Chapter 648 Raymond Admits He Likes Lisa
San Francisco's Harmony Group underground garage was known as the safest spot in one of the sketchiest areas due to its location in a bustling area with heavy vehicle traffic.
Raymond pulled into his usual spot, hopped out, and grabbed a bag full of snacks, toys, and milk.
As he walked through the garage door, the place was lit up and filled with slides and toys for kids.
Raymond had someone set up this playground overnight just for the kids.
He didn't want the three of them to feel too miserable being stuck here.
"Uncle!" Justin slid down and ran over, grinning from ear to ear.
Raymond smiled, scooping him up and handing him a bottle of milk. "Got this for you, buddy."
Justin's first instinct was to offer it back. "You drink first."
Raymond chuckled, ruffling Justin's hair. "Nah, I don't like sweet stuff."
Justin popped the straw into the milk and dashed over to Casey, who was in a tug-of-war with Joe over a toy. "Casey, have some milk."
Casey let go of the toy, beaming as he took the milk.
Joe huffed. "Justin, that's not fair."
Justin handed Joe a bottle too, trying to keep the peace. "Come on, Joe, be nice. Let him have it."
Joe and Casey exchanged glares, both turning away with a huff.
Raymond glanced around, not seeing Lisa. "Where's your mom?"
Casey looked around too. "I think she's in the room."
Raymond grabbed a bottle of milk and headed towards the bedroom.
He knocked, but there was no answer.
The door was ajar, so he pushed it open and stepped inside.
Lisa was on the bed, face down, crying into a pillow, trying to keep quiet.
Probably didn't want the kids to hear.
Raymond leaned against the door frame, smiling. "What's with the tears? Aren't you the fearless eldest daughter of the Douglas family?"
Lisa stiffened, wiped her tears, and sat up, trying to look composed. "You don't have to mock me."
She wasn't the proud Douglas daughter anymore; she'd been a joke for years.
To hide her insecurities, she flaunted her status, fearing she'd lose it all, retreating to her dark, shabby apartment. She worried Jordan wouldn't love her and others would look down on her.
Pretending all the time wore her out, making her feel like a clown, clinging to a false identity.
Raymond straightened up and walked over. "I wasn't mocking you."
"I know you're all laughing at me. Ethan's looked down on me since we were kids, and his friends are even worse," Lisa said, turning away stubbornly.
She used to act tough and proud, the superior Douglas daughter. But now, her last facade was gone, and she felt utterly humiliated.
Her true identity would come out eventually. The Taylor family would turn on her, forcing Jordan to divorce her, ditching their three-month agreement.
Everything she was proud of—a good husband, a good family—would vanish.
She'd become a laughingstock in San Francisco's socialite circle, trampled and ridiculed like Jasmine once was.
But she saw it as her punishment.
Back then, she knew Jasmine was framed but chose to ignore it. Now she had to live through the same ordeal, and it felt like justice.
"The once fierce eldest daughter of the Douglas family is compromising? Reduced to hiding and crying?" Raymond asked with a smirk.
Lisa snorted, staying silent.
She had nothing to say.
Back then, Ethan and his friends always looked down on her and Daniel, accusing them of taking Ethan's home.
She cried a lot because of them, but eventually, she toughened up.
She learned to fight back, to show her claws.
She knew Raymond hated her.
Their beef went way back to high school.
One time, Lisa got pranked by one of Ethan's friends, getting drenched by a bucket of water as soon as she walked in.
Raymond came over to see Ethan, and as soon as he stepped inside, Lisa, with red eyes, ran out holding the bucket and splashed him all over.
Raymond would never forget it—Lisa, soaking wet, trembling with anger, her eyes wide open, almost crying. "You guys are too much. I'm the eldest daughter of the Douglas family. How dare you do this to me? I'll have my dad kick you out!"
Of course, after she said that, everyone laughed at her.
The Douglas family rightfully belonged to Ethan. How could she act so high and mighty?
But Raymond didn't laugh. He just looked at her, not saying a word.
In the end, he threw a towel to Lisa, and she ran away crying.
Raymond walked over, popped a straw into the milk, and handed it to her. "Here, have some milk, Lisa."
Lisa glared at him, her eyes just like they were back in the day.
Actually, Lisa wasn't all bad, and neither was Daniel; Raymond knew that.
But she was Claire's daughter, and with Ethan in the picture, Raymond could never be with her.
Even though he admitted he had feelings for Lisa.
"I don't like sweet things," Lisa said coldly. She didn't like sweet things because Jordan didn't like them and never bought them for her. To keep up her high-class image, she stubbornly said she didn't like them either.
But Raymond knew she loved milk. "Drink it. No one's gonna laugh at you here. You don't have to carry the Douglas family name. You're just Casey's mom."
Lisa was taken aback, looking up at Raymond. "If you want to mock me, you can say something worse."
"You're too defensive." Raymond smiled. "Do you think I'm against you? Ethan risked his life to save your son."
Raymond sighed, lazily sitting next to her, staring into the distance. "I guess I'm the one stuck in the past."
Lisa didn't get what Raymond was saying, but she took the milk and had a sip. It was good.
But she couldn't show it; she was supposed to be a high-class socialite.
But then she thought, she wasn't anymore.
She was just Casey's mom now.
"Ethan." Lisa choked up and then corrected herself. "I'm not his sister. I don't deserve it."
"But he acknowledges you and Casey." Raymond looked at her.
Lisa suddenly couldn't hold it in, turning her head away, covering her eyes with her elbow, and crying.
Raymond lay on the bed, saying nothing, not comforting her, just listening to her cry.
After crying enough, life had to go on.
But Ethan didn't know when he would come back.
"After you're done crying, help Ethan with something. Jasmine asked me to tell you: she's gonna send Claire to prison, which she deserves. If you want to help, cry and call Mark, say Jasmine is crazy and hurt you and Casey." Raymond reached out and tugged Lisa's long hair, smiling.
He used to like teasing Lisa by pulling her hair.
It was pretty childish back then.
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