Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 154 RYAN I decided to head to the office early this morning because I had a plan in mind to head back to Canada by the weekend. I wanted to be with my family, and there was something unsettling about a new man who seemed to be spending too much taround my wife. I couldn't just sit by idly. I had to protect them and, more importantly, remind Lily of my love for her, to ensure she wasn't influenced or distracted by anyone else.

As I was settling into work, I heard a soft knock on my office door. Before I could respond, my secretary stepped in, placing a document on my desk.

"Here are the papers that need your signature, sir," she said calmly.

It was impressive how quickly Palmer had adapted to her responsibilities around here. "Did you review them, Palmer?" I asked while glancing over the top sheet. She nodded. "Yes, I went through everything." "I'll take a look myself before getting back to you," I said, acknowledging her thoroughness but preferring to double-check the details. "Givea little time." "Of course, sir." I assumed she'd leave after that, but she lingered for a moment.

"There's someone here to see you, sir," she added cautiously.

I shifted my focus entirely from the documents and looked at her. "Who is it?" "It's Ms. Maya," she said softly.

What does she want? I nodded towards my secretary. "Let her in." Palmer gavea quick nod and slipped out of the room, her shoes barely making a sound as they retreated down the hall. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and in walked Maya, moving with confidence like she owned the place. She always had that audacious walk. "Good morning, brother," she greeted, her voice dripping with a forced sweetness.

I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms and staring her down, fully aware that she thought she could play stwisted gwith me. "What are you doing here, Maya?" My tone was sharp, cutting through the pleasantries. "More properties under your name, is that it?" She shrugged nonchalantly and slid into the seat across from me, crossing her legs. "I'm not greedy, dear brother, but I get angry when someone pushesagainst the wall." I arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You're not making any sense," I said flatly, not trying to mask the irritation rising within me.

She leaned back in the chair, her smirk widening as if she held sinvisible cards in her hand. "I know you sent someone to my room to take a sample of my hair," she said, her voice low but biting.

My expression didn't falter, though inside, I was taken aback. How in the world did she find out about that? Keeping my face blank, I tilted my head slightly and spoke with as much disdain as I could muster. "You call the way to my office to spout this nonsense?" I wasn't about to let her know she'd rattled me.

Maya smirked, clearly enjoying this little power play. "You're not denying it," she said, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"I'm not accepting it either," I replied coolly, keeping my expression unreadable. This earned a chuckle from her. I leaned forward slightly, my patience thinning. "Listen to me, Maya. Not everyone is as idle as you are." I gestured toward the pile of documents on my desk, a clear sign that I had more pressing matters than her theatrics. "I have a lot of work to get done, and I can't do that with you hovering around, wasting my time." She raised an eyebrow but didn't flinch. "Since you're so busy, I'll get straight to the point." Uncrossing her legs, she leaned forward, her demeanor shifting from playful to serious. "When the DNA results cin-and trust me, they'll be positive-I want my share of our father's properties. And I want to be recognized as part of the family. That is your punishment for doubting the fact that I'm your sister and callinga liar." Her boldness, especially regarding the DNA test, unsettled me. She was far too confident about the outcome, and it madeuneasy. But I wasn't about to let her see that.

"The will hasn't been read yet, and I'm telling you now, if you're not mentioned in it, you won't get a damn thing from me." Maya poked her tongue into her cheek, flipping her hair with arrogance. "I heard the will reading is tomorrow," she said, clearly fishing for a reaction. I refused to give her one, blinking slowly in response, making it clear I wasn't going to rise to her bait. "I want to be there," she added, her voice sharp.

How did she even get that information? It was supposed to be private. "You won't be allowed on the property," I said coldly, "even if you scream at the top of your lungs that you're the result of my father's affair." Her expression hardened. "I don't trust you not to lie to me," she shot back. "You look like someone who would do anything to keepfrom my inheritance." Her inheritance? The absurdity of it makes my blood boil. This was beyond pathetic. "I am not a thief," I gritted out. "And these are legal documents-they're binding by law. There's nothing I could do to change the outcome, even if I wanted to." I took a breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "The only compromise I'm willing to make is involving you in the will reading through a phone call. You'll be able to hear everything, word for word, as it's read." Maya's eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with the offer, but it was the best she was going to get.

