Episode 23

NEXT DAY*

The Smith mansion

Everybody has been busy preparing for the party, the flower decorations in the house were very beautiful.

Steve and the boys were helping to arrange things while the girls were busy decorating the dancing floor

Steve couldn't take the thought of telling the smith family who he was out of his mind, today is the second day yet he hasn't gotten the courage to tell any of them

He looked over to the girl's side and found Sandra smiling with Lucy, how will she feel when she found out that he lied to them all these years," he thought silently

If only he knew, he wouldn't have saved Mrs. Hillary. Maybe by now, no one would have found out about him," he thought

You can't hide the truth forever, and you did the right thing by saving a life," his subconscious mind said

"What did you no, just shut up" he muttered to himself but Jason looked at him

"Am saying the truth, just tell them and save yourself," his subconscious mind said again

"Easy for you to say," he replied and Jason can't take it anymore cause it looks weird to him

"Dude, are you alright?" Jason asked

"Yeah, am fine," he replied

"Are you sure? Who were you talking to," Jason asked

"Ah.. no one, was just meditating," he lied

"Alright then, I will be right back," Jason said and started walking towards Lucy who is now alone cause Sandra went inside to get something

He decided he was gonna tell her how he feels about her, how madly in love he was with her, he summoned some courage and took steady steps toward her

Meanwhile, Lucy saw him coming and pretended to be walking away but he was fast enough to grab hold of her

"Hey Lucy, can we talk," Jason said gently, Lucy wanted to smile cause of the way he sounded but Decided against it

"Yeah... Sure," Lucy replied

"Em... I just wanna talk about that night," he said and Lucy's face changed Instantly, damn me... It wasn't what he wanted to say but it slipped from his mouth already

"What!!!"

"I... Em.. no that wasn't what I meant to say," he stammered

"Ok!!" Lucy replied still looking at him with that look that says ARE YOU TRYING TO BLAME ME AGAIN

"Em... I just wanna tell you to stay away from Lucas," Jason said shaking a little

"And why should I do that," Lucy demanded, it's obvious she was angry. He shouldn't have reminded her of that night

"Just stay away from him," Jason replied, he didn't even know what he was saying but he can't help it

"You are not even my boyfriend, brother, or my father. So why should I listen to you?" Lucy said with seriousness, looking him in the eyes

"It's because I......" Jason stopped and took a breath

"Because what? Huh!" Lucy asked but he was silent

"Say it, because what?" Lucy asked impatiently thinking maybe he will say that he is jealous, but that was a wrong thinking

"Because I don't want you to end up drunk again and I might not be there to save you, who knows what might happen to you this time," he replied and regrets it immediately

"Save me? Or you might not be there to rape me again," Lucy said more like a question

Silence

"Now I get it because I got drunk the other time you now think I am addicted to alcohol, or that I can't control myself.... You are blaming me for taking advantage of my drunken state," Lucy said calmly trying not to show the pain in her voice

"No it's not like that," Jason tried to defend himself

"Then like how? You think am stupid, you're so pathetic," she said and start walking away but suddenly turned and went back to him

"You are the one I should stay away from, I will start quitting my job so you won't have to see the face of a drunker again, I will send you my resignation letter on Monday," she said and left

Her heart was filled with pain, I thought he loved me, I never knew I meant nothing to him... How could he," she mumbled under her breath and walked down the stairs

Jason watched her leave angrily and hissed in frustration, that wasn't how he wanted it to end

*

She cleans the tears that linger in her eyes and keeps walking down the stairs without looking, her mind was occupied

She doesn't know why she can't have a boyfriend of her own, thinking of that alone makes her sad

"Hey Lucy," Lucas said as he approached her

"Hey, where have you been?" She asked

"You know what today is, so have been busy and thank goodness I found you on time, my paps will soon be here so let go welcome him," Lucas said as he brought out his hand

______

Party time*

"So when did you get a girlfriend?" Paps asked Lucas

"Privacy paps, don't embarrass me in front of my girlfriend," Lucas replied as Lucy smiles, this guy is something else," she thought

"Don't mind him, we are just friends," Lucy said

"And you said she's your girlfriend?" Paps joked laughing at Lucas

"Common girlfriend you don't have to embarrass me," Lucas whispers to Lucy but paps heard him

"Wait a minute are you trying to bribe her," paps asked again

"That's right, how did you know what he was trying to do," Lucy asked, paps smiles

"Hell no, I didn't do that" Lucas tried to explain but they Burst into serious laughter

Seeing that trying to get them will be useless Lucas just kept quiet, just then Steve walked up to them

"Sorry to interrupt, but our celebrants are needed. The party is about to start," Steve said and Left

They followed Steve back to the hall, while papas stays behind to smoke, he lightens his cigarettes and puffed out the smoke

He was still standing when he saw a guy in all black with a briefcase, the person walked into the hall from the back door

He didn't want to suspect anything but as the person followed the back door he instantly knew that something was wrong

He quickly went after the person but before he could get there, he was already gone, being a baron he knows many things about guns and bomb

He started looking around to see if there was anything he could see, suddenly he saw a small red light on the stage and Lucas was already climbing the stage to give his speech.

Being the son of a billionaire he needs to be recognized, everyone was done with their speech and now it's Lucas's turn

Paps runs towards the stage and pushed Lucas, they both came rolling down almost immediately after the bomb exploded and they covered their ears

"Paps, how did you know there is...."

"Shh, get everyone out from this building, I think there is More," paps said and left, going to search for the other bombs

*

"Everybody out, there's a bomb," Lucas shouted and the security came running immediately

"Everybody out," Steve shouted as he helped some people to get out

Meanwhile, paps have defused all the bombs and started coming out not knowing that another one was at the door

Lucas and the others have helped clear everyone out from the building, he looked around for paps but did see him

"Where's paps?" He asked no one in particular

"I dunno" Steve replied and Lucas made to go back to him but Jason holds him back

"You can't go in there, it is dangerous," Jason said

"My paps is in there, I need to get him out," Lucas replied and made to leave but Jason still holds him tight

They were still arguing when another bomb exploded at the front door and that was exactly when paps wanted to step out of the building and Lucas saw him

"Nooo!!!" Lucas shouted and made to leave but Jason still didn't let him, he turned around and gave Jason a punch which sent him flying to Steve and they both fell down

Lucas ran into the building to see paps on the floor all covered with blood, he carried him and ran out to the front of the burning hall, the fire extinguishers were already there and they came with the ambulance

They carried the lifeless paps into the ambulance, Lucas ran back into the hall and looked around as if looking for someone, then his eyes landed on Richard who was at the other end of the building

He rushed towards that building but was stopped by the guards, Jason ordered the guards to hold him down cause he might go crazy if care is not taken

*

*

Hospital*

Lucas rushed into the hospital where others were already present waiting for the doctor

"How is he," Lucas asked and just then the doctor stepped out of the ward With a sad expression

Seeing the look on the doctor's face, no one needs to tell him what has happened

"Am sorry, we....... The doctor was interrupted by Lucas's loud voice

"No!!" Lucas shouted and shifted back a little, he didn't want to believe that his paps Is dead

"Nooo!! do something you're a doctor" Lucas yelled and he gripped the doctor's collar

"Am sorry, we did all we could," the doctor replied

TBC