Chapter 547
[ 528 words ]
Chapter 547:
He paused. For a brief moment, it looked as though he wanted to reach out and comfort me. Instead, his hand fell back to his side. “I’ll continue looking into it. No matter what I find, I’ll help you uncover the truth, even if that means standing against the entire Thorn Pack.”
Emotion tightened my throat. Frank managed a faint smile. It was gentle and bittersweet. “When everything is finally over, when the truth comes out, I’ll find someone, settle down, and live a peaceful life. So you’ll have nothing to feel guilty about.”
I understood immediately.
This was goodbye. His way of freeing me from the guilt I carried.
By the time I left the study, my legs felt strangely weak.
Ethan was waiting in the living room, tall, silent, and motionless. His imposing figure stood partially concealed within the shadows.
His eyes locked on my pale face the instant I walked in. He could tell something was off, yet he didn’t ask, only watched, concern masked by silence.
At the door, Frank paused and said softly, his voice carrying through the hollow hall, “Go see your father’s grave when you can. He’d have wanted you there.”
Lianne’s POV
Frank’s words pierced straight through the weakest part of me, reopening wounds I had tried desperately to bury.
𝖣𝗈𝗐𝗇𝗅𝗈𝖺𝖽 𝖯𝖣𝖥𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾 𝗈𝗇 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌.𝖼𝗈𝗆
The color drained from my skin at once, and my hands shook so badly I could barely steady them.
I managed a rigid nod, keeping my gaze lowered because I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.
“When the day comes, I’ll come along,” Frank said quietly.
“There’s no need for that. Thank you, Frank. Take care,” I replied at once, forcing courtesy into my voice as I backed away.
I left almost immediately, my steps hurried, as though fear itself were close behind me.
Beside me, Ethan instinctively slid an arm around my middle. Normally, the heat radiating from him always made me feel protected, yet now it unsettled me instead.
If Frank’s accusation held any truth, then whose embrace was I hiding in? The man I loved? Or the son of the person who murdered my father?
The drive back felt suffocating. Heavy silence filled every corner of the car, pressing against my chest until it became difficult to breathe.
Ethan stole several looks in my direction. With senses far sharper than any ordinary person’s, he had undoubtedly noticed the storm raging inside me.
“You’re thinking about him again?” he asked at last, a trace of jealousy lingering beneath his calm tone.
“No,” I answered quickly. I rested my head against the seat and shut my eyes, pretending exhaustion was the reason I refused to meet his gaze. “I’m worn out, that’s all.”
“Is this about the compensation I gave him?” he pressed. “Lianne, if that upset you…”
“It was excessive, Ethan. Sometimes giving too much makes people feel humiliated. Frank never raised our children because he expected payment,” I interrupted quietly.
“I understand.” His reply came gentler than usual, patient in a way that surprised me. “He gave up years of his own future to take care of you instead of focusing on himself. I only wanted to compensate him for that sacrifice. At least now, maybe he’ll stop centering his entire life around you.”
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