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

MAGGIE IS GETTING WORSE

"Yes! Thank you Mommy!" A big smile came back to Maggie's face.

Brandon looked at his wife one last time.

He took Maggie's hand and turned toward the front door. "Let's go, Maggie," Brandon said, his voice smooth and empty.

As he gripped the door handle he looked back at Lyra. She was standing close to Jake again.

"Don't worry, Lyra," Brandon stated quietly, his voice cold enough to make the room feel colder. "Maggie and I are leaving now. From this moment on, neither of us will ever stand in the way of the life you clearly want."

His eyes lingered on Jake standing beside her before returning to Lyra.

"But remember one thing," Brandon continued. "You promised Maggie that you'd come see her tomorrow. So keep your promise for once."

His hand tightened around Maggie’s small fingers.

With that Brandon opened the door, stepped out onto the porch with Maggie and slammed the door shut behind them.

Inside the house, Lyra stood frozen near the staircase. As she watched Brandon disappear through the doorway, a strange fear gripped her heart… a fear that she might have just lost him forever.

But only for a moment.

Soon, her usual confidence returned. She shook her head dismissively before walking over to the sofa, convincing herself she was simply exhausted from stress and work.

“He’s just trying to make me feel guilty,” Lyra thought coldly as she leaned back against the cushions.

In her mind, Brandon wasn’t truly leaving her. He simply wanted her attention.

She convinced herself that this fight was no different from the others.

She truly believed Brandon would return to her side eventually… just like he always had.

Meanwhile, standing quietly beside Lyra, Jake felt a surge of secret excitement rising inside him.

As he watched the front door close behind Brandon and Maggie, he nearly laughed out loud in satisfaction.

Brandon was finally gone.

The one person protecting Lyra from him had just walked away on his own, and now, the path to Lyra’s money was completely open.

“Lyra, don’t let Brandon’s attitude ruin your night,” Jake said smoothly, masking his excitement behind a calm, understanding smile as he pulled a thick folder from his briefcase and placed it carefully on the coffee table. “We still have something much more important to focus on tonight. These are the investment papers I prepared for our project.”

Lyra slowly relaxed and leaned back on the sofa before picking up the folder.

At this point, she trusted Jake completely.

To Lyra, Jake was the intelligent and dependable man who had stepped in to help save her company when everything had been falling apart.

“As you can see, this project is in extremely high demand. The investment window is closing fast, Lyra. If we don’t move quickly and secure the transfer tonight, another company could take the deal before morning.”

Lyra carefully studied the numbers in the folder, her brows slowly knitting together as she flipped through the pages.

As a businesswoman, she immediately understood what Jake was proposing.

This investment would require almost all of her company’s available funds, draining multiple accounts at once. It was an enormous risk.

But according to the financial projections Jake had prepared, the returns would be equally massive… enough to turn her company into a global empire worth billions.

After a long moment of silence, Lyra finally closed the folder and looked up at him.

“The numbers look impressive, Jake,” Lyra remarked slowly. “But this is far too much money to move without proper verification.”

She placed the folder down on the table before continuing calmly,

“I’ll have my financial team review everything first thing tomorrow morning. Once they verify the accounts, confirm the overseas partnerships, and clear the project legally, I’ll sign the agreement after Leo’s birthday party.”

Hearing those words Jake felt a chill and he became very anxious.

One final check? Tomorrow morning?

If Lyra’s financial team examined the numbers too carefully or contacted the overseas bank to verify the project, his entire scheme would collapse instantly. They would uncover the inconsistencies, trace the fake accounts, and realize the entire investment proposal was nothing more than a carefully planned scam.

But Jake knew he couldn’t pressure Lyra too aggressively right now.If he pushed too hard, she would become suspicious… and everything he had worked for would fall apart.

With no other choice, Jake forced a warm smile onto his sweating face and gave a calm nod.

“Of course, Lyra,” he said smoothly. “Safety first. I completely understand. We can finalize everything tomorrow after your financial team finishes reviewing the documents.”

The next day.

“Happy Birthday, Maggie!” The Mickey Mouse mascot cheered warmly as he walked toward her and handed her a beautiful bouquet of roses.

The bright morning sun bathed the amusement park in warm golden light, making everything around it look cheerful and alive.

Colourful music drifted from the nearby carousel while children ran across the pathways holding giant sticks of pink cotton candy, laughing and pointing excitedly toward the rollercoasters towering above them.

But Maggie wasn’t looking at any of the rides.

She sat quietly on a bench beside Brandon, her small hands resting weakly in her lap while her favorite teddy bear leaned silently against her chest.

Unlike usual, she wasn’t hugging it tightly.

Her face looked frighteningly pale beneath the sunlight, almost translucent, and her lips carried a faint bluish tint.

Brandon knelt down in front of her, his eyes filled with worry as he carefully studied her pale little face.

“What’s wrong, Maggie?” Brandon asked softly, unable to hide the concern in his voice. “Look, the Ferris wheel is starting to move.” He pointed toward the giant ride glowing beneath the morning sunlight. “You said you wanted to see the whole city from the top, remember?”

Then he gave her a gentle smile and lightly brushed her hair back.

“Do you want Daddy to ride it with you?”

Maggie tried to smile, but it was small and weak. Even then, she was still trying her best to look happy for him.

“It looks pretty, Daddy,” Maggie whispered softly as she watched the Ferris wheel turning in the distance. “My legs feel a little tired today… Can we just sit here and watch for a while instead?”

Brandon’s expression immediately tightened with worry.

“Are you feeling sick, Maggie?” he asked gently as he placed his hand against her forehead.

She felt unusually cold.

A thin layer of sweat covered her skin, and her breathing had become shallow and uneven, her small chest rising and falling far too quickly.

“My tummy doesn’t feel good,” Maggie admitted quietly, her trembling voice barely above a whisper. “And my head feels really heavy…”

Then she looked up at Brandon and forced another tiny smile onto her pale face.

A wave of fear crashed through Brandon’s chest despite her assurance because this wasn’t simple exhaustion anymore.

Maggie was getting worse far faster than the doctors had predicted.

Suddenly, the cheerful amusement park no longer felt bright or happy.

The carousel music sounded distant and distorted in Brandon’s ears, and the crowded park around them suddenly felt terrifyingly useless.

Brandon quickly pulled out his phone and called Lyra. His hands were trembling so badly that he nearly dropped the device while dialing her number.

The call rang several times before she finally answered.

Loud music blasted through the speaker immediately, mixed with laughter, people talking in the background, and Leo’s excited screams echoing through the house.

“What is it, Brandon?” Lyra asked impatiently. “ Leo’s birthday party just started, and several people from work are here. Why are you calling me right now?”

“Lyra, listen to me carefully,” Brandon said urgently, his voice trembling with panic as he looked at Maggie’s pale face. “Maggie’s not okay. She’s getting worse. She can barely sit up. You need to come to the amusement park right now, Lyra. This is an emergency.”