Part 68; I am doing this to put Canary down

After that the meeting was dismissed.

Lucy walked quickly after Joel, catching up to him just as he was about to enter his office.

"Joel, wait," she said, her voice firm but concerned.

Joel turned to face her, a hint of a smile on his face. " What is it ? "

Lucy's expression was serious, her eyes searching Joel's face.

"Why did you keep the shares a secret from me?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of hurt and curiosity.

"I'm your sister, Joel. Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me about the shares?"

Joel's smile faltered, and he looked away for a moment before responding.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want to complicate things, and I didn't think it was necessary to share that information with anyone, not even you."

Lucy's eyes narrowed, her voice taking on a slightly accusatory tone.

"And what about now? You're suddenly willing to take on a leadership role. Are you doing this to get back at me, Joel? To put Canary down?"

Joel's expression turned cold, and he leaned back against his desk, his eyes never leaving Lucy's face.

"Yes, Lucy. I am doing this to put Canary down. And it's because of the way you treated me in the past. You've always tried to control me, to manipulate me, and to use me for your own gain. And now, it's my turn to take control."

Lucy's face paled, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with shock.

"Joel, how can you say that? I'm your sister, and I only wanted what was best for you."

Joel's laughter was cold and mirthless.

"Best for me? You call what you did to me 'best for me'? You've always been selfish, Lucy, and now it's time for you to pay the price. Canary is going to suffer because of your actions, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Joel declared and then entered his office as there were no more secrets to hide from her.

Lucy felt weak and her eyes turned wet. She still

Couldn't believe how things were suddenly changing.

——-

That very morning, Lisa was sitting at her desk, focused on her work, when Gladys burst into the room, excitement radiating from her face.

"Lisa, oh my god, you won't believe what just happened!" she exclaimed, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm.

Lisa looked up from her computer, curiosity piqued. "What is it?" she asked, a smile spreading across her face.

Gladys didn't even bother to sit down, she just stood there, her eyes shining with excitement.

"The original video of Canary and Regina has finally been released," she announced, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lisa's eyes widened in shock. "What? That's amazing!" she exclaimed, her mind racing with the implications.

Gladys nodded, her face still alight with excitement.

"I know, right? And it completely clears Canary's name. He's innocent, Lisa. He never did anything wrong."

Just then, Jenny and Richie walked into the room, their faces smug and self-satisfied.

But as they overheard Gladys' conversation with Lisa, their expressions began to change.

They looked at each other, and for a moment, they seemed to shrink away, their faces filled with shame and embarrassment.

Jenny was the first to speak up, her voice barely above a whisper. "Oh my god, we were so wrong," she said, her eyes filled with regret.

Richie nodded in agreement, his face red with shame. "We judged him without even knowing the truth," She said, his voice filled with remorse.

Lisa looked at them, a mixture of emotions on her face.

She was happy that the truth had finally come out, but she was also angry that they had doubted Canary in the first place.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," she said, her voice firm but controlled. "You had no right to judge him like that."

Gladys nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you guys were so quick to believe the worst about him. But now that the truth is out, you're just going to apologize and expect everything to be okay?"

Jenny and Richie looked at each other, and for a moment, they seemed to hesitate.

But then, they nodded, their faces still filled with shame.

" Apologize ?" Jenny hissed.

" Yeah he might be innocent but that doesn't change the fact the he was a player." She said.

" That's true Lisa. Don't be too proud." Richie added and then went to sit.

Lisa looked at them, her expression softening slightly. She didn't care about what they thought. What mattered to her most was that Canary's name was now Cleared.

_______

Lucy walked into the mansion, her feet heavy with the weight of her thoughts.

She felt hopeless and defeated, unsure of how to process the conversation she had just had with Joel.

As she entered the living room, she was greeted by the sight of Canary playing with Ketra Chase, their laughter and shouts filling the air.

Lucy's eyes landed on Canary, and she felt a pang in her heart.

He looked so happy, so carefree, and it broke her heart to think that it wouldn't last.

She stared at him, wondering how his smile would survive the storm that was brewing.

He looked so much like his father, Alexander, the man she had loved and lost. The resemblance was uncanny, and it brought back a flood of memories.

As she stood there, lost in thought, Canary suddenly noticed her and ran to her, a big smile on his face.

"Mom…You are back ? " he exclaimed, tugging on her hand.

Lucy was brought back to reality by Canary's touch, and she forced a smile onto her face.

" Yeah…." she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. " I see you are having a good time with Ketra…"

Canary looked up at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

" We were just playing" He spoke.

"What's wrong, Mom? You look sad," he said, his voice full of concern.

Lucy's heart melted at his words, and she felt a surge of love for her son.

"I'm just a little tired. " she said, trying to reassure him.

"But I'm okay."

For a moment, she forgot about Joel and the company, and all she could think about was her son and how much she loved him.

But as she looked into his eyes, she knew that she couldn't shield him from the truth forever.

Eventually, he would find out about Joel's plans, and she would have to be strong enough to support him through it.

Later after dinner, Lucy asked to talk to Canary.

Canary looked up at her, his eyes curious.

"What's up, Mom?" he asked.

Lucy took a deep breath before speaking. "It's about Joel. I just found out that he's been hiding something from us."

Canary's eyes narrowed, his interest piqued. "What is it?" he asked, leaning forward.

Lucy hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He has a majority of the company's shares. He's been keeping it a secret, but now that it's out, things are going to change."

Canary's eyes widened in surprise. "What does that mean?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Lucy sighed, trying to explain the situation in a way that Canary could understand. "It means that Joel has a lot of power now. He can become the President and takes over Andersons Group. "

Canary's face fell, and he looked down at his hands.

"So, what's going to happen to me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucy's heart went out to her son, and she reached out to take his hand. "I don't know, But I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to protect you and our family's interests. We'll get through this together, okay?"

Canary nodded, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. "Okay, Mom. I trust you."

Lucy smiled, trying to reassure him. "I'll always be here for you, Canary. No matter what happens, we'll face it together."

But deep down, she was worried.