Chapter 225

"I'm not making a joke," I stepped closer to him. "Think about the millions you'll lose if you don't give me this," I eyed him again. "You'll save money, and never have to see me again," I laid it out for him. Like a business negotiation. Not like a son saying an official goodbye to his father in the only cold, heartless way he had been taught to conduct family matters his whole life.

"We don't have that much in the safe, don't be ridiculous."

"Well then how much do you have?" I asked, and he sighed again.

"80 thousand."

"That's still ridiculous, by the way," I commented. "Whatever, it'll do, just give me it and I'll go. For good."

"Can't we just wait for your mother to get back-"

"No. I don't want to see her," I told him honestly, letting the smallest amount of vulnerability slip through my hardened features. Not enough for him to pick up on it, though.

After a few minutes, he had finally gathered it all. While he was getting it all together, I grabbed one of my duffle bags and brought it into the room with me. He didn't help me as I put it all in.

No words were spoken between us once I finished and went back to my room to get some of the last things I found sentimental and wanted to keep. It only took me a few minutes, but by the time I went to walk out of the house, my mother had just come in the front door. She looked at me confused, but also emotionally, like she was deeply relieved to be seeing me. I swallowed.

"Jessica?" she breathed, and I kept my expression neutral.

"I'm leaving now," I said, not wanting to engage with my mother. She also was almost as bad as my dad, but she had always for some reason been my soft spot. Maybe I was a mama's boy in another life... it would feel nice to have a good relationship like that. But that wasn't this life.

"Can we talk-"

"You guys are 19 years too late to start acting like parents. It's okay. Honestly. This is for all of our bests. You don't know how to have a son, and I don't know how to be a good one, apparently. So can we just not make this harder than it needs to be please," I spoke, walking past them and to the door. My mother was speechless as she watched me, my father next to her watching me as well, not nearly looking as upset.

"You know, I used to be sad that I was an only child... but eventually I was so thankful that I didn't have any siblings because that meant that no one else had to go through everything that I went through," backed up a few steps, sparing one last nostalgic glance around the inside of my house.

"Have a nice life, or don't, I don't care, I won't be in it regardless," a tear slipped from my mother's eyes, but I just turned and walked away before I could let it affect me in any way. I shut the door behind me and let out a large breath that I had been holding in.

Each step away from my house felt both heavier and lighter than the one before. And I felt surprisingly... free.

I guess it wasn't too surprising, but it was surprising how much more free I felt than sad. I mean, I definitely still felt sad, but not enough for it to outweigh the steady rising in my chest.

And then I saw Layla through the windshield, her eyes still a bright blue despite the dark sky, and her natural expression the same as it always was- the kindest one to ever greet me. I saw Jake in the passenger's seat, eating some food and looking up at me.

And I couldn't help but beam.

I did have a family. They were my family.

And once I bailed out Asmodeus's ass for whatever the hell he even did- I assume I'd find out later- I was going to help repay all of them for everything they had given me. Part of me had always felt as though I didn't deserve them, and I probably always would feel this way. But that didn't mean that I'd ever let them go.

Selfish? Maybe. But whatever. I would continue to always try and be good enough for them, at least.

I laughed at the face Layla made when I told her how much money I got, but I laughed even harder at the face Jake made when I then took one of his nuggets to eat.

Neither of them knew the actual weight that it carried as we drove away from the house, but I did. I watched it until I couldn't see it anymore, and when it was finally out of my sights, I turned and moved my gaze forward, looking down the road with a sad, but secure, smile.

\[end of flashback\]

Carla's POV

When Asmodeus parked, he sighed and looked over at me with a weary expression. I had convinced him this was okay, or made him realize that he couldn't stop me, at least.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"For the fiftieth time, yes," I replied, but he still looked pretty worried.

"I can't handle anything happening to you, C," he admitted. "Not ever, but especially not now," his voice shook a little, and I knew that he had been barely holding himself together for a little while now. I swallowed and gave him a sad smile.