NOVEL NEXT Chapter 536: Questions
Nate was confused by what Lara and her father were saying to each other. As confused as to tilt his head.
He was her father, there was no doubt. Steve was the man closest to Lara he had ever met. The two looked alike and had something in common in their scent. Lara resembled Steve so much more than she resembled Grace.
However, he didn't interfere. The two were talking as if Luther was the one, but Nate was sure he wasn't. He wouldn't say it out loud, for who could believe a wolf's instinct? But the DNA tests could confirm his claims.
It didn't matter, actually. Lara's birth parents had abandoned her, losing any right to claim her as their daughter. Her real father's identity was a matter of secondary importance. Even if it gave Steve an alibi, Nate couldn't forgive him. And he hoped Lara wouldn't either.
«Let's go,» he said. They had told Steve what they wanted to, and he feared Lara would break down after the news.
«Sure,» she said. She stepped away from him, leaving him in the cold of that room. She reached the wall and observed the pictures.
Nate feared that the plan was working, that she was changing her mind. He couldn't stop her from forgiving her parents if she wanted to. He couldn't take her away and lock her somewhere safe. Discover more stories at empire
He kept his breath while waiting for some revealing words. However, Lara said nothing.
She just started collecting the pictures.
«What are you doing?» Steve asked before Nate could do it.
«I'm taking my things with me. Those are mine, and you clearly have no attachment to my pictures. As for publishing them, I'll sue you next time you send anything to the press. You do not have permission to publish my pictures... My image is mine to manage.»
At the word sue, Steve seemed to halt. He let her collect the pictures and take them out of the frames. He wanted to say to keep those as well, but he wasn't too interested.
Grace was going to be furious about it, but he couldn't stop Lara. Not in front of Nate Woods.
«By the way, I am your daughter,» Lara said. «Grace lied about it.»
«You can't be sure,» he replied.
«Then don't say anything to my mother and do the test. I'll leave you my hair if you want. I am your daughter because my uncle wouldn't be as irresponsible as to let you raise his child.»
She passed her hand through her hair and left the strands on the table. She didn't know whether Steve would have the courage to do anything behind his wife's back, but she didn't care enough to wonder longer than a second.
«Even if I'd prefer not, I am your daughter,» she said. «Sometimes, I wish someone else was my parent. But it's not possible. It would be too nice to hear that I was in this family by mistake. Life is never that easy.»
She turned and took a step, glancing at Nate to confirm he was following. They got out and reached the car in silence.
She stopped in front of the car and looked back one last time. That had been her home once, but it felt strange after six years. It felt like in the far past, so irrelevant. It was a little sad, but she had no fault in it.
«Imagine if I still had a family,» she said, almost like reading Nate's thoughts.
«Let's get on the road while we talk,» he murmured, opening the door for her. «We're in the open.»
She agreed and followed his instructions, getting comfortable on the seat before continuing with the conversation.
«If I had a family, my kids would have more relatives. But that would also mean living in a lie. If they knew you were my kids' father, they would have been clingy and used you in any way possible. I'm so glad it didn't happen.»
«Lara, it wouldn't be your fault,» he pointed out. «And I'm not as weak!»
«No, I didn't mean it like that! Just, my family would be around all the time, trying to gain the most out of it. It would be annoying, to say the least.»
«Do you want me to investigate what actually happened around your uncle?» Nate said. «There's more to the story than we think. We can guess what your mother said, but it's never too careful to look into it a little better. Just in case.»
«Unfortunately, I agree,» she sighed. «I'm worried about the twins. They're growing attached to him. It's better to know what happened before and how much my uncle is guilty. Steve said he was a violent man... I'd like to know what he meant by it.
I just hope it was all a lie my mother told him. Even though I can't imagine why.»
«Don't hurt yourself with this, Lara. You'll be next to me when the report is ready. We will listen together to the story.»
«As for my part, I can talk with my uncle alone. I'll ask him, Nate.»
«There's no need to be involved with him before knowing the kind of man he is.»
«I know him.»
«Not enough. Twenty years are enough to change a person, let alone when they're spent in prison.»
Lara's eyes turned dim at that realisation. She needed to protect her family and her kids. But she also didn't want to love the only member of her family she had left. It would destroy her a second time.
«Tell your people to hurry up,» she said. «I want to know it soon so that I have time to consider what to do next. If Luther is dangerous, we can't let him close to the twins.»
«Sure. Now you're influenced by many emotions. It's better to let everything settle, or you're going to hurt later.»
«I'm fine.»
«You are, but I have to take care of you,» Nate pointed out. «Would you like to have dinner together, only you and I?»
«Such a nice idea,» she said. Seeing the kids before calming down was out of the question, either way.