Her POV:

Tap, Tap, Tap

Taping your hand in the table, you sit inside your office waiting for your secretary to arrive.

It is not something you ever thought you would be waiting for. Broken and aguishly waits while you hear footsteps, the door opens with a knock as your secretary walks in, unpleasant face which already made you figure out, but you never wanted to accept it yet.

She handed you the file which you toke with a heavy heart struggling to decide whether to open it or not. After taking a few deep breadths you opened it. The moment your eyes landed on the file it fell from your hands, your heart broke into millions of pieces. You wished anyone could tell you that it was a lie. Your breadth went uneven, making you stumble and fall to the floor.

Your secretary rushed to your side because she knew how wreaked havoc her boss could be. There was a long-term silence in the room, empty, and more broken than ever.

From the last person you expected to be broken, broke you into millions of pieces, you felt everything in your life was a lie. Your secretary embraced you as she knew her boss needed her because she was not just an assistant but also a friend.

Finally catching your breadth, you asked in a faint voice, "**Lyra, why did he do this to me after everything I gave him...why?"**

3 Years later

The mansion felt silent but loud early morning as everyone in the family preparing for the day. Sweet aroma of tea and breakfast filled the dining hall, while the cry of the infant waiting for his mom to feed him was heard across the room. The father sits by the sofa reading the newspaper while everyone is preparing for the day.

Alex, walked to the hall smiling, looking all professional for work, setting the tie Natasha had tied for him, sooner Natasha walks in with 1 year old with puffy eyes and red nose after all the crying sessions but smiling, finally his mom is here.

Outside the mansion a car stops, a woman in black high heels wearing an aesthetic black pair suit with her tied chic walks in to the mansion.

She walks in to see everyone walking here and there, she was not new to this morning mess, it was rather a common but comfort place of Her's,

She walks up to sofa silently, which Adrien noticed, she looked at him smiling keeping a finger on her lips, she told him to stay quiet playfully winking at him. She walks up to Mr. Hale, her father figure who loves her beyond measure. She walks up to him tiptoeing, bending down leaning to his ear playfully,

“HALO MR. HALE” 

“AHH, OH MY GOD, YOU BRAT, MY POOR EARS” 

Lyra’s laugh echoed the hall room, grabbing everyone’s attention, and then Adrien’s cute little laugh was heard. Mrs. Hale looked from the kitchen and laughed at seeing Mr. Hale’s face clearly knowing the prank that was just pulled. This was a common play of two adult kids' everyday morning. Adrein kept giggling looking at his favorite aunt, playing with his grandfather, while Alex walks up to Lyra giving her a side hug mumbling a good morning. Slowly everyone settles in the breakfast table together, while Natasha, Mrs. Hale and Lyra set the table with breakfast and sit down with them.

“By the way, did the highness not wake up yet. I hope she remembers she has a office to handle” Lyra chimed, while staring at the delicious meal in front her.

“Did somebody called me” a voice was heard near stairs, hair styles tied to sleek pony and vintage white top tucked into her matching chocolate brown vintage pencil pants, one hand on her hip and the other holding the stair railing with a smug smile.

Adrien squealed seeing his aunt white Natasha laughed at the duo’s madness early morning

“Good morning, everybody”, Anna spoke walking down the stairs while Lyra mocked her tone imitating her morning earning a smack on her head by Anna who just walked up to the table seating herself next to her mom and dad.

“Good morning dad! good morning mom!” Anna kissed her mom and dad’s cheek, and proceeding to eat.”

“You should learn to wake up early, Miss Anna” Lyra spoke sarcastically munching on her French toast.

“Ok Miss Lyra, I will see to that for sure” Anna spoke back, both looking at each other wanting to piss each other early morning.

“Eat up, you too idiots, if u don’t want me to kick you out early morning” Mr. Hale spoke glaring at the two girls

“Ok FATHER, WE WILL DO SO” both spoke simultaneously making everyone in the room to crack up. Both joins the laughter, making the family complete, full, happy, filled with joy.

But are all smiles genuine? 

As soon as the laughter calmed down, anna grabbed the bowl which was full of mac and cheese.

