Page 126 of My Damaged Protector

How dare he say that to me?

“You have no idea what you're talking about!” I snap.

He nods and looks at me for a few seconds before he shrugs. “Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I mean, why would a daughter refuse to save her own father?” he asks dramatically, painting it like I'm a terrible person and raising his voice while at it.

“Keep your voice down!”

“Should I? Well, maybe I should, given the fact that I'm about to give you a good reason to save our father and it won't matter what made you change your mind in the first place.”

At least he's finally saying why he's here. What he doesn't know is that nothing can make me change my mind about saving Neville. It's not in my hands anymore.

“Peter, I?—”

“Kyle Austen.” He says the name arrogantly, that stupid smile back on his face.

I can't help the gasp that leaves my mouth.

There's no way he knows!

“I see I'm getting somewhere. Are you going to save our father now, or do I have to fast forward to the point where I tell you I'm going tell Kyle that you have a daughter with him, and you've been hiding her existence for over ten years?”

If I've ever wondered what it feels like to have a rug pulled out from under my feet and to fall flat on my face with no help in sight, what I'm feeling right now can't be worse.

“Peter…”

“Save it! You had the chance to do what was right, but you refused to because you're still angry that he left you for us all those years ago, and you want to make him pay.”

What?

He thinks I'm doing this for revenge?

“That's not true,” I protest.

“Then what is true? Were you not in a relationship with Kyle Austen twelve years ago? Did you not use his power and influence to sell your silly books and then run away a year later without informing him that you were pregnant? Or did you think your relationship with him was so private no one would find out?”

All I can do is stare at him as he rages on. Ian was right. This is a man I never should have underestimated.

If he goes to Kyle with this, I'm dead. Not only that, Olivia's life may as well be over. Kyle will taint her.

No way I'm ever letting that happen.

“What do you want?”

“You know what I want!”

“Well, I can't give you that.”

“I think you're still confused about who's in charge here. I don't care what you can do. You will save my father from dying, or I will tell Kyle Austen about his daughter that you've been keeping away from him all this while.”

His father?

He just doesn't get it.

Does he think I wouldn't save the man if I could?

He's just too clouded with emotions to see reason. Maybe if I appeal to his humanity, he will see things my way. Of course, I'll have to tell him the truth, though.

Can I trust him with that?

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