Eric glanced at Ella and smiled gently. "Ella, will you stay here?"
Ella nodded. After all, what needed to be faced would eventually have to be faced.
Since she had decided to stay, she might as well have a clear and honest conversation to bring so relief to her heart.
Luke left silently with Eric, while Ella sat down, locking eyes calmly with Lucas.
Lucas’s gaze was filled with tenderness. "Ella, I’m so sorry...I didn’t know about you all these years. I didn’t know you were my daughter."
Ella pressed her lips together. "It’s not your fault. You’ve always only cared about your career."
A flicker of pain crossed Lucas’s eyes. He knew that no matter what he said, it would be impossible for Ella to forgive him instantly. He would have to find another way to bridge the gap.
"The year I t your mother, it was during a trip to Country S. A friend had invited along for so sightseeing. That’s when I first saw your mother, and I even took a picture of her. After that, I...well, I sort of followed her around."
Lucas’s voice softened as he delved into the mories.
Ella lowered her head, her eyes brimming with moisture.
"Your mother thought I was a creep at first and was terrified of . She didn’t want anywhere near her. At the ti, she had just graduated college—a rare talent in her community. I managed to persuade a mutual acquaintance, one of her professors, to introduce us properly. That was the only way she started to trust ."
"Once she let her guard down, we fell deeply in love. But...then sothing happened in my family. There was a crisis back in Country W, and I had to return imdiately. I begged her to wait three months. I promised her I’d co back."
Lucas’s expression grew heavier. "Our family was under attack from another powerful family in Country W. It took longer than I expected to resolve everything. By the ti I returned to Country S, her professor told ...she had married soone else."
His voice fell to a pained whisper. Ella clenched her fists tightly. This was the mont where everything had gone wrong.
Her mother could have married the man she loved and lived a happy life. But instead...
"I wanted to find her," Lucas continued. "I was late by only a month. I thought maybe her family had forced her into the marriage. But then I heard...she had broken ties with her family just to marry that man. My heart shattered. I walked to the square and saw her holding hands with him, walking out of a supermarket, smiling so peacefully. She twisted her ankle, and he carried her in his arms, rushing her to the nearest hospital..."
Ella listened to Lucas’s somber tone, and she could feel the anguish and despair he must have endured.
"Why didn’t you talk to her and clear things up?" Ella suddenly raised her voice, trembling with emotion. "If you had been braver, she wouldn’t have been poisoned by that vicious woman Brianna!"
Lucas looked at his daughter, his heart breaking at the sight of her tear-streaked face. "Ella, I wanted to—I wanted to see her and ask her. But do you know how desperate and furious I was at the ti? I was afraid I’d lose control and kill that man and your mother right then and there!"
Ella wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She could imagine it—Lucas, a young nobleman at the ti, in a mont of rage, it was all too easy to act on impulse.
"You think I didn’t want to? But when I saw her with that man...I...I felt like pulling the trigger! My friend found in ti, held back, and stopped . He dragged away, made drink for days, and eventually took back to Country W," Lucas confessed, his voice shaking.
Lucas’s voice was filled with anguish. "I didn’t dare to go to her because I was afraid...afraid I’d lose control and end up killing her and that man! What good is regret now? It’s useless. Ella, as long as you promise to stay by my side, I’ll give you anything you want—anything at all!"
Ella let her tears fall silently. If it hadn’t been for her, her mother wouldn’t have rushed into marrying soone else so recklessly. The root of it all...was her.
Tears shimred in Lucas’s eyes as he continued, "Ella, even though I’m not entirely satisfied with Eric, seeing the way you two love each other...I can’t bring myself to tear you apart. If you two want to get married, I’ll give you a house, a company—whatever you need. As long as I’m here, the Miller family won’t dare touch you!"
Ella pursed her lips tightly and raised her head, her tone laced with irony. "You’re not satisfied with Eric? Too bad the one marrying him is , not you! You have no right to oppose this marriage."
Lucas looked at her with deep sorrow, nodding despondently. "I know. That’s why I haven’t tried to stop you. I’ve thought about this for an entire day and night. Eric’s rise in power won’t be difficult, but what’s hardest to guard against are the nobles who are as cunning as snakes."
Ella stood frozen, her heart aching with waves of guilt and frustration. Fate truly had a way of playing cruel tricks. If Lucas had only gone to see her mother back then, accompanied by his friend, today’s tragedy might never have happened.
But...it was too late now.
"Those nobles," Lucas said with a bitter laugh, "they act noble on the surface, but who knows how much filth and cruelty they’ve done behind closed doors? Eric exposed their drug trafficking. Do you think they’ll let you both off so easily?"
His words made Ella’s heart pound violently.
"And your friend Mia," Lucas added gravely, "it’s possible she was taken by those sa people."
Ella’s chest tightened. Mia wasn’t exactly her closest confidante, but she was a trustworthy and dependable friend. The thought of her being in danger sent a chill down her spine.
"Ella, the Anderson family is powerful. That’s why I need to make a public statent, acknowledging our relationship. If I do, they won’t dare target you or Eric."
Lucas’s voice softened, his eyes filled with longing.
He had been lonely for so many years, only to discover that he had a biological daughter. Now he was determined to make up for lost ti, to protect her with everything he had.
Looking into her eyes, he pleaded, "Ella, for your safety—and Eric’s—will you promise ?"
Ella’s expression turned complex, emotions warring within her.
The Miller nobles had already been humiliated by Eric, and if they were to strike again, it would likely be with the sole aim of eliminating him entirely.
"Let think about it," Ella finally said. "I’ll call you once I’ve made up my mind." The tears in her eyes were gone, and the storm of emotions inside her began to settle.
Lucas leaned wearily against the wall. "Don’t take too long. Don’t underestimate the Miller family. They’ve offended plenty of people but still stand tall. There’s a reason for their power."
Ella looked at his tired face, and an inexplicable pang of guilt struck her.
She hadn’t wanted to acknowledge him as her father, yet seeing him so worn out...
He was still injured, and here she was, arguing and upsetting him further.
"I’m stepping out for a bit," Ella said after a pause. "You should rest."
Lucas opened his eyes, relief flickering in his gaze. "Thank you for visiting ."
At least, he thought, she still cared about him in so way.
Ella stepped out into the hallway and imdiately noticed Eric and Luke sitting across from each other. Neither was speaking, but the tension in the air was palpable. Whatever "project" they were supposed to be discussing clearly wasn’t being addressed. Instead, the atmosphere between them felt tight, almost confrontational.
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