Chapter 105 Dinner With Dad

Chapter 105 Dinner With Dad
Elena

Tony gets out of the car, and I follow him. He puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk into the house.

We find our father in the hall at the bottom of the stairs. Tony walks up to him without hesitation. Dad bumps his fist against Tony’s and smiles at him affectionately. Meanwhile, I stand to the side, nervously shuffling my feet.

Dad watches me warily. Fatigue crinkles his eyes.

“I called you both here because I wanted us to have lunch together. Just the three of us. We haven’t done this in ages.”

I nod and follow him obediently as he leads us into the dining room. The cook has already prepared a large platter, too big for three, but I say nothing as I sit down next to Dad. He sits at the head of the table, and Tony sits on the other side. We wait for him to say the grace before we begin eating.

It’s quiet, a little stuffy. Tony tries to keep up a steady flow of conversation, but neither Dad nor I responds, our voices hushed. The air in the room is tense, and I hate it. I hate it so much. But I won’t speak first.

"This ham is fucking amazing," Tony says through a mouthful of food.

I wrinkle my nose. "Swallow before you speak, Anthony," my father says calmly. "Didn't I teach you table manners?"

Tony swallows sharply. "Of course you did. But I choose the manners I live by," he says cheerfully.

"I guess your sister agrees with that, too."

Oh, they're talking to me? Damn it, finally.

"Is that what it's supposed to mean?"

The green eyes flicker to me.

"It means I raised you both to be strong and steadfast in your convictions. I raised you to be your own people. Independent. That's why it's a little hypocritical of me to be so mad when you're doing exactly what I taught you.”

It takes my breath away when I look at him.

"You decided for yourself, and you did your best to stick to it, my dear. And despite all that, I'm proud of you."

Something warm runs down my face, and I wipe away a tear. "I'm so sorry, Daddy. I'm so, so sorry."

He's the only person I haven't apologized to. Because he cut me off for three weeks. I'm still a little mad about it, but at least he's talking to me again.

"No, I'm sorry. I should never have called you a disappointment. You are anything but. You are my greatest achievement.

“Hello!” Tony shouts indignantly.

“Both of you,” my father corrects with a smile.

My face breaks into a smile. I stand up and throw my arms around his neck. Dad hugs me back, and finally, for the first time in weeks, I can breathe easier. I feel whole.

“Well, that’s cause for celebration,” Tony announces. “I’m going to get some champagne.”

Neither Dad nor I watches as he leaves the room. I pull back and look at my father’s face.

“You’ll like Cassie,” I assure him.

His expression turns sour.

“I shouldn’t have stayed away from my granddaughter for so long.”

“That’s okay. You have all the time in the world with her from now on. Although you may have to share custody with Maria.”

We both laugh about it.

“I see so much of your mother in you, my love. Sometimes that makes it hard. Because you remind me of what I’ve lost.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about losing me. I’ll always be here because I know how amazing you are.”

My father’s expression brightens.

“I know, honey,” he tells me, breathing heavily.

I glance behind me to make sure Tony is nowhere in sight before turning back to him.

“Have you ever tried to find her?” I know I shouldn’t, but right now I wonder where she is. If she’s even alive.

My father is grief personified. He seems to choose his words before he says,

“The last time I heard from your mother was five years ago. When she was getting on a plane to Germany.”

My breath catches. “Oh. I think she really wanted to run away from us, huh?”

Concern was etched across every inch of my father’s face.

“It’s okay,” I quickly reassure him, managing to force a smile. “We have you. And you’re more than enough. And as I said, you’ll always have us.”

There will always be a part of me that cares about my mother. But I’m not the same person I was before. I’ve grown up, matured. I’ve sorted out my feelings for her, and I’ve let go of a lot of the resentment. My mother may not have been the person I desperately wanted to be.

But I know I can do better than her. No matter what.

Tony returns with champagne, and I spend the rest of the day in their company. We talk and laugh, and all my worries melt away. My father is telling us about his decision to quit his job as consigliere when my phone rings.

I reach for it, ready to ignore the caller, when Roman’s name flashes across the screen. I give my father an apologetic look as I answer.

“Hi.”

Roman pauses. His quiet breathing is all I hear for about two seconds before his voice fills my ear.

“Baby, I need you to listen to me and not worry,” he says quietly.

“Okay,” I say, my pulse quickening.

“Someone took Cassie.”

I feel the floor give way beneath me, and I fall into a bottomless pit of fear. Terror grips my entire being. Because these words are a nightmare come true.



Roman

Two hours ago, I was having the best fucking day of my life. Everything was right in the world, and I was happy. But that was two hours ago. Now everything is fucked up, and I’m trying my hardest not to lose it. I’m hanging on by a thread, every breath bringing me closer to the edge. But my daughter needs me.

I thought I knew fear, but what I felt before is nothing compared to what I feel now. My daughter is missing. She's missing because I couldn't protect her.

The doors to the club practically swing open as all three Legans walk in.

Elena rushes toward me as soon as our eyes meet. She's practically hysterical. As soon as she's within reach, I pick her up.

"My baby," she says, taking short, shuddering breaths. "Roman, where's my baby?"

I rub her back gently, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. I hate seeing her like this. I feel so fucking helpless.

Tony comes into my line of sight and I let go of Elena. She’s still crying, but she’s starting to pull herself together.

“What the hell happened?”

My chest tightens.

“She was at the mall with my mother. They went shopping for baby clothes. Cassie was in a baby carrier. According to my mother, she set the carrier down and turned around for a few seconds to grab her purse. When she looked back, Cassie was gone. And so were the guards I assigned them. The man I hired to protect them. He took her.”

I trusted him to protect my daughter, and he betrayed that trust. I'm angry. I'm so furious right now I can hardly breathe. But I have to stay in control. I can't afford to lose this.