Chapter 74
“Oh, fuck me. What the fuck are you doing here, Dad?”
The word “Dad” came out sounding more like an insult than a title, dripping with venom and years of accumulated resentment.
Luca looked at her with bloodshot eyes, a smile that didn’t reach anywhere near genuine spreading across his unshaven face. “Oh, I came to see my wife.”
“You came to see your wife?” Elara repeated, her voice filled with sarcasm. “Or you came to collect money from your wife?”
She walked up to him, getting close enough to see the stains on his wrinkled shirt, the way his hands shook slightly. He looked worse than the last time she’d seen him, if that was even possible.
“Please leave that woman alone,” Elara said, her voice low and still respectful even though rage was building in her chest. “You’ve done so much damage to this family. You’re only visiting her now because you know she has a little money for upkeep. You’ll come here until you drain her of everything, won’t you?”
Luca’s smile faded slightly, replaced by something meaner.
“Luca, leave us alone,” Elara continued, refusing to call him Dad again. “What else do you want from us? I’m going to have to inform the security to stop letting you in.”
She turned to walk away, done with this conversation before it could escalate any further. But just as she’d guessed, just as she’d known deep down would happen, Luca’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
Hard. Hard enough that’ll leave marks for some couple of hours.
“You don’t dare speak to me that way, do you hear me?” His grip tightened, fingers digging into her skin. “Just because you’ve whored yourself out to your rich boss does not give you the guts to speak to me that way.”
Elara shifted back, trying to put distance between them. He was her father, unfortunately, but sorry, his breath absolutely reeked of alcohol. The smell was overpowering, making her stomach turn. She’d never hated anyone the way she hated this man. For all the pain he’d caused them. For all the years of suffering and debt and fear. For the way he’d destroyed their family and then had the audacity to act like he was the
victim.
“By the way,” Luca continued, his tone shifting like he was trying to have a conversation, like they were discussing the weather instead of standing in a hospital hallway with him gripping her arm like a vice. “So you got married? I had to hear it from a friend who saw your pictures online.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “You got married to a rich man and you didn’t think he’s supposed to come meet “me? At least give me my share for giving birth to you? As your father?”
Elara stared at him in disbelief. Share? Share of what exactly?
“So it’s because of him you haven’t been to the house for more than two months?” Luca was on a roll now, his voice getting louder. “You’re now living in a big mansion, right? Living the good life while your father struggles?”
14:57 Mon, May 11
Chapter 74
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He released her arm and took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest like he was about to deliver some grand proclamation.
“That’s fine. No problem. I don’t have a problem with you living comfortably. But I’ll have to live comfortably too, don’t you think?”
Elara’s stomach dropped. Ohh she knew where this was going.
“Now that I’ve seen you,” Luca said, his eyes gleaming with joy and greed and desperation, “you’ll have to schedule a meeting with your husband so we can all sit down and discuss how you’ll settle me amicably. So I can leave your life and go live my life comfortably.”
He gestured vaguely, like he was already imagining the money in his hands. “Besides, I heard he’s one of the richest men here in New York. So a couple million isn’t too much, now is it? Just a couple million and I’ll disappear. You’ll never have to see me again.”
“Oh my God,” Elara breathed, taking another step back. The audacity. The absolute nerve of this man.
“Just listen to yourself,” she said, her voice rising. “Can you hear yourself? Are you not even ashamed?”
Luca opened his mouth to respond, but Elara cut him off.
“Listen, there’s no sitting down or introduction going to happen between you and my husband. For all I even care to acknowledge, you don’t exist to me, Luca. You don’t.”
She emphasized his name again, refusing to give him the dignity of being called her father.
“Please leave this family alone,” she said, her voice breaking slightly despite her best efforts to stay strong. “Just leave us alone, you’ve done enough damage.”
She turned and walked away before he could grab her again, before he could say anything else that would make her lose the last shred of composure she was desperately clinging to.
Her heels clicked against the hospital floor as she made her way to the security desk near the entrance. The two guards on duty looked up when they saw her approaching, one of them standing immediately.
“Yes, ma’am? Is everything alright?”
Elara pointed back down the hallway where Luca was still standing, watching her with that same bitter expression.
“That man,” she said, making sure her voice was clear and firm. “He isn’t one of the approved visitors for my mother. I don’t understand why he’s always being allowed in. From today forward, do not let him through these doors again. He’s not to visit anyone on this floor. Do you understand?”
The guard nodded immediately. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll make a note in the system. He won’t be allowed past this point anymore.”
“Thank you.”
Elara didn’t wait for further confirmation. She walked out of the hospital entrance into the cold February air, her hands shaking as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself.
The driver was already waiting by the car. He saw her coming and immediately opened the back door.
14:57 Mon, May
Chapter 74
“Everything okay, ma’am?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.
“Fine,” Elara lied, climbing into the backseat. “Just take me out of here, please.”
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Through the car window, she could see Luca still standing there in the hospital entrance. Just standing there, watching as the car pulled away from the curb.
His expression was unreadable from this distance, but Elara could imagine it clearly. That mixture of bitterness and entitlement and rage that he wore so well.
She turned away, refusing to give him even one more second of her attention.
The car drove off, leaving him behind.
AD
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