Maya sniffed, her eyes narrowing as she spoke with a warning in her tone. "You'd better call me, Ryan," she said, standing up. "I'm not the type to stand outside your gate, screaming that I'm Richard Williams' daughter." She shook her head, her lips curling into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But/dn't noise, Ryan. And trust me, you don't want to find out just how much noise I'm capable of making." With that, she snatched her purse off my desk and stomped out.

************* The morning of the will reading arrived, and I was greeted by an email notification from the hospital. My stomach tightened as I clicked t open, knowing it contained the DNA test results. Skipping past the irrelevant details, I scrolled straight to the section I needed to see-the part that would confirm Maya wasn't my sister.

But disappointment hitlike a punch to the gut. There it was, clear as day: "Probability of full relation: 99.8%." My fist clenched in frustration, and before I knew it, I chucked my phone onto the bed, the screen dimming as it landed with a soft thud. Anger bubbled inside me, not just at the result, but at the storm this was sure to bring. So, Maya really is my sister? How could our father do this to us? Now I had the daunting task of figuring out how to break the news to my mom and, even more critically, how to stop Maya from being so greedy.

Maybe I could preempt her plans-announce that my father had another child outside of marriage and release her photos before she had the chance to do it herself. That might put a damper on her demands.

Just as I was lost in thought, there was a knock at the door. It opened, and my mom walked in, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Are you okay?" I cleared my throat, shaking off the heavy thoughts. "I'm fine, just a little stressed about work," I said, not wanting to burden her with my worries. I needed to talk to Lily when I got back to Canada; she might have the best ideas for how to deal with this situation. "The lawyer has arrived. We'll wait for you in the study," Mom said, turning to leave.

I gave her a curt nod. "I'll join you both shortly." She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized me. "Are you sure you're okay? You look upset," she observed, concern etched on her face.

I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "I'm fine, really." Nodding, she walked over and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek before heading out. Once the door closed behind her, I picked up my phone again and dialed Maya's number, which I had blocked earlier.

She answered instantly. "I thought you weren't going to call," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, making my frustration even worst.

"You are not to say a word," I warned her. "If I hear a single word from you, I'll hang up." She chuckled, her arrogance infuriatingfurther. "I promise not to make any noise." Not that I trusted her promise, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves before I walked out of the room.

As I entered the study, I found my father's lawyer already seated with a cup of coffee in band. He looked up and smiled as I walked in, and we exchanged polite pleasantries before I settled into a chair opposite him. He pushed the cup of coffee aside and pulled a sealed document from his suitcase.

"Is it okay if I record this?" I asked, glancing up at him.

My mom looked surprised by my request. "What are you recording it for?" she inquired.

"I have my reasons," I replied, not wanting to divulge too much just yet.

"Sure," the lawyer said, nodding. "You can go ahead."

I reached for my other phone, pulled it out, and clicked on the recorder, making sure everything was set before the reading began. The lawyer passed the document around for us to confirm that it still bore my father's seal and had remained untouched since his passing. Once we all confirmed its integrity, he carefully tore it open, the sound of the paper ripping echoing in the quiet room. "LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF RICHARD WILLIAMS," he began, his voice steady and clear. "I, Richard Williams of New York City, United States, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament, and I réyoke all previous wills and codicils made by me." "I give all my property, both real and personal, tangible and intangible, of whatever kind and wherever situated, to my son, Ryan Williams," the lawyer continued.

"This includes, but is not limited to, all of my real estate, bank accounts, investments, personal belongings, vehicles, and any other assets I may possess at the tof my death."

As he finished reading that portion, he pointed to the signature and stamp at the end of the will, om confirming its/authenticity. My mom leaned forward to sign as a witness, followed by the lawyer. Fighting back a smirk, I discreetly disconnected the call with Maya.