“**So, Miss Anastasia how is the company doing in the last few months, I heard you are thinking of collaborating with the Brown enterprises and Wilson groups. Zoey and Estella, are they coming back? because you have a release of designs this month and usually, they are the once who do modeling for you right?”** Mr. Hale asked and some the atmosphere turned serious because work area was not something they neglected or could lazy around with.

Soon Anna, Lyra and Alex became serious. Anna who just finished munching on the waffles took the cold coffee that Miss. Hale made for her and Lyra as they could not start their office work without one.

“Everything is going okay, this month we are having a collaboration with Brown and Wilson enterprises. The most important one is with the Wilson groups because it would profit both the sides and we could get larger popularity in the business industry**” **

“Is the contract signed already?**”** Mr. Hale asked as he sipped the coffee he was given by Mrs. Hale.

“**The contract is yet to be signed; we send our presentation already we are waiting for their reply and we are having a private meeting with them on Sunday morning by 10 am. If they have any modifications to do, we will discuss on Sunday**”. Lyra informed as she continued to dig into the food.

“I heard that the CEO of Wilson group is not someone who gets pleased easily, many business men and women have tried doing to work with him but many failed as he is someone who wants perfection. I met him once though he is cold hearted man if he likes the work. he will support them till the end.” Alex told as he had met the CEO of Wilson for the collaboration 1 or 2 years ago in London during his business trip.

“**By the way when is Aurora coming back? She told me her college finished a week back, why isn't she back yet?”** Anna asked as she was playing with Adrien, letting Natasha have her food.

“She is staying back one more week as there is a celebration set for the students who finished their collage and a welcome student party for the freshmen's. She called and informed me last week and asked how u people are doing. I told her the you brats are either creating trouble or overworking you asses out.” Natasha replied while glaring at Anna and Lyra. Anna and Lyra who was busy playing and making face to make Adrien laugh, shrugged at Natasha which earning a smack on their head by Miss. Hale.

“By the way I heard that the Ceo of Wilson is a handsome, hot single man. I can't believe how his man does not have wife and girlfriend. There was a rumor of some woman he loved but nothing much of an information about him and his personal life is known to anyone, he is a very private man. All the girls who tried seducing him ended up either by being kicked out or insulted by him.” Lyra told as she gave Adrien back to Natasha.

“You seem to have to learned quite a lot about him. Even though I am the Ceo I don’t know much of him, though I am the one who came up with the idea of collaborating with them.” Anna asked with a sly smirk across her face, of course it was her first-time hearing her friend so openly praise a man.

“I was wondering about a cold-hearted friend, I've been bearing for 20 years, and I think it's time I kick her to someone”. Lyra replied with grin across her face, but with a lot of caution. She knew what this topic would lead to but as a friend this is something she need to care of, but slowly.

Sure, enough everyone sitting on the table knew how these two was close, of course their job other than irritating others was to get on each other's nerve. But this topic held secrets beyond what everyone knew, it was Lyra’s and Anna’s only secret.

Lyra peeked at Anna whose face was concealed many emotions which only she could decipher. Anna looked over to Lyra giving her a glare mouthing you’re dead, but this time unlike before, it was no joke, that’s what Lyra’s face said. Anna was shocked to see that Lyra had meant what she said.

“We do have a connection with the Wilson’s, don’t know if you all remember them” Mrs. Hale spoke grabbing their attention.

“We made a silly promise in our youth to marry off our children to each other, I’ve met Liam Wilson, what do you think Anna?" Mrs. Hale spoke.

The room went quiet, everyone eagerly looking at Anna, while Lyra grabbed Anna’s hand from under the table, squeezing it lightly.

“Mom, it was a joke, you know I’m not ready....”  

“It's time to move on darling. Its time you understand he can’t come back” Mrs. Hale spoke cutting her off.

Anna’s face dropped hearing her, she swallowed the lump formed in her throat. Lyra too was struggling with the conversation. This was not something both wanted to be reminded of.

“OH! Its 9:30 already, we’re going to be late, we should head out mom” Lyra spoke, getting u from the chair and grabbing Anna’s hand to pull her out. Everyone in the hall sighed seeing them run out, dodging the conversation again.

Lyra got in the car with Anna, who was not completely over what happened. She sighed looking out of the window.

