Chapter 2 Paper Smiles and Fake Promises

I got to the restaurant by the lake that Jason had talked about. The scenery was amazing just as I had remembered it and the smell of the food hit me the moment I walked in. A waiter appeared and led inside guiding me to where Jason sat down. He had changed his clothes without coming home which told me he must have been with Vanessa.

" Thank you," I muttered as Jason pulled out the seat for me.

My eyes caught sight of the envelope on the table. I knew what it was, the power of attorney for the firm. In the past, he had deceived me by pretending to be concerned about me and my health. All he wanted was for me to hand him control of the firm.

I sat down slowly, my eyes never leaving the envelope. Jason took his seat across from me, the corners of his lips twitching in a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You look tired, love. Maybe you should take some days off." He said, his voice calm and smooth.

I didn't answer.

The waiter returned, poured water into our glasses and took our orders. I reached for my glass and took a sip. This time, I wasn't going to be naive.

"I don't want to take days off. I have a lot of cases and the firm is getting a lot of more clients." I replied shrugging my shoulders as I placed the glass back down, watching his expression closely.

Jason didn't flinch, but I saw the way his fingers tapped lightly against the table, the way his eyes drifted toward the envelope like it held more weight than gold.

"You're overworking yourself again, Lyra," he said gently, leaning forward. "You've always done that. This... this isn't good for you."

My lips curved into a cold smile. "Strange, considering you never seemed to mind it before. In fact, you encouraged it."

His jaw tightened for a second, then relaxed as he let out a soft laugh. "I just care about you, that's all. We built that firm together. You know I'd never let anything bad happen to you."

I looked down at the crisp white envelope again. My fingers itched to reach out and tear it in half. All these years, I thought I had a partner. Instead, I had a polished liar who smiled while stabbing me in the back.

"What's that?" I asked finally unable to hold back.

Jason handed me the envelope, his voice calm. "I had the company lawyers draw it up. It's just a transfer of power of attorney. I figured you might want a little break... some time to rest."

I opened it slowly, my heart already uneasy. My eyes ran over the pages. Everything looked just like before. The wording was flawless. Jason had made sure I still owned my shares, still held control. On paper, it seemed harmless. But I saw it now for what it really was. A trap. His plan had always been to make it look clean until the day he needed someone to blame.

He had no idea that I wasn't the same naive Lyra who couldn't tell the difference between a snake and a wolf.

" I'll read it over and think about it" I said putting the paper back into the envelope.

Our food finally arrived and the waiter served it to us. Jason's phone kept buzzing and I could tell he was uneasy as he tried not to look at us. The silence between us was far too stretched.

It had to be Vanessa checking up on him.

"How is the food? Do you like it?" Jason asked changing the subject as he smiled at me.

I gave him a polite smile and picked up my fork, cutting into the food without much interest. "It's alright," I said, keeping my voice even. "You were right. This place hasn't changed."

Jason smiled, looking almost relieved. "I knew you'd like it."

I nodded slowly, letting the silence settle between us. He thought I was calm, maybe even softening. But inside, I was replaying everything. Images of how he had lied to me, deceived me and made me suffer.

He reached for his glass. "You should rest, Lyra. I really mean it this time. The firm is doing well. I can take care of things for a while."

"Maybe you're right," I said gently. "A few days might not be so bad."

Jaosn's shoulders relaxed as he leaned back, the worry leaving his face for a moment. That was all he needed, a small opening. He didn't know that this time, it was going to be different.

I picked up the envelope again, slipping it into my purse without another word.

" I have to go back now. I have to be court tomorrow." I said standing up. "Happy anniversary, my love" I said with a smile.

"Happy anniversary." Jason replied.

I walked back to my car, my heels clicking softly against the pavement. The night air had cooled, brushing against my skin like a warning. I paused for a moment beside the car, gripping the door handle, letting everything sink in.

The game had just begun.

*****************************

" Lyra, you have someone waiting to see you." Vanessa said smiling at me as she stood dressed corporately in her suit.

I walked past her not paying her any attention as I headed towards my office.

"It's the client from before. The one with the real estate case."

I didn't reply and kept working. Vanessa followed behind pretending to be the worried about me but I knew it was just an act. I would soon have my time to deal with her.

I opened the door to my office and stepped inside before slamming the door just as Vanessa was about to enter.

He was already seated.

Vincent Vale.

He stood when he saw me, tall and sharp in a dark suit that matched the cold edge in his eyes. Calm. Collected. The kind of man who didn't waste time with small talk.

"Mrs. Douglas," he said with a nod. "Thank you for seeing me."

"You're here about the waterfront property." I said walking over to my desk.

He smiled faintly. "Among other things."

I sat down and opened the file Vanessa had left on the table. His case was a huge one and I remembered it in my past life. He had been tricked by his own girlfriend into buying some properties and got sued. He had no idea that his precious girlfriend behind it. He thought it was just a simple fraud but it was much larger than that. By the time he realized everything, I had lost the case and he had gone to jail.

That wasn't going to happen this time.

"This isn't just about a bad land deal," I said, flipping through the documents again. "It's a setup. The paperwork looks clean, but the real ownership doesn't match. Delmar Group never had full rights to sell that land."

Vincent's face stayed calm, but his eyes sharpened. "They had environmental clearances, zoning approval, tax records. Everything."

" I'll do my best to help you. However it's not going to be easy. I can deal with Delmar Group. I'll file an emergency injunction today. Asset freeze, contract breach, and fraud." I said closing the file.

But that wasn't going to be enough. How was I supposed to convince him that his girlfriend of three years wanted to take everything from him?

Vincent's phone rang and I watched as he was about to pick it up. It was his girlfriend, Hailey.

"Don't-" I started.

I rushed stopping him before he could answer and tripped, my heels giving out before I could stop myself. I yelled just as I was about to hit the floor and Vincent caught me.

His phone fell to the floor.

I was pressed against his chest, his hands firm around my waist. His cologne was rich and expensive clouding my thoughts for just a beat too long. My breath caught as his eyes locked with mine, sharp and unreadable.

Time slowed.

He didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice low. "I just didn't want you to answer that call."

His grip tightened slightly. "Why not?"

I looked up at him.

"Because she's the one trying to ruin you."