bread.
"Why is everyone as silent as a graveyard?" she asked, breaking the quiet. "My dad always said no one should be silent at a dinner table; it makes the atmosphere sad."
Lucas laughed, amused by her comment. "Your father is quite an amusing man, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is," she replied, taking a bite of her bread. "Uncle, I have something to tell you."
Lucas's expression became curious. "What is it?" he asked.
Megara wiped her mouth with her napkin, ready to speak. Millicent and Lacey became instantly tense. Just as Megara was about to talk, Millicent deliberately spilled orange juice on her clothes.
"Oh, Megara, I think you should go clean that up. It's tainting the entire dinner table," Millicent said, feigning concern.
Megara looked at her uncle before excusing herself, to Lacey's visible relief. Millicent also excused herself, claiming a bloated stomach and a need to be sick. Lucas and Lacey watched the two women leave, their suspicion piqued.
In the downstairs bathroom, Millicent followed Megara and locked the door behind them. Megara ignored her, trying to blot the orange juice from her sweatshirt.
Millicent grabbed her by the arm, her teeth gritted, but Megara easily pulled away. "Speak, Millicent. Stop barking like a mad dog. I'm a civilized person," she said, her voice slow and taunting.
Millicent's temper flared. She raised her hand to strike Megara, but Megara's cold glare stopped her. "Millicent, you're clueless. If you dare hit me, how will you explain the handprint to your husband? Or do you think you can repay the money my father gave you?"
Millicent's hand dropped, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "Are you threatening me? How much do you think your father can afford, given his previous job?" she asked rudely, though her voice was low. "Your father either stole from someone or sold his kidneys. He'll meet his demise when both things come for him."
Megara chuckled, her eyes radiating animosity. "We're not here to talk about my dad, I suppose," she said confidently. "We're here to talk about the fact that you're scared I might expose how you've insulted and mistreated me whenever Uncle isn't around, right?"
"Well, no need to be scared, Millicent. I'm not a gossip like you or your daughter," she said, her gaze still fixed on her aunt. "I'm not here for your husband or your family members. I haven't recognized any of you as my family. Please excuse me if you have nothing else to say."
Millicent pushed Megara back, an accusatory finger pointed at her. "You're a forgotten fool, raised by a runaway mother and a useless father," she spat.
Megara's hand shot out, the stinging slap shocking Millicent. "How dare you hit me? You're such a bully. I'll tell my husband!"
Megara was seething, the insults about her father and especially the mention of her mother whom she truly despise cutting deep. She almost hit Millicent again but stopped herself. "Look, go tell your husband I hit you. I dare you. But don't blame me for also telling him you brought a lover here two days ago while he was away. Not only that, you also have a fourteen-year-old son with him, under the false pretense that you were on a one-year women's retreat in Dubai fourteen years ago."
Millicent's eyes widened in horror. She stumbled backward, her legs giving out, and she fell to the floor, distraught. "How did you know that? No one knows!" she panicked.
Megara smiled. "I'll also tell him you're planning on eloping with half of his assets and moving to a far-off place, leaving Lacey behind," she explained, her voice even more taunting. "What makes you think you're any different from Regina, who abandoned me, huh?"
Millicent collapsed to her knees, begging desperately. "Please, I'll do anything you want, Megara. Just please don't tell my husband any of this," she pleaded, her hands clasped as if in prayer. "I'll do anything for you, please."
Megara's eyes glistened with mischief. "You'd do anything for me, wouldn't you?" she asked.
Millicent nodded. "Okay, then how about giving me ten percent of your company shares and letting me breathe in this household?"
Millicent gulped nervously but nodded. "Fine, I'll do it. Please, just don't say anything to him."
"I'll think about it, Millicent," Megara said, clicking her tongue. "Meet me at Astrid coffee shop tomorrow at 3 PM. If you fail to do so, I won't hesitate to expose you myself."
Millicent thanked her, watching as Megara left the bathroom, her stride confident. Millicent was left on the floor, seething with a mixture of rage and shame.