‘It is not just about him not coming back, it's about me not wanting to go back again. I will tell you mom, soon’. Anna thought while the car headed to the office.

On the way to the company no one talked in the car. Lyra wanted to apologize to her for bringing up the topic of marriage but she knew what anna currently wanted was space.

Soon Anna reached the company and entered with Lyra. As always, she was welcomed by her staffs, though many people called her the cold-hearted businesswoman she was deeply respected by her colleagues for being one of most successful women. She started working in this company by are dads' side when she was young, entering as a staff and hiding her identity as the CEO’s daughter anna grew up with many staff in the company.

Though she was strict and short-tempered person she never would raise her voice against her staff unless there was a need. She hated traitors the most because she trusts her staff a lot that she would hate to know that they made a fool out of her.

As she was going to her office room after greeting them back, her HR. Manager came running to her for signing a few documents which needed either her or lyra’s sign. After signing it as she was proceeding to go, she heard a few of her staff talking about someone's death anniversary. Lyra who had just finished making two glasses of hot chocolate saw anna staring at the staffs who was gossiping, as curiosity arose in her she leaned a bit forward to hear the conversation.

**“You know it's been 3 years since the bomb blast in the borders happened\, were many great soldiers lost their life.” **

“3 years ago, at this day by 10:30 am the blast happened, only last year did they say that it was a bomb blast until then it was hidden.” One of the staff who just passed by, joined the conversation.

“Many families lost they beloved, I lost one of my long-distanced cousins. They said that they would come back that year to celebrate which all of us Christmas. We were thinking of gathering to celebrate all together that years because we hadn't met for 4 years but instead of them returning, we got a news of their death. Although we were not close, I still miss them”. One girl told as tears formed in her eyes.

Anna and Lyra took a mental note of this girl's situation and was thinking of giving the that girl a day off. Lyra who thought of going near anna froze in her place when she heard the next conversation.

“And one of the most hardworking captains who won many awards also died. One of their names was Sean and the other was Evan or Ethan, I keep forgetting his name.” A girl told as she was trying hard the remember the name of the second captain.

“Ethan Stonehill.” The girl next to her corrected proudly, it was indeed pride to speak about the nation’s best soldier

“I heard that he had a close friend from high school who later became his girlfriend, no one knows her name as she did not want the world to know. She always kept a low profile; there was even a picture of them in a mall taken by some fellow soldier. Her half face was only seen on the picture.” A girl informed as she was the one who started the conversation.

“He loved her so much that no one saw him with other girls, even after his death there was no information of her and some of his colleagues found the letters that he wanted to send to her." She continued telling the story with a lot of love and admiration for the two couples.

Lyra snarled as she heard the love story of the two people, everyone who heard the story looked forward to the story with admiration but they never knew that the beautiful story had an end the world didn’t know. Soon her concentration turned back to Anna whose face hardened more and more as the story continued.

**“Everyone wishes to have the same love story as them. I wish....” **

“Seems like you people had finished the work that was given to you?” A cold voice stopped them form continuing their conversation. The voice sent shivers down their spine even Lyra’s.

“N-o there is still a little mo-re." The girls stuttered has they spoke.

Everyone who was present there knew that Anna hated when people lazed around at the work place. Moreover, she spoke in a very cold voice which she wouldn’t use unless she would be so pissed off. She was unlike normal CEO who would just scream at their staff for silly mistakes, she was friendly and would correct them if they made a mistake. She would always hear their explanation rather than coming into conclusions.

No one dared to talk or utter a word. Seeing Anna getting more pissed with the conversation Lyra ran to her side and patted her back indicating her not to blast out. Lyra knew that his name would make Anna uncomfortable, but she never knew that she would speak this cold to her staffs.

“What are you people standing here for, go back to work, and you five come to my office in 15 minutes and submit the assignment that was given to you.” Lyra told the staffs who were watching the scene to go back to what they were doing and turned to the five girls who was silently standing there waiting for command to turn to her office by 15 minutes.

While Lyra was dealing them Anna continued walking into her office deeply thinking of what she heard a few minutes ago, the great love story of a great soldier and his mysterious girlfriend.

‘Only if they knew that the story did not work out, as they thought it did. It held a very mysterious dark secrets and tiny lie which turned the story to unexpected ends.”