MY BILLIONAIRE FATHER'S REMARRIAGE SCANDAL

The day my father got married again the whole city seemed to think it was their business. Not because they actually cared about love or anything like that. No one ever thought Chief Anthony Rowland was a guy. They all showed up because power is like a magnet. And scandal is like a strong magnet. I stood by the iron gates of our house watching all these black and silver cars pull in like a parade. The security guys were moving around like they were in a drill. The guests were getting out of the cars wearing clothes and looking all confident but their laughter was too loud and their smiles were too sharp. They did not come to celebrate. They came to watch. To measure. To judge. Most of all they came to see the woman who was brave enough to marry a man old enough to be her father. I did not move from where I was standing. I did not greet anyone. I did not pretend to be happy. From where I stood I could hear people whispering to each other. "Have you seen her?" "They say she is not thirty years old." "Another woman who just wants his money." " Maybe something worse." I almost smiled. People love to act like they understand things they do not really get. Then this white car showed up. Everything changed. Peoples conversations got softer. Everyone turned to look. Even the air felt like it was waiting for something. The door opened. She got out. Melissa Voss. No, Lissa as I would hear someone call her later. She did not look like a mistake or anything. That was the problem. She moved like she belonged in this world like she had always been part of it. She was tall, calm. Seemed effortless. Her dress was not loud. It did not need to be. It showed off her body in a way that made people look twice pretend they had not looked at all. Her skin caught the light. Her lips were painted, deliberate and controlled. It was not any of those things that caught everyones attention. It was her smile. Soft, measured and a bit dangerous. The kind of smile that did not give anything away but made you feel like you were the one being watched. I crossed my arms. So this was the woman. The one who had managed to do what no one else could. It was like she felt my eyes on her because her gaze shifted and landed on me. Just like that out of all those people. It lasted a second maybe less. In that second something flickered in her eyes. Not recognition, no. More like she was checking me out. Like she had already heard about me. Had already decided something about me. Then it was gone, replaced by that smile as she turned to my father, who was already walking towards her like a man ten years younger. "Beautiful " someone whispered behind me. I did not respond. I was too busy watching the way she leaned slightly towards him not like she was trying to please him not like she was trying to stay but like she was calculating something. Everything about her seemed calculated. I did not trust it. The wedding ceremony was loud, fancy and totally predictable. Music, laughter, expensive promises. I stayed at the edge of it all like a ghost in my house. Until my fathers voice cut through everything. "Nathan." I stiffened. He stood a feet away looking all proud and happy. Next to him was Lissa. Close she looked even younger which surprised me. It should not have, It did. "Come " my father said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Meet your mother." The word did not feel right in my chest. Mother. I almost laughed. Instead I stepped forward. Lissa turned to face me now. No crowd, no distance, only us. For a moment neither of us said anything. Then she held out her hand. "Hello, Nathan." Her voice was softer than I expected, controlled and calm. I took her hand just being polite. The moment our palms met she tightened her grip, not enough for anyone else to notice just enough. I looked up sharply. She was still smiling,. Her eyes were watching me not kindly not warmly but carefully like she was testing something. I pulled my hand back a second late. "Welcome home " I said flatly. Something in her expression changed, slightly. "Thank you " she replied. Her tone said something else entirely. I left the party early. No one stopped me like they never did. From the balcony I watched the celebration continue, lights glowing, music spilling into the night people drinking to a marriage that none of them really believed in. My father looked happy which was new. I leaned against the railing exhaling slowly. "She is not what you think " a voice said from behind me. I did not turn around. "I did not say anything " I replied. "You did not have to " the voice said. I turned then. Lissa was standing in the doorway alone the music from downstairs barely reaching us making everything feel quieter, closer and more dangerous. "You left your wedding early " I said. "That does not look good." A faint smile touched her lips. "Neither does standing alone. Judging people you do not know." I let out a breath. "I know enough." She stepped closer, not too close. Closer than necessary. "Do you?" she