The Interrogation

It was already one in the afternoon. Sabrina and Lisa had already took their lunch and they were both busy, Sabrina on her laptop while Lisa on her tablet. Both were checking their e-mails for updates on their own businesses. Suddenly, Sabrina's phone rang.

"What is it Miles? As in now? Okay, I'll be right there!"

Lisa looked at her. "What happened?"

"Something came up in the office. Need to be there ASAP!" She shouted while hurriedly running to her room to change clothes and prepare to go to her office.

"Something or someone?" Lisa chuckled.

"Shut up Mrs. Chua!" Sabrina teased Lisa back.

"Hmph!"

She knew Lisa won't win on her counter attacks especially if anything about Lance will be brought up. Lisa would surely shut up. (Chua is Lance's last name, hihi)

Sabrina went out of her room. "I think you should go back to your house. Someone is waiting for you to come back!"

Lisa glared at her.

"I mean... Uncle Philip of course wanted for you to come back. He surely prepared for this day and you hurt him by walking out of your house," she explained while checking her purse. "And be honest, are you still that much affected by Lance?"

"No!" She lied.

"Then go back and give a face which shows that you already forgot about what he did and he already means nothing to you. Because if you keep acting like that, you're giving him the impression that you still have feelings for him. You're letting him win and you don't want that to happen, right?"

She let out a sigh. "Okay, okay! I'll go back there!"

"That's my girl! Now let's go!"

They went to the basement and went to their own cars, started their engines and parted ways. Sabrina to the Tan Corporation's building, while Lisa would go back to Peninsula Estates.

In the living room, Lance and Philip were discussing business matters while having coffee when they heard the opening of the gates and entering of a car to the garage.

"It must be Lisa!" Philip excitedly said.

"Well, she's a bit early. I thought she'll return in a month." Lance calmly said trying to crack a joke to compose himself from the excitement he'd been hiding upon knowing Lisa's back already.

"Hahahahahaha-" They both laughed but was cut shortly when the door opened and popped Lisa in front of them.

"Is something funny?" Lisa asked throwing weird look to the two.

"Nothing my dear. You're back so early. Would you like something for snacks?" Philip told her.

"When do you want me to come back then?" Lisa sarcastically rebutted but she managed not to start an argument and sat with them in the living room. "Something came up in Sab's office so she needed to attend to the matter. I think I'm craving for fries and nachos, dad!" Lisa smiled excitedly and almost drooled at the thought of the food she was requesting.

Philip thought her daughter was being weird with her actions. Just this morning, she was so angry as if she could kill him and Lance. But now, she acted as if nothing happened, not just this morning but several years ago.

"And I want the one that you made. You know how much I love those. Thank you daddy!"

And how was he able to decline his only child's request? He was a bit awkward to leave the two cause he might come back in less than an hour with the house in uproar. But maybe leaving them alone was a good idea. After all, they might need some privacy for catching up. He giggled in his thoughts.

"Alright! How can I refuse to the most adorable child ever born on this planet? I'll be heading to the kitchen so the two of you must behave here."

"Dad!?"

"Uncle!?"

Philip laughed while heading towards the kitchen, not because of his joke but because of the chorus of the two.

They looked at each other but with a different face. Lisa was frowning, narrowing her eyes to Lance while he had that smile that was teasing her. She composed herself and made sure her father was gone before she spoke.

"So... why are you here?" Lisa calmly asked Lance. Just like what Sabrina told her: 'You should not let him feel you're still affected by his presence. Show him that you are already okay.'

He was surprised by her calmness. 'Why was she giving me this surprising reactions? Does this mean that she already forgave me?' He can't help but thought on her weird actions. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Ahmmm... Isay..."

"Isay? Oh no! Don't call me that. Just call me Lisa or Lis. Isay had already been dead a few years ago. Please try not to bring the past back anymore. I already forgot everything that happened. I just realized one important thing: not everything you want would be yours and not everything you anticipated would happen. Let's just move on and be civil, can we?"

"A-ahmm... o-okay."

He knew she was still hurt deep down inside. Her mouth can lie but her eyes cannot. But why is she still pretending? She can punch him all day if it would wash away the pain. But why was she acting so strong?

"So, what brought you here? Is Mr. Philip Lee trying to be a matchmaker again for the two of us? Haha!" She tried her very best to act normal and not to look awkward.

"Not really. He wanted to discuss something with me. Business matters actually."

"Oh... So the two of you is into a new business partnership? Why would dad still need to open up another business?"

"Well, it's not a new business. It's about Stellar Corporation, actually..."

Lisa went quiet upon hearing about their company. Her dad had been insisting her a year after she graduated in Architecture to take over on the number 1 construction firm in the country. But that time she thought she was not in the right mindset. She became insecure and lacked self-confidence since Lance left. Stellar Corporation had been a legacy for the Lee family for more than five decades already. A corporation whose management was passed on from her greatgrandfather to her grandfather and to her father. And Philip was passing the legacy to her on the time she had a lot of fears. She was afraid that she won't do well. She feared that a lot of seniors might question or intimidate her. But her greatest fear was the thought of the downfall of the Lee family's legacy in her hands. She did not just lost her confidence that time. She also lost herself.

Philip was persuading her for six months but did not succeed so he decided to stop pushing her for the CEO position.

"I hope you won't take it negatively against me. You know how much I owe your father that I would even bargain my life to help him." Lance continued not wanting to cause any misunderstanding.

Lisa was feeling a bit guilty because it should be her who was helping his father. Instead, it was Lance who's to carry the burden. Her dad might not telling her but she's not that stupid not to know what was happening in Stellar. She actually had someone consistently giving her reports about anything that's happening with their company. A silent war for power.

Is it her time to step up?