Chapter 145: A DIFFICULT GOODBYE
KEISHA’S POV
Lyra stood by the door for so long that both Nadia and I exchanged confused glances.
She had walked back into the room looking as though the world had just tilted on its axis, yet she hadn’t said a single word since.
The phone was still clutched tightly in her hand, and every few seconds her thumb brushed absent-mindedly over the dark screen as if she was expecting it to ring again.
"Lyra?" I finally called softly. "You’re starting to scare me."
She blinked, almost as though she’d forgotten we were there. "It’s Coldridge."
Immediately, my stomach tightened and I sat up straighter. "What happened?"
"Nothing bad." She shook her head quickly before letting out a slow breath. "Actually... the company called."
Neither Nadia nor I interrupted her.
"You remember the headquarters that was damaged during the fire?" she asked, looking at me.
I nodded.
"They finally completed the reconstruction. The board held an emergency meeting this morning and... they need me back immediately. Apparently several projects have been on hold waiting for my approval, investors are arriving next week, and they can’t keep postponing everything."
For a moment, I simply stared at her. Even though she had been here for a month, I knew her long enough to know her work was a huge part of her life. She had built that career from nothing.
But instead of looking happy like I would expect, she looked miserable. "I don’t want to go," she admitted quietly.
The words caught me off guard. "What?"
She walked over to the bed and sat beside me, taking my hand between both of hers. "I don’t feel right leaving you now." Her voice grew softer. "Not after everything that’s happened. I’m so scared to do that."
The images of the day flashed in my mind and I squeezed my eyes shut, gaze dropping down to the floor before I looked at her.
Diane shifted uneasily inside me. "She’s afraid for us."
I knew that. Goddess help me, I was scared for her too. Because what if they went after my sister?
"What if something happens while I’m gone?" Lyra continued. "What if—"
"It won’t."
"You don’t know that."
"No," I admitted. "I don’t."
Nadia, who had been quietly listening all this while, finally spoke. "You should go."
Lyra turned to her." What?"
"I mean it," Nadia continued. "You’ve worked too hard to throw everything away now."
"I can always resign."
Both of us looked at her in shock and Lyra shrugged weakly. "It’s only a job."
"No," I said firmly.
She frowned. "No?"
"No." I squeezed her hand. "It isn’t only a job."
She tried to interrupt, but I shook my head. "I know what it took for you to get there. I know how many nights you stayed awake because deadlines were approaching. I remember calling you and hearing you still inside the office after midnight. I remember you missing celebrations because you had meetings. Don’t stand there pretending it means nothing."
"It doesn’t mean more than you."
"I’m not asking it to." something seemed to be caught in my throat. Probably a sob. "I’m asking you not to throw away years of your life because you’re worried about me."
She looked away. "I’d never forgive myself if something happened."
"And I’d never forgive myself if you gave up your dream because of me."
The room became quiet again and Diane spoke gently this time. "She’s your sister. Of course she’d stay."
That’s exactly why I can’t let her. I couldn’t let her drop her own life because of me.
Lyra rubbed her forehead tiredly. "You always make arguing with you a hassle. I’m beginning to wonder who taught you that."
A small smile found my lips.. "I learned from the best."
That finally earned a reluctant laugh from her. "Of course you did. But please, if anything happens—"
"I’ll call."
She searched my face for several long seconds before finally giving in. "Fine. I’ll go back to Coldridge."
Relief washed over me even thought I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I would miss her. More than I wanted to admit.
"I’ll help you pack," I said as I carefully climbed out of bed.
Nadia stood too. "I’ll help. Just sit to the side if you must and we’ll do the work."
I nodded and together, we left the room.
As we reached the lower floor, voices drifted from the dining room. The conversation was quiet enough that I doubted it was meant for anyone else to hear, but the hallway echoed every word towards us.
"...they’re escalating," Dane said.
"They are," another voice answered.
I recognised Callum’s voice immediately. "They’ve stopped covering their tracks."
We slowed instinctively.
"They’re removing anyone who gets close to the truth."
There was a pause before he spoke again. "And Keisha remains a target. We need to tighten security."
I slowed instantly, listening in.
"If the maid really delivered that meal," Dane said thoughtfully, "then finding her is our best chance."
"And probably our only one." Callum muttered.
Neither man spoke for several seconds.
By the time we stepped fully into the dining room, both of them had already noticed us and the conversation ended immediately.
Lyra cleared her throat before explaining everything about the call from Coldridge. She spoke calmly, though I could still hear the uncertainty beneath her words. When she finished, nobody responded straight away.
Callum considered everything for a moment before speaking.. "You should return."
Lyra looked ready to give him an argument to see if she could get him on her side, but he continued before she could.
"As for Keisha..." His attention shifted towards me. "The annex is no longer secure."
I already knew what he was going to say.
"Until this investigation is over, you’ll remain inside the mansion."
After everything that had happened over the last two days, I couldn’t even bring myself to argue. It was becoming increasingly clear that the people behind it weren’t afraid to kill.
"I understand," I answered quietly.
Nadia nodded. "I’ll help her move."
She left with me and within the hour, we were back inside the annex.
It felt weird. A few months ago, everywhere was filled with joyous laughter,but now, we packed in silence.
Lyra folded clothes into neat piles while I emptied cupboards one shelf at a time. Every now and then one of us would stop after picking up something familiar, stare at it for a few moments, then quietly place it inside a suitcase.
Neither of us wanted to admit what we were thinking but eventually Lyra broke the silence.
"You can still tell me to stay."
I looked up to see she was watching me carefully. "I’ll call them back and resign."
"No." I frowned.
"You didn’t even think about it." She muttered.
"Because my answer hasn’t changed."
She sighed. "I don’t like leaving you. I feel like I’m abandoning you."
"You’re not." I walked over and took her hands. "You’ve spent years proving yourself. Don’t let guilt destroy something you’ve worked so hard to build."
She studied my face carefully. "You really think you’ll be alright?"
A small smile pulled at my lips despite myself. "Callum and Dane won’t let anything happen to me. I’ll be fine."