NOVEL NEXT Chapter 538: An old story
The clouds were covering the city and, in fear of a sudden storm, Lara had brought the kids back to the company. As soon as they had passed the door, the reception girls beamed.
She left the cubs with them, telling them to bring the twins to Nate. They assured her they would do it after playing just a little.
Weirdly enough, the girls weren't annoyed by the interruption. If anything, they suddenly liked kids. Was their motherly instinct waking up?
Lara didn't know, and it was the wrong moment to inquire. However, seeing the pack act normally and even date made her sigh in relief. As if a heavy burden had been lifted from them all.
She erased those thoughts from her mind and returned, to Luther. They hadn't talked yet. Playing with the twins had taken their full attention.
«There's a place where we can have coffee and a chat,» she said.
They sat in a corner not too far from the exit.
«I talked with my father, a few days ago,» Lara said when she was ready. «He said something that made me wonder.»
«What did he say?»
«He said that he's not my father.»
Luther sighed. «I don't know if he's your father, but I've looked at you as my niece since you were born. It won't change now. We're family, aren't we?»
«He also said that my real father was a violent man who's in jail,» she added.
«It's Grace's fault. She's the one who came up with that story. She had the plan since before, but I guess she talked about it with your father only after deciding to take my company away.»
«What happened?» Lara inquired. «And when did everything start, for me to be in between your struggles like this.»
«Actually, it started before you were born. Your father and Grace met a couple of years before getting married. At first, she tried convincing me to marry her, saying she was carrying my child but... It was not possible. She claimed we slept together when I got drunk once, but I'm quite sure it didn't happen. Still, she insisted on it until she realised I wouldn't fall for it.
She then moved her eyes from me to your father.»
«And the child?»
«There was no child. Just one of her lies. Luckily, she didn't need much plotting to convince Steve to marry her. Somehow, they were made for each other. Do you want to know what she told me the day before the wedding?»
«I'm not sure, uncle.»
«She said I would regret not marrying her when I had the chance.»
«Figures,» Lara sighed. «And did you regret it?»
«Of course not. I went to prison and stayed there for twenty years, but now I'm free. Your father, on the other hand, is stuck with her for life. He won't be free unless he dies.»
«He doesn't want to be free, I guess.»
«Poor fool. But he chose that kind of life for himself. I warned him to be sure before choosing a woman to share his life with, but he was young and in love. Or he just thought that a woman making decisions for him was easier than being the one with that responsibility. It's always been like that, between them.»
«Then, what happened after the wedding?»
«I lived in the same house as them because they had no money to buy one to Grace's taste. When you were born, I was happy to have a distraction from them. You were so cute and would look at me and laugh every time. It made up for every disruption to my habits.»
«I remember we used to play together. It's just a cloudy memory of when I was very little.»
«I had more and more arguments with Grace about trivial things. She said they needed calm with a child in the house, so I shouldn't continue with my lifestyle any longer. That I should avoid talking out loud not to frighten you, that I shouldn't torment a baby for too long... She didn't like that I loved you, somehow. It became unbearable, and I couldn't blame you for it.
You were just a victim, and the more Grace tried using you as an excuse to make me hate you, the more I love you. However, for everyone's peace, I took an apartment in Norwich and spent some time here. I went back to Sheton only sometimes, often during the weekend. Even if my company was there.
I gave Steve more responsibilities to make up for my absence and had some fun travelling the world or meeting with Nate's father, Robert.»
«What happened then? Did my mother find out and decide she also wanted to be friends with the Woods?»
«Not at all. My friendship with Robert was pretty much a secret. The press didn't know, and I also thought it wasn't your parents' business.»
«So... Why?»
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«Grace asked me to give even more responsibilities to Steve and higher pay. What he got wasn't enough for their lifestyle. But I couldn't... He was not ready, and he wasn't all that useful to the company, to be honest. When I refused, she had that same face. The one when she told me I would regret it.
However, she didn't say anything because your father was too close and would hear. But it was clear.»
«So, she's always been greedy,» Lara commented. «She's always wanted more and more.»
«She was jealous that I could attend those parties she wished to see. She told me to get an invite for them too, a couple of times. But why would I?»
«Sure,» Lara sighed. «She was so demanding with you, uncle.»
«I didn't know she told Steve that you were my child. If I knew, I might have understood better why my brother betrayed me so badly. He might be greedy, but not as much as to send me to prison and ruin my life. He would have just taken my company, but not more than that. This explains things a little better.»