Page 161 of Set me Free

Ihadn’t stepped foot into my office at Bradshaw Legacy Group, since the day he and my mother told us about their divorce. It used to be a place of security for me, a space where I’d sit across from him as he worked, watching the way he commanded a room without raising his voice. Now, as I stood outside the heavy oak doors, I felt nothing but a pit in my stomach.

I inhaled sharply before pushing the doors open.

The room smelled of mahogany and leather, just as it always had, but something felt... off. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was the fact that the man I once thought was invincible, a man who built our family name on loyalty and discipline, was just as flawed as the rest of us.

My daddy sat behind his large glass desk reviewing a stack of papers, but when he saw me, he immediately set them aside. His eyes softened, a small, hesitant smile appearing as he gestured for me to sit.

“I wasn’t sure when you’d come,” he admitted, voice laced with something I couldn't quite name. Guilt? Relief? “I’m glad you’re here.”

I sat down slowly, my body tense, arms crossed as I studied him. My father always carried himself with an air of confidence, but today, he looked... tired. The man who once stood as a pillar of power looked like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“I wasn’t sure if I ever would,” I said honestly, my voice void of emotion.

He exhaled deeply, leaning forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “I understand.”

Silence filled the space between us, heavy and suffocating.

I swallowed; my throat tight. “I just need to know… why?” My voice cracked slightly, but I held my ground. “Why would you risk everything? Our family, your marriage—Mommy?”

His jaw tensed; his fingers laced together. “Serenity, I never wanted to hurt your mother. I never wanted to hurt any of you.”

“But you did,” I shot back, my voice rising. “Youdid, Daddy. And you didn’t just cheat, you had akid—an entire child outside of your marriage! How the hell does that happen?”

Lenox rubbed his face, sighing. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. I was weak, I made a mistake?—”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Amistake?” My hands clenched into fists on my lap. “You were out here making comments and judging Creed after he cheated when you were doing theexact same thingbehind Mommy’s back. How does that even make sense?”

His eyes flickered with shame. “I know.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I know I have no right to have said anything to you about Creed. I was a hypocrite. And I’m sorry.”

I scoffed, looking away as tears burned the back of my eyes. “Do you know how hard it’s been to look at you?” My voicetrembled. “To hear you say you love me, that you love our family, knowing you betrayed it?”

His face twisted with pain. “Serenity, I love you more than anything in this world. That will never change.”

“But you changed,” I said, finally meeting his gaze. “You’re not the man I thought you were. And I don’t know how to be okay with that.”

He let out a deep breath, nodding. “I don’t expect you to forgive me overnight. I don’t even expect you to forgive me at all. But I need you to know that I regret what I did. Every single day. If I could go back and undo it, I would. But I can’t.” He leaned forward. “I lost your mother, and I might be losing you and Sevyn too, but I will never stop fighting to be in your life. No matter how long it takes.”

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you,” I whispered, voice shaking. “I don’t know if Iwantto.”

His face broke, but he nodded in understanding. “I get it,” he murmured. “I do.”

I inhaled sharply, sitting up straighter, steadying myself. “And don’t expect me to have a relationship with that little boy.”

His brows furrowed. “Serenity?—”

“No,” I cut him off, voice firm. “I’mnotinterested in meeting him, in playing big sister, in pretending any of this is okay. That child represents everything that shattered this family. And Ican’tbe a part of it.” He sighed heavily, but he didn’t argue. “Mommy didn’t deserve this,” I whispered. “She deserved so much better.”

“I know,” he said softly, his eyes glistening. “And if I could take back every tear, she’s shed because of me, I would. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I pray one day, you can see me as the father I was before I messed up.”

I stood, my chair scraping against the floor. My chest felt tight, my emotions threatening to consume me, but I forced myself to stand tall.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to,” I admitted, voice low. “But Idoknow that I love you. That much hasn’t changed.”

His lips parted slightly, as if my words were both a relief and a knife to the heart. “I love you too, baby girl.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat before I turned to leave. I didn’t look back.

---