Chapter 45 The Last Thing He Left Me
Chapter 45 The Last Thing He Left Me
Jasmine:
The way the machine connected to my father beeped steadily, was the only thing keeping me grounded.
I sat beside his bed, my eyes fixed on the man lying in it, the man who had shaped my entire existence without ever truly knowing how to love me the right way.
Lucien Vorn looked… smaller, weaker. Nothing like the man who once commanded rooms without raising his voice. Nothing like the man who ruled an empire with cold precision and unshakable authority.
Now, he was just… a body attached to machines. Fighting for something that was already slipping away.
I curled my fingers slightly against my lap. I didn’t touch him. I couldn’t. Because if I did, this would become real. And I wasn’t ready for that.
To my father, I was a disappointment. I always had been. But it was not because I was weak, not because I wasn’t capable. But because I was born a woman. In the Vorn family, that alone was enough.
I let out a quiet breath, my gaze softening just slightly as I watched the rise and fall of his chest.
And yet… despite everything, he loved me. In his own way. A broken way, a distant way. But it was there. I knew it. Because I was the only thing he had left of her.
My mother. The only woman he had ever truly loved. That was the only reason I mattered. As a reminder, a fragment of something he had lost.
Memories came uninvited. Long hallways, closed doors. Voices behind them, laughter that never included me, meetings I was never allowed to attend.
“Stay out of this.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“This is not for you.”
Because I wasn’t a son. Because I wasn’t Pietro.
Pietro Vorn had everything handed to him. Access, approval. While I… I was kept at a distance. Taught to be silent, taught to be invisible. But even in silence, I saw the life my family was all about. That’s why I ran away.
But still, there were rare small moments. And in those moments, I knew. He cared. Even if he never said it.
Just then, the door opened. I didn’t turn immediately. I already knew who it was. The scent gave her away before anything else.
My stepmother.
“Oh my God—Lucien!” She gasped.
Her voice cracked as she rushed forward, her composure shattering instantly. Tears streamed down her face as she reached his bedside, her hands hovering over him like she didn’t know where to touch.
“He—he was supposed to be at a meeting,” she cried. “He told me—he said he’d be fine—”
Her voice broke completely.
“Lucien, please… please don’t do this.”
I watched her carefully. Every movement, every tear, every word. And I felt… nothing. No sympathy. Because something about it didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel right.
Slowly, I turned my head and my eyes landed on Pietro, standing a few feet away. He was silent, he seemed unaffected. There were no tears, no panic. He was simply jus watching.
My jaw tightened. Of course. Of course he would look like that.
“You’re happy.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
Both of them turned to me. Valentina looked shocked. Pietro barely reacted.
I stood up slowly, my gaze locked on him.
“You’re happy,” I repeated, my voice colder this time. “Because if he dies… you get everything.”
Pietro exhaled lightly.
“Elena—”
“Don’t,” I cut in sharply. “Don’t pretend.”
Valentina stepped forward slightly.
“This isn’t the time—”
“It’s exactly the time,” I snapped, not taking my eyes off him. “Because this—” I gestured toward the bed. “This didn’t just happen.”
“We heard about the letter found in Lucien’s pocket. Your little boyfriend had something to do with this, so don’t you dare try to blame my son for maiming his own father!” Valentina snapped.
“He is not my boyfriend. And he will pay for what he did.” I retorted, sternly.
Pietro then took a step closer. His expression remained calm.
“We may not have had the best relationship,” he said evenly, glancing briefly at our father before looking back at me. “But I’m not happy to see him like this.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to think clearly.”
“I am thinking clearly,” I shot back. “That’s all I’ve been doing since I got here.”
His jaw tightened slightly. But he didn’t lose control.
Just then, the machine beeped, interrupting our disagreement. Now it beeped twice. Then, it changed.
The sound shifted. It became sharpened and erratic. My head snapped toward the monitor.
“What—”
The beeping turned into a sharp, continuous alarm. Everything happened at once.
“Something’s wrong!” Valentina cried.
“Doctor!” Pietro barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Get a doctor in here now!”
The door burst open moments later as medical staff rushed in, quick and urgently.
“Step back, please!”
I couldn’t move.
“Elena!”
Strong hands grabbed my arm, pulling me back as the doctors surrounded the bed.
“Clear!”
Machines, voices, commands, everything blurred together.
“You need to leave,” one of them said firmly. “Now.”
I was pushed out of the room along with Pietro and Valentina, the doors closing behind us. And just like that, we were left outside, waiting.
The sounds from inside were muffled, distant, but I could still hear them. The urgency, the struggle, the fight.
I watched Valentina pace back and forth, her sobs echoing through the space. Pietro stood still, watching the door. And me? I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. I just stared at the door.
Dante came by, gave me a hug and assured me everything was going to be fine. He stayed by my side as time passed. Seconds felt like hours. And then, the door opened.
Everything stopped there and then. A doctor stepped out. His expression told me everything before he even spoke.
But I walked slowly toward him anyway. Each step heavier than the last.
“Elena,” Dante called out gently, as if trying to protect me from the news.
“Tell me,” I said. My voice didn’t sound like mine. It sounded distant.
“What happened?”
The doctor was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, no, don’t start with that…” I broke, losing my composure.
“We did everything we could…”
No. No, no, no…
“He’s gone.”