Lucas slowly lifted his head when he didn’t hear Bella saying anything. He was worried that Bella would despise him even more.
"Please don’t feel burdened, Bella. I understand and won’t force you to forgive ," Lucas said with a smile, trying to break the coldness between them.
"No, I don’t feel burdened. I just feel weird speaking to you now."
Lucas frowned slightly. "Weird? Please, Bella. I no longer have the will and energy to lie to you. I have co to terms with how now I have to pay the consequences of everything I did to you and your mother."
"Okay. But you have to understand why I feel that way. I feel like I’m talking to soone else," Bella gave him a half-hearted smile.
Bella smiled bitterly when she saw him smile. She continued, "This is the first ti you are talking to without being angry or glaring at . Also, hearing you apologize and beg for forgiveness, hearing those words from you sounds foreign to . Almost felt unreal."
Lucas could only smile at her, unable to say anything because what she said was true. Even he felt like he didn’t know who he was now. He felt so strange, so lost, and so weak!
Once again, they both stare at each other silently.
Lucas Donovan slumped back, consud by his sorrow.
anwhile, Bella struggled to remind herself not to be swayed by her father’s sudden change. She didn’t want to forgive him easily.
After several minutes passed, Bella finally broke the silence. She turned her gaze back to Lucas Donovan.
"Even though you have changed now, try to show that you’ve beco a better person and ask for forgiveness. But... I’m sorry, I won’t forgive you," Bella said firmly. However, she felt like there was a lump in her throat as she spoke.
Lucas nodded slightly, agreeing with her. He said nothing but turned his gaze away to hide his teary eyes.
"Father, what you did to my mother is too much for to forgive you. Even if my mind wanted to, my heart did not. I feel pain every ti I rember how you tortured and hurt your own wife!"
Bella said in a casual tone, trying hard not to show her sadness, but it was too difficult. Her anger was still reflected in her gaze.
She clenched her fists tightly before continuing to express what she wanted to say to him.
"And, even though you are my father, I will not make an exception for you. Like my uncles, I won’t keep you in this company either. I’m sorry, but you must relinquish your COO position..." Bella’s words faded when she spotted a brown box on her father’s desk.
’Huh! He already packed his things...’ Bella was stunned. She didn’t expect her father to give up his COO position without fighting like her uncles.
Countless questions started dancing in her mind: Why did he give up so easily? Did he try to trick her into winning his position? What the hell is his plan?
Bella didn’t expect to witness all of this. Before she entered the room, she had prepared herself to hear her father scold or curse at her.
But now? Nothing! Her father looked so harmless, like a cute puppy!
As Bella was confused, Lucas endured the hurt he felt in his heart.
Though his daughter’s tone had sounded casual earlier, every word she said felt like a steel knife scraping him from head to toe.
Lucas knew he didn’t deserve his daughter and Natalie’s forgiveness, but hearing her rejection from her lips hurt him deeply.
"Bella, I understand," Lucas said.
Once more, Bella was surprised, looking at how calm her father was now.
"I see you already packed your things," Bella asked.
"Yes, I already know you will replace , Bella. And I don’t mind it at all. I know I do not deserve to sit in this position. There are so many capable people outside who could beco the COO and bring back this company to beco number one in this industry."
Upon hearing her father’s words, Bella felt a sense of disagreent with him. Despite not being a good father to her and a good husband to her mother, he was very diligent in his work.
Out of her grandfather’s four children, her father was the most capable in business matters, followed by Aunt Emma. However, even though Bella is aware of this, she has decided not to keep him in the company.
Because she knows that one of her father’s weaknesses is his inability to resist the temptation of other won and power.
The more wealth and power her father had, the more won were willing to give their bodies to him, even though they knew that her father was old and still had a legal wife.
Bella would never make her father stay in this company, gaining his power and wealth.
"I appreciate your understanding," Bella responded. She was happy because she didn’t have to argue with her father.
Lucas Donovan cleared his throat while looking at Bella. Slowly, a thin line appeared on his forehead as sothing crossed his mind.
"Bella, even if I leave this office, I hope you give your brother Henry a chance. He is not at fault in this company ss. Still, because I’m too ignorant to raise him, it has caused him to beco like that," Lucas Donovan sincerely pleaded with Bella.
Bella’s expression slowly changed, showing anger when she heard her brother’s na. She realized she would never have a good relationship with her big brother, no matter how hard she tried—Henry would beco her mortal enemy!
However, Bella is aware that Henry is also a victim of their parents’ use of violence instead of love.
She looked her father in the eyes and said, "I will make an effort to help him. However, he needs to work hard just like everyone else. He won’t secure a position in the company without earning it!"
Bella wanted to teach Henry to beco a decent human, not beco evil and snobby like their father or their uncles.
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