She's Mine [COMPLETE]

She's Mine: Chapter 25

Her eyes narrowed the more edges of his lips rose into his cheeks.

"Actually, I did speak to Blackwell before today's meeting. She did tell me that HR will be investigating my relationships with my co-workers. And of course, it was you to feel the need to randomly approach Blackwell with a matter that is completely irrelevant to the well-being of the company," Eliza proclaimed as calmly as she could.

He tilted his head down, "Oh... and is that it?"

"Eliza? Andrew... Is everything okay?" Troy huffedfrom behind.

"Everything would be fine if Mr. Louis would find a better way to be productive in the office," Eliza stated, not removing her eyes from her adversary.

"Productive?" Andrew scoffed.

"Mr. Daniels... my office. Now!" Blackwell shouted mid strutting past the trio and down the hall.

The three looked toward their superior in surprise, but Andrew was the first to turn and enjoy the delight in the fright on Eliza's face. Troy turned away from Blackwell and looked to Eliza who was staring at the ground with glassy eyes.

"Liza, what's going on?" Troy whispered.

"Liza?" Andrew snickered.

Troy instantly shifted his attention to the man taunting him, "There a reason you're still standing here, Mr. Louis?"

"I was just wondering if our boss was okay. She didn't seem herself in the meeting, and I was going to inquire about being able to assist–"

"Get the correctly updated finances for last quarter on my desk in the next hour," Troy barked. "That is where your time needs to be spent. If you had been paying attention to our meeting or even taking notes you would have heard about the issues showing up in our latest quarterly returns."

Andrew's fists clenched in his pockets, and Eliza was quick to notice how Troy observed Andrew's gesture and squared his shoulders with Andrew's.

"Troy, everything is okay. Andrew, I suggest you follow your superior's request immediately," she insisted, still cautiously observing a side of Troy she was sure she didn't want to release itself from it's restraints.

Andrew forced air from his nostrils before he angrily rolled his eyes from the duo and turned away to the elevator.

Eliza put her hands over her face unable to hide how overwhelmed she was. Of course, Troy's instincts told him to comfort her, but she stepped away and quietly insisted that he hurry to Blackwell's office. Troy took another look toward the man he was prepared to send a fist into if necessary. Andrew was in front of the elevator, but he was happily pointing a dark-gray haired woman, dressed in a pant suit, in Eliza and Troy's direction.

Troy squinted in question, wondering why Andrew was suddenly so pleased. But his question was answered within seconds.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for an Eliza Kelly?" the woman began with a smile.

Eliza opened her eyes in surprise and nodded, "I'm Eliza Kelly. How may I help you?"

The delightful woman reached into her pocket of her suit's blazer and pulled out an envelope. She extended it to Eliza, "I have legal documents for your attention."

Eliza stared at the envelope and then back at the woman. Reaching out to finally take the package, she whispered, "Okay."

"Thank you. Have a good day," she smiled, before turning around to take her leave.

"Don't open that," Troy insisted with foresight.

Eliza shook her head in a panic and ripped open the envelope. She frantically scanned over the printed message and gasped.

"Eliza?" Troy groaned with sadness.

Her hands continued to shake when she finally looked up to him. Troy swiftly entered her office and grabbed her phone. Then, he promptly rushed the stricken woman to his office and put her phone in her hands.

Placing his hands on her cheeks, he spoke carefully, "Call Emmy, now. Call her right now and don't do anything else until I come back. Do you understand?"

Tears began to stream down her face, but he quickly wiped them away, "You understand me?"

Eliza finally nodded, and Troy quickly exited his office.

"Eliza, honey! How are you doing?! Wait... let me tell you what little Miss Lulu did this morning,..." Emmy snickered.

"What did she do?" Eliza whispered, her lips quivering and unable to form a smile.

"I tried to... Eliza? You don't sound right," Emmy quickly noted.

When Emmy didn't get a response, she demanded Eliza speak up.

"I was just served a summons to appear in court over Lulu. He wants custody of her," Eliza finally confessed.

Emmy's expression dropped and she looked to the small, messy baby eating mashed peas for the first time off of her fists. It was shocking, yet unsurprising what Emmy just heard. Within seconds she removed her attention from little Lulu, and gripped the phone tightly.

"Now you listen, and you listen carefully. Go on with your day as though nothing happened. You finish your day's work and you bring yourself home, you hear? What he wants to do is disturb you inside and out, but you have to let him know that you won't be moved by the temptation to break! You will be fine, believe it!"

Eliza cried until she was able to say she was okay. There was no way that she would be able to look at her agenda and understand what any of it meant. She was devastated at the thought of her daughter's life becoming complicated

She sat down on Troy's couch and read the paper over and over again. Eliza was unsure of what was happening, and as Troy rushed back into his office, he couldn't tell either.

His own anger subsided when he took a look a pair vacant eyes he didn't want to remember. He wanted to call her by name, but he kept his lips together. Instead of talking, he simply pulled out his wallet and searched as he neared the unspirited woman. He pulled out a thick piece of small cardstock and placed the business card in her hand.