Page 17 of Bought By the Owner's Son
I walk out of Lucian’s gate with a half-hearted wave at the security man.
Goodbye…
Is this truly the end? Can I truly walk away from the man I love so fiercely?
My chest tightens painfully at the thought. That’s exactly the reason his betrayal feels so utterly painful. My heart is heavy, like a load is pressing down on it and I can’t breathe. Everything I knew about Lucian up until today told me he was a good man who was just jaded—but the evidence is there for all to see. There’s no way he wasn’t involved in Warren’s murder somehow.
I move one foot after the other, feeling like a zombie as my energy slowly wanes. A car stops beside me. “Where to, miss?”
“Pine Street,” I say softly as I slide onto the leather seat.
Distractedly, I close the car door, the image of Lucian’s shuttered expression replaying in my mind. It was fleeting, but for a second he looked like he was hurting, before he slammed his mask back in place. I desperately want to believe that he’s innocent, but I think it’s just my heart grasping at straws.
“You really should watch your surroundings,” a soft, foreboding voice says in the confines of the car.
My heart jolts hard, and before I can respond, I feel a tiny prick in my neck. My head swims, but not before I see the face of the doctor who checked on me at Lucian’s house. Then I slide into oblivion.
???
“Hmm…” I moan softly as I come awake. My head is on fire, like it’s being kicked repeatedly.
I really need a break from these headaches…
I open my eyes, blinking away the blur until I can see clearly enough to look around. I’m in a strange but luxurious office. The space is huge and all glass, except the marbled floor. I try to move, and that’s when I realize I’m tied to a chair at the center of the room.
“Hello?” I call out as loud as my pounding head will allow.
“Good. You’re awake. I was beginning to think I would have to take drastic measures,” a voice says from behind me. It’s firm and soft at the same time, in a way meant to put people at ease.
A tall, imposing figure slowly walks to stand before me. I gasp softly, my heart pounding hard. It’s Senator Walter. The last time I saw him he was standing over Warren back in that alleyway. But he had a more maniacal look in his eyes that night. Now, with the thinning white hair on his head and his sallow skin, he looks older. I guess time isn’t very forgiving.
He sits on the plush chair behind his desk and steeples his hands under his chin. “So, you’re the girl leading my son by his dick. I suppose you’re pretty enough,” he says with a dismissive wave.
His son?
My mind conjures the image of Lucian. I scrutinize the man before me, and it takes a lot for me to maintain composure and not gape in shock. Senator Walter is Lucian’s father! They’re the same height, and have the same piercing blue eyes. Only Senator Walter’s eyes are deceptively kind, while Lucian’s are more captivating and intense. That’s where the resemblance stops.
The man before me lets out a loud, hoarse laugh that turns into an incessant cough. “You didn’t know, did you?” he rasps, still smiling.
I frown.Why do they have different last names?
“You’re wondering why our names are different, right?” the Senator says, as if reading my mind. “Your preciousLuciandecided he didn’t want me for a father, and chose his mother’s maiden name. Imagine the embarrassment. I brought that ungrateful bastard into the world, and now he does everything he can to stay away from me,” he spits.
All I can think about is the visceral hatred Lucian has for his father. Which means that I might have misunderstood that photo.Oh, what have I done?
I remember the many times Lucian attempted to explain himself to me. I shut him down at every point. He told me his father is a powerful man, and now I see what he meant.
“Where’s the painting, girl?” the senator asks harshly, letting go of all pretense.
It’s another nail being driven into my coffin. Another unfounded accusation I made against Lucian. He didn’t tell his father anything.I really should have listened to what he had to say.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He slams a hand on the glass desk and I jump in fright. “Don’t mess with me, girl. My son should’ve kept a closer eye on you. I told him if he didn’t kill you, I would. But not before you tell me where you put the painting.”
Tears of frustration well up in my eyes and spill down my cheeks at the realization of what I’ve done. Lucian didn’t hurt or betray me. He showed me all sides of himself, baring it all to me. A man who didn’t allow himself to feel emotion because he believed he didn’t need it changed everything for me—and I broke his trust.
I don’t want to die with him thinking I hurt him. I don’t want him to go back to the shell of himself he once was.
