Chapter 25 Throw Under the Bus

Mark Pattinson did not know what she was going to do but he followed either way. Lyla got into a toy store. Upon mountains of toys, she found a beautiful mermaid princess toy. Mark walked over, looked at her and said, “What are you looking at?” Lyla pointed at the toy in front of her. It was a mermaid princess toy. It had long blonde, and curly hair, with a fish for it’s lower half. It was a cute design; human torso and a fish’s lower half. “This it?” Mark asked. Lyla nodded. She took it over and said, “It is every little girl’s dream to be a princess. It is one of the things they consider a dream.” At that moment, a dreamy smile appeared on Lyla’s face. Unknowingly, when he saw that smiling face of hers, Mark felt something special. He could not help but compare the little girl, Gretel, with Lyla Lowe. They were just too similar. “This is the one. Is it alright?” Mark nodded. At that moment, a service crew came over with a smile. Mark nodded towards him and said, “Pack this up please. We’re picking this one.” “As you wish, sir.” The service crew smiled and took the toy for packaging. Lyla was smiling. She felt something that she could not describe inside of her. She had witnessed a scene so rare, the scene of Mark Pattinson actually behaving sincerely. Even though he did not pick out the present himself, he did, with all intention and purpose, come out to buy a good present. The question was who was the recipient and what is she to him? After concluding their present shopping, the two went out together. “President Pattinson, may I ask you a question?” Lyla asked as they walked. “Speak.” As expected of a man of few words. “Why me?” said Lyla, unable to contain the curiosity she had inside her. “Ugh? It’s because… Because you’re a person who seems to have their eyes to the pavement,” Mark said with a smirk. Lyla immediately frowned. “Excuse me? That just means I’m being nosy and distasteful!” “Well, you said it. Not me,” Mark retorted with a scoff. “What’s that reaction? So this is how it felt like… you’re biting the hands of the person who helped you!” Lyla was furious. He was just too heartless! “Heh!” Mark let out a laugh. “I’m actually throwing you under the bus!” “What bus?!” Lyla rolled her eyes. ‘I’d throw you under a real bus!’ Naturally, she would never say what she thought out loud or the evil, rotten president would have her for tea time. Mark’s mood was great then. He walked towards his car briskly. Lyla, on the other hand, was steaming badly, as she followed. As it was already almost five, most of the people in the company were about to finish their work and clock out. Mark glanced at the time and said, “By the time we get back to the company, everyone would have clocked out. I will send you back home straight away.” Lyla nodded. She pulled the seatbelt and fastened it. “Do what you like. Hmph.” Even though the woman was angry; her face was puffing with red hue, Mark felt funny. How could she be so old and yet behave like a child sometimes? He kept quiet and started the car. Unbeknownst to Lyla, Mark Pattinson felt some form of similarity between her and the little girl, Gretel. One was older and the other, younger. The smart yet cunning cuteness about them was the same! “President, if you may, I’d like to go back alone,” Lyla suddenly spoke up when they were halfway to her place. Mark Pattinson was slightly taken aback. He glanced at her and saw Lyla was just smiling at him. There were times when Mark Pattinson fails to see through someone. He had no idea what the woman was thinking about. She was always behaving differently. Sometimes, she was smart and other times, she just smiled as if she was harmless. Mark stirred from his stupor and said, “We can’t stop the car here. It’s fine. Since I was the one that invited you out, it is only customary for me to send you home.” After that, he hit the accelerator harder and drove faster. Lyla could only guess what Mark Pattinson was thinking. Sometimes, the more you object to something, the more curious one becomes. In the end, Lyla chose to be quiet. She stared out from the windows, looking at how buildings and objects fleeting away. At that moment, she could only silently pray, hoping that her little Hansel would not be out! It was only when they reached below the apartment when Lyla snapped back to reality. She had no idea how she could explain herself if her two little darlings were to be there. Furthermore, they were not the kind of children that she could confuse. The worst of the worse, what if Mark Pattinson saw Hansel? How could she explain herself out of it!? When that thought came to mind, Lyla’s eyelids started to twitch on their own. When the car stopped at the bottom of the apartment, Lyla swiftly unlatched her seatbelt. “President Pattinson, thank you for sending me back home. Good bye,” she said before she got out of the car. What she was doing, gave the impression to Mark that she was treating him as a carnivorous beast, so scary that she wanted to leave as soon as possible. That feeling was something he hated but it was something he could not truly express or talk about. “Lyla Lowe, are you really going to treat your employer like that?” Mark said as he looked at her after he rolled down the window. Lyla was stunned. She turned around and said, “Whatever do you mean?” “I’m already here. Perhaps a cup of tea would not be too much trouble?” Words failed Lyla at that moment. ‘I spent the entire afternoon picking out a present for you and you didn’t even buy me a meal. And now he wants me to invite him up for a cup of tea?’ That being said, that was not important. The primary factor was the miniature version of Mark sitting at home… She was not sure if Mark Pattinson was her children's biological father. That said, before she could have a solid answer to it, she would not want them to meet each other. “President, I’m truly sorry. Another time, perhaps?” said Lyla with a smile. She was a smart woman. How could she not know what Mark meant by having a cup of tea? It had never happened to him; it was always Mark declining someone else’s invitation somewhere, and not the woman declining his invite. At that point, Mark Pattinson scoffed coldly. He started the car and drove off. As dust settled, Lyla frowned. ‘Was he mad?’ Whatever happened, it was best for Lyla to head straight home. Fortunately, the two little darlings were not around, else she would have to crack her brain to figure out an explanation. It was not wrong to say that the two little darlings were the chiefs of mischiefs that she could never play with.