Not An Heir

CHAPTER FIVE

Ms. Lawson had always found Smith’s attention a little too much, but she never thought he would force himself on her. And now, as she looked down at the little bump forming beneath her blouse, she knew she had a choice to make. She either had to keep the secret to herself or tell him about it.

“You understand that if the public knew about this, my company would be destroyed?” Smith said, his voice rising. “I cannot allow that to happen.”

Ms. Lawson could feel her heart breaking. How could Smith be so unsympathetic? She had no other option but to try to get as far away from all of them as possible. Her heart was heavy, she packed her bags and left the GG Group Estate.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as Ms. Lawson tried to start a new life. She gave birth to a baby girl and tried to provide her with a life that was as far away from the GG Group as possible. She had almost forgotten about the horrible events of her past when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it and immediately regretted it.

It was Smith; he had a gun in his right hand.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Lawson; I won’t let you ruin my company.” He shot her baby, who was sleeping in her cradle a few feet away, then shot her.

As Ms. Lawson’s eyes fluttered open, her heart still pounding in her chest, she was filled with a sense of fear and confusion. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for her phone to check the time, trying to reassure herself that it was just a dream. But the vividness of the nightmare lingered, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all too real. As she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, she couldn’t help but wonder what it all meant. Was her psyche trying to tell her something? Or was it just a random jumble of fears and anxieties?

While she was still lost in her thoughts, she heard Smith call her from the sitting room.

“Sir!” She responded in a loud voice, getting herself out of bed and hurrying to Smith’s location.

“Where’s Daphne?” He inquired.

***

David walked into Jackson’s apartment. After the argument with his dad, he needed a place to clear his head. That was when he checked his phone and saw Jackson’s texts and calls. After he didn’t find him at DeJonn’s, he went to check on him at his house. It was past 9 p.m. already, and Jackson wasn’t the kind to stay out that late.

The door was unlocked, so he quietly opened it and stepped inside. His eyes quickly scanned the room, and that’s when he saw Daphne sitting on the couch with Jackson’s head resting on her lap. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Jackson?” David called out, his voice sounding grumpy.

Jackson stirred a little at the sound of David’s voice but didn’t wake up completely.

“Daphne?” David said it again, this time a little louder and with a more irritated tone.

Daphne opened her eyes and saw David standing at the door. She was a bit surprised. “Oh, hi David!”

“What are you doing here? And why is Jackson asleep on your lap?”

Daphne explained, “I met Jackson a little drunk at the bar, and I drove him home, sir.”

David didn’t like the idea of Daphne taking care of his best friend and business partner. “You don’t need to be here, Daphne,” he snapped. “Jackson doesn’t need you to babysit him. I’ll take care of him from here.”

Daphne wasn’t too impressed with David’s rude tone, and she responded with a little bite in her voice, “I was just trying to help him out, sir.”

David rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Fine. Whatever. Just leave him alone now. I’ll take care of him.”

Daphne just nodded her head and got up from the couch. She saw Jackson stir a little and whispered, “Get some rest, sir.”

She called an Uber and headed home to the GG Group estate.

Daphne had never really cared for Jackson. She thought he was too full of himself and didn’t care about anyone else. Every time he barked an order at her, she felt like she was being pushed to the brink, but now she was starting to see him in a different light.