Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

LILY I could hardly believe what I was seeing the entire intewas blowing up with the most shocking news about my husband's family.

Just yesterday, we were focused on the reading of Richard's father's will, but today, I wake up to find the headlines consumed by a scandal. The news claimed that Richard had cheated on his wife, and not just with anyone with the nanny. And as if that wasn't devastating enough, it turns out he allegedly has a daughter with her, a girl named Maya.

Stunned, I grabbed my phone, my hands trembling slightly as I scrolled through the articles. I couldn't sit still. I had to know the truth. So, without hesitation, I dialed Ryan's number, hoping he could explain this mess to me. But he didn't pick up.

When Ryan didn't respond, I immediately dialed Angelo's number, knowing he might be with Ryan or, at the very least, have sinsight into what was going on.

Finally, Angelo answered, his voice calm but cautious. "Lily?" "What is going on, Angelo?" I demanded. "What's all this news about Richard and a daughter? What's this nonsense about him having an affair with the nanny? And where is Ryan? I need to talk to him, right now." I couldn't shake the feeling that this had to be sridiculous rumor. Richard's wife had just lost her husband under such tragic circumstances, and now the media was piling this scandal on top of her grief? It was unthinkable.

"He's dealing with the press," Angelo responded. "This whole thing took him by surprise too." "Took him by surprise?" I repeated, trying to make sense of the situation. "What do you mean by that? How could this have taken him by surprise? Does this mean..." My voice trailed off as a sudden, sinking realization washed over me. "Wait a minute," I said, my heartbeat quickening. "Did Ryan know about this? Did he know about Richard's affair and the child?" Angelo inhaled sharply on the other end of the line. "He didn't discuss this with you?" "No," I snapped, the frustration bubbling over. "Just like he didn't discuss the fact that his father was poisoned." Why was Ryan keeping all of this from me? The moments we could have spent working through things together, he wasted on petty arguments about Amell. It was infuriating.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Angelo muttered, as if he was trying to defend Ryan's secrecy.

"What silly reasons could possibly justify keeping something this serious from me?" I retorted sharply. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself, staring out the window to distract my anger. "You know what? I shouldn't be taking this out on you. Just tell Ryan to callwhen he's free." Without waiting for a response, I disconnected the call. Tossing my phone into my purse with more force than necessary, I grabbed the plastic bag I had brought along from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car, trying to refocus my thoughts. Walking up to the front door, I rang the doorbell and waited, expecting Amell to answer as usual. But when the door finally creaked open, it wasn't him. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, stepped outside instead. She blinked at me, clearly not expecting a visitor.

"How may I help you?" she asked, her tone polite but confused.

"I'm here to see Amell," I replied, studying the young woman who had answered the door. There was no need for her to explain; she looked so much like him that I could guess. "If you don't mindasking, are you Amell's sister, Jean?" She nodded cautiously. "Yes, I am. And you are?" "I'm a friend of Amell," I answered.

Jean's face brightened in recognition. "The boss who helped him pick out the jewelry?" she asked, and I nodded with a chuckle. Jean smiled warmly as she opened the gate wider, allowingto step inside. "It's nice to finally meet you. My brother has said a lot of good things about you." "Oh... really?" I responded, a bit surprised but amused. As we walked further into the yard, a man, probably in his late forties or fifties, emerged from the garage. His movements were slow and deliberate, and when his eyes landed on me, I felt a slight chill. There was something about his gaze that was empty yet piercing, unsettlingwithout words.

Jean noticed my unease and quickly explained. "That's the new driver Amell hired. He can't drive himself around, and I can't help much since I don't have my license yet." Something about the way the man looked atmadeuncomfortable, though I couldn't quite place why. But it wasn't my place to say anything-after all, he wasn't working for me.

"His nis Clover," she continued. "And as far as I know, he's a nice guy." Clover, who had been standing quietly as Jean introduced him, walked over to us with a neutral expression. He stretched his hand out for a handshake. "Since she's introducing me, I thought it'd be respectful to cover and say hello properly." I hesitated briefly but then took his hand, giving a polite nod. "Nice to meet you, Clover." Despite his friendly gesture, there was something still unsettling in his presence, but I brushed it off, reminding myself not to jump to conclusions. "I am Lily, Lily Williams." "It is nice to meet you, Ms. Williams," He replied with a polite smile.

Just then, the front door swung open, and Amell hobbled out, a warm smile spreading across his face when he sawwith his sister. "You didn't tellyou were coming," he remarked.

I lifted the plastic bag in my hand, the contents shifting slightly as I spoke. "I wasn't sure if you had anyone to fix you something, since you can't move around freely. thought I'd drop off something for you before heading to the hospital." His gaze moved to the plastic bag, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Thank you, but Jean already fixed us something to eat this morning." If I had known his sister was there, I wouldn't have bothered coming over. "It is fine," I reassured him. "I can always hand the food over to my secretary. I'll be on my way then." "You are heading to the hospital, right?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "Then givea ride. I am heading there too." I glanced at Clover, who seemed just as surprised as I was. "Isn't that the reason you hired him?" I asked, half- joking.

Amell chuckled lightly. "Why stress him when you can helpout?" "Who is going to drive you home?" I shot back, my tone teasing. "I am definitely not doing that." "He will cpickup later," he replied, already hobbling toward the gate. "We can pick out the furniture tomorrow." I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to until his sister chimed in with a question. "I can calong as well, right? Since I'm here and all of that." "Sure," Amell responded, glancing back at us before disappearing outside the gate.

I turned to Jean. "It was nice meeting you," I said sincerely.

"And you too," she replied with a bright smile. "And thank you for taking care of my brother." "You're welcome." Stepping out of the house, I climbed into my car, the familiar interior welcomingas I got settled. I drove off with Amell seated in the passenger seat.

"I am not going furniture shopping with you," I clarified, glancing at him briefly. "Your sister is hnow, so she can make her own choices. My input is no longer needed." Amell glanced atwith a frown, clearly displeased. "Is that how easily you go back on your promises?" What?! Blinking rapidly, I looked at him in disbelief. "I am not going back on any promise!" "Then show up for the furniture shopping. I promise not to take much of your time," he insisted, his expression somewhat pleading.

Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I refocused my attention on the road ahead. "Do you likeAmell?” M e asked suddenly, out of the blue, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Are you in any way visualizing sform of relationship with me?" He glanced at me, his face contorting into a look of disgust.

"You are married, Lily, and unlike what you think, I have smorals. I don't go after or lust after married ve women to matter how pretty they are." He crinkled his nose in disapproval. "I know you don't likeeither, so where is this coming from?" I shrugged, attempting to downplay my thoughts. "I just wanted to make sure." Shaking his head in disbelief, he adjusted his position in the passenger seat, clearly annoyed. "How about we talk about something that is actually worth discussing?" I glanced at him briefly, intrigued yet cautious. "Which is?"

"The news about your late father-in-law," he said, his tone m turning serious. It's going to be the talk of the hospital, and there's a likelihood of the paparazzi being there too." I felt a knot tighten in my stomach at his words. "I have been through worse scenarios, so I can handle them," I reassured him. "What worriesmore is how Sarahis feeling about all of this." also how my husband is beginning to hide things from me." Amell nodded, his expression softening as he absorbed my words. "I can only imagine how tough this must be for you and your family. Just know that if you need support, I'm here."