A Hopeless Pursuit (Forbidden Love Series Book 10)

The next day Laurence accompanied Lisa to the University of Nevada to enroll her into the Undergraduate program in Music. He paid the full course fee since Lisa was sure that this was the only degree she wanted. The whole morning they spent completing the admission formalities. It was past lunchtime so Laurence took her to a pizza joint. They ordered their favorite pizzas and enjoyed the delicious food.

"Bro, any news about dad?" Asked Lisa dreading his answer.

"No ever since the day you had escaped, he has gone into hiding, " said Laurence with a sigh. "Tell me everything in exact detail," he asked.  Lisa told him everything. 

"If he wasn't our father, I would have handed him over to the police by now," said Laurence with a sigh.

"He isn't our real father bro," Lisa told him. Laurence gaped at her.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked with surprise.

Lisa told him whatever happened that day a year ago outside her school.  "Why didn't you tell me before? I would have handed him over to the police," said Laurence.

"I got scared bro," she answered telling him how Harry Lennard threatened to finish off Lauren. Laurence shook his head in disbelief.

"We have to gather evidence against him now Lisa. Tomorrow we'll go to our old house and check. We need to vacate it anyway since I want to sell it off. I hate that house," said Laurence.

"Yes bro, I'll go with you. Even I hate that house. I have horrible memories of it," said Lisa. 

Laurence dropped her home and went to work. The rest of the day Lisa was in a very good mood waiting eagerly for Liam's exams to be over and for him to return home. He messaged her in the afternoon reminding her of her promise and informing her that he had reached home now.  Lisa didn't respond to his message leaving him guessing about her intent. By 5 o'clock one of Laurence's chauffeurs dropped her off at the Parker mansion.

She walked towards the main building to meet Liam's parents first. The moment she entered the reception room, Liam's mom looked up from the couch where she was sitting with Liam's dad. Lisa felt very embarrassed and wanted to suddenly escape. Maybe she wasn't welcome here anymore after what had happened.

Eugene Parker smiled at her and got up from the couch, coming towards her with open arms. "What a pleasant surprise Lisa. Please come inside," she said, giving her a warm hug. Lisa smiled and hugged her back.

"Hello aunt Eugene, how are you?" She asked warmly.

"Oh I'm perfectly fine as always, dear," said Liam's mom.

"Hello Lisa, seeing you after a long time!" Said Eric Parker.

"Yes uncle Eric, so good to see you. Nothing has changed here much," she said looking around.

"I don't like change. The home should be a place you can relate to. You can't really have fond memories with a constantly changing home, " said aunt Eugene.

"Agree totally aunt Eugene. I love your home though, " said Lisa.

"Thank you dear," said aunt Eugene.

"So what have you decided to pursue now that you've graduated from school?" Asked uncle Eric.

Lisa spoke about her passion for music, the course that she had enrolled into. "Classes would be starting in ten days. I'm really looking forward to it," said Lisa with a fierce gleam in her eyes. It was obvious that she was crazy about music.

"It's really amazing. You have achieved what many cannot at such a young age. You should be proud of yourself, " said uncle Eric. Lisa felt so special. Liam's parents were so warm just as parents should be. She wished her parents were like them. Liam came rushing into the room, all breathless and excited as if he had been running down from his building.

"Hey Lisa when did you come?" He asked, with a genuine smile of happiness on his face as if he was relieved that she was here. Maybe he had thought that she wouldn't come.

"Just five minutes back," answered Lisa with a shy smile as Liam's parents watched them with an indulgent smile.

"Come on then. Let's go," said Liam with a smile at his mom. His dad chuckled and Liam's cheeks coloured a little.

Lisa shyly followed him outside the main building. "Did you come to chat with mom and dad or me?" He complained.

"All of you but mostly you, " she said but he caught her hand and pulled her along to his building.

"No, only me," he said possessively. Lisa grinned at him as he pulled her inside and then picked her up and easily climbed up the stairs to his room.

"Liam stop, put me down please. Someone will see us," she protested shyly.

"Let them see. They need to get used to seeing us together. You'll be moving in with me as it is after a few days," said Liam with a smirk.

"After your exams. By the way how did your exams go?" Asked Lisa as he reached his room and put her down.

"Good as always. So what did you do the whole day apart from missing me?" Asked Liam. 

She told him about the course she was enrolled into and about her delicious pizza treat with Laurence. "So you didn't miss me at all?" He asked with disappointment.

"Yes I did miss you," she admitted and Liam grinned at her.

"How much?" Asked Liam with curiosity.

"More than you can imagine. I've waited the whole day to be able to see you, " she said shyly. Liam pulled her into his arms, flush against his body, his eyes darkened with desire. 

"But I want more than just see you Lisa. I want to hold you close in my arms forever, I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want to,  I want to lay next to you and sleep with you in my arms. I just want you in my life. I'm tired of being away from you, " said Liam.  "This time I want you forever. Do you want me too?" He asked, his eyes portraying the deep longing and love that he felt for her.

"Yes Liam, I want to spend my life with you, I want everything only with you," she said resting her head on his chest. His arms felt like home to Lisa and she finally felt at peace as if this was where she belonged. In his arms, in his house. They made out a lot and chatted happily and Lisa wished him luck for his next examination and left with a promise to meet him the next day.

The next day, Lisa and Laurence went with Sandra to their previous house. "We will first check mom and dad's room," said Laurence.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Asked Lisa.  Sandra was in the kitchen, packing the expensive silverware and the designer crockery sets to be taken to Laurence's house.

"Anything which doesn't look right. I don't understand from where dad's getting the money to hire goons. I'm paying him exactly what he needs," said Laurence with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Beats me bro. Maybe he's selling things, " said Lisa with a shrug. She knew Laurence had gifted him diamond cufflinks many times in his birthdays.

"You might be right. He might be selling off the diamond cufflinks that I had gifted him throughout the years on his birthday," said Laurence. They started looking into the closet. Their mom had taken away nearly all her stuff leaving a few less expensive clothes and some outdated fashion accessories like stoles and handbags amongst other stuff. They didn't find anything in the entire closet.  Then they looked in the nightstand as well as the study desk and chest of drawers. They found nothing.

"We're just not looking in the right place," said Laurence.

"Yes you're right. We could check dad's study downstairs, " suggested Lisa.

"Great thinking Lisa. Let's go," said Laurence and they went downstairs to their dad's study but was disappointed to find it locked.

"Now what? Do we break in?" Asked Lisa.

"Why would you? I know where the keys are," said Sandra coming out of the kitchen seeing them struggle with the study door. She went to a cupboard right beneath the staircase and took out a bunch of keys. Then she selected a key and successfully opened the study door. "There you go," she said with a satisfied smile, going back to the kitchen to finish her work.

Laurence and Lisa walked into the room his dad had always forbidden everyone  to enter. "Lets start with the desk," suggested Laurence and Lisa nodded. They checked the drawers and found bank statements and investment papers and documents of the last five years. Then Laurence found some papers of their previous apartment in New York.  There were id proofs of his dad too. He picked up a photo copy of an identity card and a passport. He read the name on it.

Dan Creighton

The picture on it was of their dad. The date of issue of the passport was recent. What did it all mean? They looked at one another.