Meanwhile, Lucas was starting to worry about how long the two women were taking. He wanted to go look for them, but Lacey insisted they would be back soon. He stubbornly got up to find them, but just then, Megara walked back into the room, a triumphant smile on her face. She held her aunt's hand as they swaggered back to the table, pretending to be in a cheerful conversation.
Lucas was taken aback by their affectionate display. One minute they were barely speaking, and the next they were acting like best friends. He was suspicious but pushed his thoughts aside, believing his wife wasn't cruel and perhaps just didn't want her niece to get lost in the world of luxury.
Megara saw him and smiled, as genuine as a fake smile could be. "Hey, Uncle, were you coming to look for us?" she asked sweetly.
He nodded. "You really didn't have to. We were just having a female conversation, right, Auntie?"
Millicent nodded, flashing a smile that seemed too genuine to be true. They had managed to deceive Lucas, but Lacey couldn't be so easily fooled.
Lucas noticed his wife's heavy makeup as they slowly walked back to the table. "You're wearing a lot more makeup than last time. Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.
Millicent, looking tense but composed, smiled with an air of practiced satisfaction. "You see, honey, I have a bloated stomach, and it's making me look a little pale," she lied effortlessly. "A woman of my status can't be seen looking like a ghost in front of her friends. I'd lose face."
Lucas nodded, completely unaware that Lacey was shooting daggers at Megara, who remained expressionless. "That's enough, Millicent. It's good that you're finally getting along with Megara," he said, snapping Lacey out of her daze. "Megara, you said you had something to tell me."
Megara straightened in her seat, a faint smile on her face. "Yes, it's about the contract you have with Feng Xiu Company. I accidentally came across the documents this morning," she said, and Lucas instantly froze. "Should I talk about it here? I didn't mean to see it; it was just an accident."
Lucas nodded calmly, studying her. "What did you see in the contract? I was so swamped with work that I didn't have enough time to inspect the documents," he explained.
Megara's expression became serious. "You can say it here," he added.
"Well, the document has a lot of loopholes. From what I can tell, if you go through with that deal, you'd lose millions with no one to share the loss," she said calmly.
Lacey flared up, slamming her spoon on the table. She stood, pointing an accusing finger at Megara as her mother tried to calm her down. Lacey pushed her hand away. "Who do you think you are? Jeffrey Jefferson or some rich business tycoon?" she scoffed. "My father has always succeeded in every business he's ventured into. Are you trying to curse him?"
Megara remained as calm as still water, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes narrowed at Lacey. "I'm only trying to help your father because you've all been so good to me, and it wouldn't be right to let such a good deed go to waste," she said calmly a Mischievous glint in her eyes as she stares at both mother and daughter. Lucas nodded, but Lacey wasn't having any of it.
"If your father signs a deal with Feng Xiu Company, he would lose money and go bankrupt," Megara continued.
Lacey fumed. "Shut up! What does a high schooler like you know?" she demanded.
Lucas's gaze hardened, and Lacey immediately sat down. "Dad, you can't just trust her that easily. She doesn't even own a business to begin with."
Millicent cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Lacey, be quiet. That's enough," she commanded. Lacey folded her arms in silence. "Honey, let's hear what Megara has to say. I suppose she's right about this one."
Lucas stood from his seat, looking at Megara. "Perhaps I should listen since my wife has spoken," he agreed without hesitation. "Come to my study, and we can talk about the document."
"There's no need to go to the study, Uncle. It's not a big deal, so I'd rather you bring the documents here, and we can discuss it smoothly," she said coolly.
He walked to his study to get the documents. Lacey, her face now a furious red, watched him go. "What did you do to my mother? How did you get my father to agree to your nonsense and even invite you to his study when he doesn't even let a fly go in?" she interrogated.
Megara took a sip of her juice. "This is nice," she confessed, setting the glass down. "I didn't say anything to your mother, nor did I do anything to your father. I just helped you gain more cash flow for your spas and beauty products."
"You're nothing but a manipulative person, and I even thought of pitying you," Lacey said angrily, but she didn't raise her voice. "Wait until I tell my dad who you really are. He's going to see you for the person you are."
Megara only scoffed. "Fine, expose me. But you clearly don't know when someone is trying to help you," she said, her gaze fixed on a remarkably quiet Millicent.