asked, her eyes holding mine, steady and unflinching which kind of irritated me. "You married my father " I said. "That tells me everything." There was silence between us then she laughed, soft and unexpected. "You think this is about money " she said. "Is it not?" Her gaze dropped briefly to my mouth back to my eyes the movement quick but I caught it and something in my chest tightened. "You are observant " she said, "but not much as you think." I straightened up. "You are not as convincing as you think." That wiped the smile from her face for a second a second then it came back stronger and sharper. "Be careful Nathan " she said quietly the way she said my name it did not sound like a warning it sounded like a promise. The house changed after that quickly quickly new flowers, new routines, new rules Lissa did not ask for permission she did not need to the staff adjusted my father approved and just like that she belonged. I tried to avoid her or at least I tried to, Somehow she was always there at dinner in the hallway in the library always calm, always watching. One night I found her sitting in my mothers chair reading one of her books something in me snapped. "Put that back " I said. She looked up slowly no apology, no guilt. "Your mother had taste " she said. "That is not yours to touch " I replied. She closed the book stood up and walked towards me slowly deliberately. "You talk about her like she is still here " she said. "She is " I said. "In you?" she asked softly. I did not answer. She stopped in front of me close, close enough for me to notice the faint scent of her perfume, warm subtle distracting. "You do not know anything, about me " she said. "I know enough " I repeated. Her lips curved slightly. "Do you?" She held out the book I took it our fingers touched and this time she did not pull away immediately. Did I the moment stretched then snapped. She stepped back. Walked past me leaving something unsettled behind. I should have stayed out of it should have ignored the feeling that something was wrong. I did not. A week later I found myself outside my fathers office voices low tense I recognized hers immediately. "You are being reckless " she was saying. "And you are getting comfortable " a man replied, a voice that did not belong here. I frowned, that voice did not belong in our house. I pushed the door slightly enough and saw them Lissa and a man I had never seen before too close too familiar his hand gripped her wrist, possessive angry. "Let go " she said quietly. "Not until you fix this " the man said. I stepped back instinctively my foot hit something, a small, but loud enough silence inside then. "Nathan?" Her voice. I knew I had to get out of there. I felt calm again. I was controlled. Then I heard "Come in." I hesitated for a moment. Then I pushed the door open. The man had stepped back now. His eyes. Jamess eyes. They were locked on me. They were sharp. They were hostile. Lissa said smoothly "This is my cousin, James." Cousin. That is what Lissa said. I did not believe that for a second. James did not look like family to me. James looked like trouble to me. The way Lissa stood between James and me. That told me everything I needed to know about James and Lissa. So I thought at that time. James said "Nice to meet you." It was not nice to meet James. That night I could not sleep. Something was off that night. It was worse than before. I needed proof about James and Lissa. The guest wing was quiet that night. Most rooms were empty. One door was locked. I picked the lock on that door. Inside the room. I found mens clothes and a laptop bag. I found a photograph. I picked up the photograph. I felt the ground shift beneath me. The photograph was of Lissa and James. Lissa and James were on a beach in the photograph. They were kissing in the photograph. Lissa and James were not cousins. Lissa and James were not even close to being cousins. My jaw tightened when I saw the photograph of Lissa and James. I opened the drawer beside the bed. I found a passport in the drawer. I flipped the passport open. The passport belonged to James Voss. My chest went cold when I saw the passport of James Voss. The passport said Husband. Melissa Voss. Husband. That is what the passport said. James Voss was Lissas husband. James Voss was not Lissas cousin. James Voss was not Lissas husband. James Voss was Lissas husband. "Interesting discovery”. That is what the voice, behind me said. I turned sharply to see who was speaking. Lissa stood at the door. Lissa was wearing a silk robe. Lissa was barefoot. Lissa was holding the key. Lissas expression was unreadable. Lissas eyes. Lissas eyes were no longer hiding anything. Lissa said softly "You were not supposed to find that." I tightened my grip on the passport of James Voss. I said "You lied to me Lissa." Lissa stepped inside the room. Lissa closed the door. Lissa locked the door. The click of the lock echoed loudly. It was final. Then Lissa looked at me. Lissa really looked at me. Lissa smiled slowly. Lissa said "You just became dangerous Nathan."