Chapter Four
751 Words
Tony's POV
"So let me get this straight," Harry said, sipping his morning coffee, "Lisa signed the papers, you got the woman you wanted, so why aren’t you happy?"
Tony scowled. "She wasn’t supposed to give up so easily. I wanted her to beg for me. But no, she just handed it over. I don’t get it."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Don’t you think you messed up somewhere?"
Tony slammed his mug down. "Forget it. Lisa has to stay my puppet. She betrayed me, secretly on birth control all these years so she wouldn’t give me kids. How can I forgive that? Melanie is perfect, honest."
He traced his finger around the mug, frustrated that Lisa didn’t fight harder. He wanted her wrapped around his finger, not broken.
"Is all this drama worth it?" Harry challenged. "After everything, you losing your parents, your empire built on her…"
Tony’s face darkened. "I made this empire," he growled. "Not her."
"Sure you did," Harry said, shaking his head as he walked away.
---
LISA'S POV
Drowning in grief, Lisa shut herself in the house, crying out her pain. Alice stayed close, her support steady and unwavering.
“Thanks for letting me stay,” Lisa sniffled. “That house suffocated me. Every corner reminded me of what I lost.”
Alice smiled softly. “As long as you’re safe, you’re welcome anytime.”
Lisa sat on the sofa, flipping through TV channels. Suddenly, a press conference appeared, Tony and Melanie announcing their engagement.
“No,” Alice begged, reaching for the remote. “Change the channel.”
Lisa shook her head. “I want to hear this.”
Tony’s voice rang through the room, filled with pride. Lisa’s heart sank deeper. The man she loved was moving on, with the woman who had shattered her.
Alice finally switched off the TV. “Lisa, this isn’t healthy. Tony and Melanie are out living their lives. You need to live yours too.”
“I don’t know how,” Lisa whispered into her pillow.
“Come on. Let’s go out, just you and me. We’ll have fun like we used to. I’ll do your makeover. You just need to try.”
Lisa glanced at Alice’s hopeful face. She owed it to her best friend, and herself, to try. “Okay,” she smiled weakly. “Crying won’t fix anything.”
---
That evening, dressed to the nines, they headed to the hottest club in town. Alice wore a sleek black strapless dress; Lisa dazzled in a scarlet, curve-hugging mini dress. Her blonde hair pulled back, signature red lipstick glowing under the lights.
“Wow, Lisa, you look incredible,” Alice beamed.
Inside, the music pulsed. Drinks flowed. Laughter filled the air.
Suddenly, someone bumped into Lisa, spilling wine across both their shirts.
“Hey! Watch it!” Lisa snapped, turning to the culprit.
It was him, the man from the alley. Liam Styles.
Their eyes locked. The world around them hushed.
He smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, I think I remember you, the brave lady who walked alone at night.”
“I wasn’t brave, I ran out of fuel,” Lisa retorted, folding her arms.
He laughed. “Sure you were. The guy with the knife nearly made a leather jacket out of you.”
Before she could respond, Alice stepped in. “And you are?”
“Liam Styles. The guy who saved her.”
Liam’s gaze softened as he looked at Lisa again. For a moment, the noise faded, and it was just the two of them.
Alice winked and disappeared back to the dance floor, leaving Lisa and Liam alone.
“I should get back,” Lisa said, heart racing.
“Wait,” Liam said, handing her a card. “Call me sometime. Friends?”
Lisa hesitated, then accepted. After all, he had saved her life.
He gave her a light hug, his scent lingering.
Later, Lisa debated texting him. With the music thumping, she took a chance, and sent a message.
He replied immediately.
The conversation flowed effortlessly, filling a space Lisa hadn’t realized was empty.
As the night wound down, Liam offered to drive them home.
Alice protested nervously, but Lisa shrugged it off. She trusted him.
“Come on, new friend,” Liam smiled.
****
Back at the house, Lisa clutched her phone, and then it buzzed again.
A message from Tony appeared on screen:
“Don’t think I’m done with you.”
Her fingers trembled.
The fight wasn’t over.
- Writer
