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

THE SHARK LOANS

The hospital corridor was really quiet. It felt like something was about to snap.

 Lyra looked down the hallway where Brandon was pointing.

She saw the doors and suddenly felt unsure. For a moment the coldness in Brandon's voice got to her.

Then Jake stepped in.

He looked toward Lyra, a faint look of guilt and sadness crossing his face.

“Lyra… go with Brandon,” he said quietly. “Go see your daughter. Go home with your husband if that’s what he wants. Please don’t let me and Leo become the reason your marriage falls apart.We’ll manage somehow on our own.”

He lowered his eyes before adding softly,

“ Ever since my divorce, Leo hasn’t had a mother figure in his life. Sometimes he sees other children with their moms at the park, and it breaks my heart watching him pretend it doesn’t bother him. I just didn’t want him to feel alone while he was scared and hurting. That’s why I asked Lyra to stay with him for a while. I never meant to create problems between the two of you.”

Brandon let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it.

“Do you practice speeches like this in front of a mirror, Jake?” He asked coldly.

Lyra’s expression darkened immediately.

“Brandon, stop it!” she snapped angrily, “I’m tired of your stupid jealousy!”

She turned her back on him without hesitation.

“Come on, Jake,” Lyra said softly as she reached for Leo’s hand. “Let’s take Leo back to his room so he can rest. Just ignore the noise.”

Jake looked at Brandon one last time as he had a smile on his face. Then he followed Lyra back into the room. The door closed behind them.

Brandon stood still in the hospital hallway. He looked at his hands and saw they were shaking a little. Then a sad smile came on his face.

He was very angry before but now… he was not. He was very clear about what he had to do. He did not want to fight with Lyra. He just wanted to take care of Maggie, who was sick in the hospital.

Brandon turned around then walked back to Maggie's room. He walked firmly without looking back.

***

Inside the room the atmosphere was really different. The room was warm and cozy, filled with stuffed animals and plastic toys.

Leo was sitting on the hospital bed swinging his legs back and forth while eating an apple slice that Lyra had cut for him.

"Mommy Lyra you are the best!" Leo said, leaning over to hug her waist as she sat on the edge of the mattress. "Your stories are way better than Daddy's. You always pick the best snacks."

Lyra smiled, running her fingers through Leo's hair. She was still a little upset from the argument in the hall. She was trying to stay calm. "You just need to eat your food and listen to the doctor, Leo. No more getting sick?"

"Okay I promise!" Leo said, giggling. Then he stopped swinging his legs. He looked up at Lyra with big, pleading eyes. "Oh Mommy Lyra, my birthday party is coming in a week. We're going to have a cake shaped like a rocket ship and all my friends from school are coming. Can you please come to my party? You have to be there to help me blow out the candles!"

As soon as Leo said that, Lyra froze. Her hand stopped moving through his hair and her fingers got stiff. She was thinking about the date of the party. It was the same day as Maggie's seventh birthday.

She remembered Brandon's face as he asked her to be with Maggie on her birthday.

Lyra felt a knot in her chest.

Before she could say anything Jake stepped in. He looked stern and angry as he talked to Leo. "Leo, stop being so demanding! You cannot just ask Auntie Lyra to do things for you like that. She is not really your mother! She was just being kind to us because we needed help."

Jake rubbed his forehead. "You need to know your place, son and stop asking for too much. We cannot keep bothering her."

"No! She is my mommy!" Leo cried, burying his face in his hands. "I don't want anyone! I want Mommy Lyra at my party! I want her to be there no matter what! Daddy please don't make her go away! I want her to come!"

Seeing Leo cry made Lyra feel terrible. She turned to Jake. "Jake, stop it! Don't yell at him, he's a child who was sick an hour ago!" Lyra said, pulling Leo into her arms.

Leo looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "You... You'll come?"

"Yes I will find a way to attend your party I promise," Lyra said, smiling and wiping away his tears.

Leo stopped crying and nodded happily.

Jake was standing behind Lyra. A subtle, scheming smile played at the corner of his mouth.

The cell phone in Jake's pocket started vibrating in the quiet bedroom. The moment he saw the caller ID on the screen the smile on his face disappeared. His heart started beating fast.

"Lyra, I need to take this call," Jake said, trying to sound calm as he walked towards the door. "It is a call from an investor from another country."

"Go ahead Jake, I will watch Leo," Lyra said, still fixing the pillows for Leo to rest.

Jake walked out of the room quickly. He ran down the hallway, closed the door and put his cell phone to his ear, breathing hard.

"I told you not to call me during the day on my cell phone…" Jake started saying in a deep voice.

"Listen to me Jake," a mean voice said from the end of the line not letting Jake finish. "We are tired of waiting for our money. You need to pay back your debt now or you will be in big trouble."

"I need a few more days," Jake pleaded, sweating and holding the stair railing. "Please, I am almost done. I have everything under control."

“You’ve been feeding us the same excuse for six months, Jake,” the voice retorted coldly. “If we don’t receive every cent of our money within three days, we’ll expose everything. We’ll release the documents proving your fake companies, your hidden accounts, and every scam you’ve been running. Your reputation in this city will be destroyed overnight.”

The voice paused for a moment before continuing in a darker tone.

“And once the police get involved, you’ll lose far more than your reputation. You’ll end up in prison.”