Lesson Thirty-Nine - Dominate.
It was now 2 O'Clock in the morning and I was doing what I do best. Getting out of the house so I could fix the problems myself. My mother was out there somewhere and I wasn't going to wait around for someone else to try and fix this problem. Now I know what your thinking 'this is where she's going to get captured herself.' Please do you really think I could be that stupid.
Also, I had a back up plan. Well it wasn't really a back up plan, it was more along the lines of the story of my life. Bribe, blackmail or just plain kick ass to get my own way. Sometimes it was fun being Lyra Anderson Heiress of one the biggest Empires in the world.
Sneaking through my own house I finally made it to the door of the garage. There was a problem though, a problem I didn't think would happen. I tried to type in the password to the locked door on the control pad ten times but it won't unlock. Someone had changed the code and hadn't told me. The more likely reason though was someone knew me so well they changed the code so I couldn't leave.
"Where do you think you are trying to go?"
My heart basically jumped out of my rip cage at the voice. I wasn't expecting someone to show up behind me at such a late hour. More importantly I wasn't expecting it to be my dad standing behind me with cross arms and a stern look. It was rare my dad looked at me like I was a child about to do something I shouldn't. Even though the man should really be giving us that look more often. Me and my brothers were forever getting into trouble.
Slowly turning around I gave my dad a sheepish look as I put my hands behind my back. I probably looked like a five year old who just got busted but I needed out of here and the best way to do that was be daddy's little girl. It was a skill just about every girl knew best, how to fake kiss ass to get their way.
"I couldn't sleep so I wanted to go and work on the cars to get my mind to rest." My father didn't buy it though. He wasn't stupid. Not that I thought my father ever was but he could at least act like he was buying it for even a second. It hurt my ego a bit.
"You're not going out there Lyra." I had never heard such a firm command come from the mouth of my father towards me. Sure he had done it to my brothers before but he had always let me away with blue murder. I probably sounded really spoilt right now but I swear I'm not. Well apart from the whole being rich thing but that just came with the role of being born into this family.
"Why not?" Knowing their was no point of trying to hide the fact I wanted to go out there and try and find my mother I met the challenge head on.
"Because it's not your job to fix everything in our lives Lyra." His light blue eyes had softened as he spoke and I wasn't going to lie it caught me off guard for the second time tonight. I was expecting him to say that it was dangerous and stupid. Which by the way it probably was but what was life without a bit a risk involved.
For the first time I noticed how tired my father looked. He had dark shadows under his eyes and his skin looked pale even in the darkness. He was wearing a shirt that had the top two buttons undone and was wearing trousers that looked like he hadn't taken them off for days. All in all my father looked like shit and I was surprised I hadn't noticed how much this was probably affecting him just as much as it was me. I felt guilty for not noticing until now, I needed to open my eyes sometimes to others around me. x
"I have to try and do something. I can't sit back and watch the likes of Xavier do all the work when she is my mother."
My father stepped closer to me and I noticed that he smelt of alcohol. My whole stance and face softened at the sight of it. My father wasn't a big drinker so for him to get to this stage tells me he is under a lot of stress. I hated seeing anyone in my family like this much less my own parents.
"Lyra she's not your responsibility. She's a grown woman who can take care of herself. You are still just a child and sometimes I think we all forget that. You're the youngest of my children Lyra and I hate the fact that we all rely on you so much to fix our problems."
Standing up straight I stood tall. I didn't care what age I was or what people expected of me. I wouldn't sit around and let other people fix my problems. Age was nothing but a number and as my father had once told me before, I could run rings around people who were twice my face.
"I'm not a child,dad." My voice was low as I spoke. "I haven't been for a long time. I grew up when our mother left us. I grew up when my brothers passed on the family company and I knew it would fall to me. I grew up when I realised that I can't stand by and watch those closest to me suffer when there is something I can do about it. You're always telling me how strong I am. I'm strong because that's who I had to grow up and become in order to get things done and keep this family together. Having money doesn't make us any better than any other family out there. We still have our problems no matter how much we may look like we have it together to the outside world."
My father nodded and I could see pride in his eyes. "You know I always wanted your brothers to pass over the Company to you. From you were five years old and I seen you argue with that kid who was twice your age on the school playground I knew you were the one that would keep it going. It's easy to start a business but it's hard to keep an Empire going."
"So let me do this. Let me go out there and try and find my mother. She is my blood after all no matter how annoying she is."
I seen something flash over my dads eyes, something that I had seen when Xavier had mentioned my mother earlier. I felt like I already knew what it was. Deep down I always knew it.
"I need to tell you something." My father's voice was so low I almost didn't hear it but I did.
"What?"
He looked away for a few seconds before turning back to face me. His eyes were watery and he looked like he was about to breakdown but this was my father we were talking about. He wouldn't breakdown in front of anyone, even me.
"Rachael isn't your mother Lyra."
This didn't catch me off guard in fact I didn't react at all. I didn't blink or breath or even move I just let the information soak into my brain. I think that's what made him worry slightly as he spoke again.
"Lyra please say something." I had never seen my father freak out so much as he rested his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. The same eyes that we shared. I would always know he was my father though with those eyes their was no doubt about that. There was so much worry in them right though along with them being glazed over from the alcohol. I knew it would have taken a lot for my father to say something like that out of the blue. He always had to it together.
"It's OK." I gave my dad a small reassuring smile to let him know I wasn't going to lose it on him. "I guess I always knew we weren't related. As a kid I always tried to find things that I had in common with my mother and I guess in my head I had found a few things in my desperate attempt in doing so."
"Lyra I am so sorry for keeping this from you and Damon for so long." I could see tears running down his cheeks and I knew in that moment I couldn't be mad at him. I could never be properly mad at my dad. He had done so much for me and my mother throughout our lives that I'm sure there was a reason that he done it. The same way I'm sure there was a reason for my mother for going along with it. After all if we weren't related there was no need for her to put up with all the shit me and Damon had thrown her way all this years. I don't think I would've been able to that. In that moment my mother was probably a better person than I was.
"Don't worry dad." I gave him a warm hug and pulled back. "But I still want to go out there and find my mom. She might not be my blood but she did raise my for the first half of my life and I know she can be a pain in the ass more than anyone but she would always be their for me and Damon if we needed her."
My dad took his hands of my shoulders and whipped the tears away from his cheeks. He seemed to sober up quickly. "I'm surprised you still care after I told you."
I shrugged. "I'm a lot of things but I'm not going to leave her out there when I know there is something I can do. She is still my mom at the end of the day and no one can take that away from her."
"You're a lot more mature than I would've been at your age that's for sure." my dad started to smooth out his shirt almost like he had just realised what of a mess he looked.
"Well with you, mom and my brothers as roll models I'm not surprised I turned out this way really. I have a strong dad who knows how to get shit done. A mom that might be a pain in the ass but knows how to get what she wants. A older brother who knows just about ever law in the world and knows how to get away with anything. Another brother who fights for our country and knows how to kick ass. Another brother who is always in the spot light and knows how to show the world what we are made off. I'm not surprised at the way I turned out and neither should you."
Watching as my dad but in the right code to the door he opened it for me. "Then I guess I can't stop you can I. Just make sure to stay safe and don't get in over your head. I trust you to do the right thing and not put yourself in danger."
"Thank you" Giving him one last hug I walked into the garage in search of my car. It was time to find my mother.