Chapter 1054

[ 690 words ]

“Yes, sir.”

“Is this what I deserve?” Derek’s tone, once brimming with fury, had collapsed into weary defeat. So this was it he finally understood everything. But the knowledge left him hollow, as if every last ounce of strength had drained from his body. For a moment, it was as if the whole Blacktower legacy lay in ruins at his feet.

He never dreamed it would come to this.

Leroy let out a quiet sigh. “So, when are you going to bring Susanna home?”

Susanna.

To Leroy, now the only children Derek truly had left were Dan-whom Derek had always kept at arm’s length-and Susanna. The three children he’d once cherished, the ones he’d held so close, were not his at all.

If those three weren’t his, then he was determined to bring his real children back into his life.

At the mention of Susanna, an even heavier shadow crossed Derek’s eyes.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me. Dan either.” For once, the ever-proud Derek sounded frail, his words trembling with hurt. “They both resent me. They’ll

never forgive me.”

Leroy said nothing.

“It’s all my fault,” Derek went on, a helpless bitterness in his voice. “I was blind for so many years. Of course the kids despise me. Susanna… she must know what I did to Lacey, to her mother.”

Remorse hit him like a tidal wave, washing over everything, drowning him until each breath felt like a struggle.

Meanwhile, Leanne and Ivanna had been thrown down into the basement, locked away with Adelle and Finch. The sight of them, cornered and helpless, sent Ivanna’s anger boiling over.

“How could Dad treat you like this?” she shouted at Adelle, voice shaking. “We’re not even his, but you loved him for real! Has he really abandoned everything?”

Adelle’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy. She barely had the strength to answer; since they’d been locked up the night before, not a drop of water or bite of food had passed their lips.

“I bet it’s because of what we did to Susanna,” Leanne whimpered, her voice thick with tears. “Dad’s furious. If we just apologize, maybe he’ll forgive us. I can’t stay in this place-it reeks of mold, and it’s filthy. I can’t stand it!”

“If we just promise not to mess with Susanna again, Dad will let us out,” she insisted.

Ivanna’s patience snapped. “What planet are you living on? You think anything’s the same now?” They weren’t his daughters anymore-how could Leanne pretend nothing had changed?

Leanne rounded on her sister. “This is all your fault! You’re the one who pushed to go after Susanna! You kept her away from Blacktower, and look what happened! Dad knows everything now, and becaused what we did to her, he’s thrown us away!”

Ivanna looked ready to explode.

Adelle’s face went sheet-white. “Stop it! Don’t you get what’s going on? Stop with your daydreams!”

Leanne glared at her mother, tears streaming down her face. Her voice shook with accusation. “You know what? This is really your fault! Why did you have to betray Dad?”

Adelle flinched. “You”

Ivanna cut her off, eyes blazing. “Yeah, Mom. Why did you do it? Why did you betray him?”

In that moment, neither daughter

cared who their biological father

was. They only knew one thing: a man who’d let his own children-and the woman he loved

e with

another man couldn’t possibly be any good.

“You ruined our lives,” Ivanna spat, voice trembling. “You ruined our brother’s life too!”

Suddenly, all three were accusing her at once. Even Finch, battered and silent since the night before, looked at her with accusation in his eyes.

Adelle closed her own, stung by guilt. “Fine. It’s my fault. All of it is my fault. Are you satisfied now?”

No one said a word, but their stares made it obvious where every ounce of blame sat.

A dull ache tore through Adelle’s chest. “You think I wanted any of this? If I could have “

“Enough! Just stop!” Ivanna cut her

off sharply. That line-“You think I

wanted this?” sounded so

self pitying as if Adefle were some tragicvictim. Even Ivanna, whose own morals were always

love

questionable, couldn’t bear to hear it.

Adelle froze, biting back the words. In the end, she swallowed her protest and let the

bitterness drown her, silent as the darkness closed in.

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