HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE

MAKE HER GO AWAY

Before Brandon could do anything, the bedroom door opened.

Jake came out first fixing his shirt, then Lyra came out laughing at something Jake said. They looked really comfortable together.

Brandon’s fists trembled violently as anger surged through him.

Lyra had brought these people into their house while Maggie was in the hospital. And they came out of the bedroom together. In his house. In the bedroom where they used to sleep together.

Had they already moved in together? Had they started living as a family before he even signed the divorce papers?

"Lyra," Brandon said, his voice shaking with rage. "What is going on here?"

Lyra stopped laughing when she saw Brandon and Maggie. Her expression immediately hardened.

Jake hurried down the stairs with an apologetic expression on his face.

“Brandon, please don’t misunderstand what’s happening here,” Jake said softly, his voice sounding sincere even though there was something fake beneath it. “Tomorrow is Leo’s birthday, and our apartment suddenly started having serious problems with the water pipes.” He let out a tired sigh before continuing. “Lyra knew how stressed we were, so she kindly invited us to stay here for a few days until things got fixed.”

Jake glanced at Brandon with an awkward smile filled with false guilt.

“We honestly didn’t mean to upset you. If our presence here makes you uncomfortable, just say the word and I’ll leave immediately with Leo.”

“Why you've to leave Jake?” Lyra asked coldly. “This house belongs to me too. I have every right to invite my friends into my home, and I don’t need anyone's permission to help people I care about.”

While Lyra was speaking, Leo quietly walked over to her side and tightly grabbed her hand with a satisfied smile on his face.

Then he looked directly at Maggie.

It almost felt as if he was silently telling her,

“She belongs to me now, not you.”

Maggie stood quietly near the couch, frozen in place. Her small face had turned pale, and tears slowly filled her big brown eyes as she struggled not to cry.

At that moment, Maggie finally understood the truth.

None of this had been for her.

Not the golden banners.

Not the balloons.

Not the decorations filling the house.

For the first time in her life, Maggie felt like she no longer belonged in her own home.

Brandon saw the tears gathering in Maggie’s eyes, and something inside him finally snapped.

He took a few steps forward until he was standing directly in front of Lyra, his entire body trembling with anger.

“Have you completely lost your mind, Lyra?” Brandon demanded, his voice shaking as he pointed toward the birthday decorations hanging from the ceiling. “Do you even remember that tomorrow is Maggie’s birthday too? She’s your daughter!”

“Do you really think I’m heartless enough to forget my own daughter’s birthday?”

Lyra didn’t even flinch. She simply crossed her arms and looked at Brandon as though he were overreacting over nothing.

“I remember everything, Brandon, so stop yelling in front of the children,” Lyra replied calmly, her voice cold and flat. “And since Maggie and Leo happen to share the same birthday, I honestly think combining the parties tomorrow makes perfect sense. There’s no reason to turn this into such a huge issue.”

But Leo immediately felt dissatisfied at the idea.

“No! I don’t want that!” he shouted, stomping his foot angrily before tugging hard on Lyra’s hand. “Mommy Lyra, you promised me a rocket ship party! I want my own party. I don’t want to share my cake or my balloons with anyone else…”

Then Leo pointed directly at Maggie as if she were the problem.

“Make her go away.”

This time, Lyra didn’t immediately give in to Leo’s demands. She frowned slightly as she looked down at him, her tone becoming firmer than before.

“Leo, stop being selfish,” Lyra said gently but seriously. “Maggie is my daughter, and tomorrow is her birthday too. You can’t always have everything to yourself. You need to learn how to share with others, okay?”

The moment Leo realized throwing a tantrum was not working, his expression changed instantly.

He looked toward Jake, and Jake gave him a small, subtle nod.

Almost immediately, Leo’s eyes filled with tears.

His tiny shoulders slumped as if his heart had been broken and he lowered his head sadly.

“I’m sorry, Mommy Lyra,” Leo whispered in a trembling voice. “I shouldn’t have asked for so much. I forgot I’m just a kid without a real mommy.” His lips quivered as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Having you celebrate my birthday with me is already more than I deserve. I should’ve been grateful instead of asking for more… I’m sorry for ruining everything.”

Then Leo slowly reached for Jake’s hand and tugged on it weakly as he turned toward the door.

“Come on, Daddy,” Leo mumbled sadly as he lowered his head. “Let’s just go back to our apartment. We shouldn’t keep bothering them anymore…” His small voice trembled as tears filled his eyes.

Jake let out a frustrated sigh before lightly grabbing Leo by the arm as if trying to pull him away.

“Wait, Jake! Don’t leave,” Lyra said quickly as she stepped forward to stop them.

Then she slowly turned back toward Brandon and Maggie.

For a brief second, uncertainty flashed across her face when she saw the tears in Maggie’s eyes. She remembered the promise she had made to her daughter.

But as Leo’s sobs grew louder behind her, the hesitation in Lyra’s expression slowly disappeared, replaced once again by the same cold firmness as before.

“Brandon,” Lyra said firmly, “take Maggie somewhere else tomorrow and celebrate her birthday there. ”

She took a slow breath before continuing.

“Maggie already has both her parents, a home, and people who love her… unlike Leo, who’s growing up without a mother.”

She glanced toward Leo and finally looked back at Brandon.

“Right now, Leo needs this house more. He’s already emotionally overwhelmed, and he’s too sensitive to share his birthday with someone else at the moment. So just take Maggie away for the weekend, alright? ”

Brandon stood there in stunned silence as the entire room fell quiet.

Behind him, Maggie’s teddy bear slipped from her hands and landed softly on the floor.

A second later, quiet sobs broke the silence.

Brandon slowly turned his head and saw tears streaming down Maggie’s face as she stood there heartbroken, finally understanding that her own mother was choosing someone else over her.

In that moment, something inside Brandon finally shattered completely, he looked back at Lyra in disbelief, and his breathing turned uneven.

“…Are you seriously saying this right now?”