So I snapped. "Start talking, dad, or I swear I will go and tell Jack and Marco everything I know till now.. They don't have a clue what's going on, and I'm damn sure that no one from the pack knows either.." I gulped down and released a slow breath. Threats. He making me cone up with threats just so I would crawl to the truth that I deserved to know years ago. And then I finally asked the real question. "Does mom know?" "Yes." His quick answer surprised me. Good. But threat about telling Marco and Jack did scare him which meant that they didn't know yet. "You don't have to use threats, Lana. I am your father.. I am willing to do everything to keep you safe, and trust me when I tell you that that truth would've meant the exact opposite." He visibly clenched his jaw. The truth would've meant danger? "But you're already halfway there.." "Talk then. Please because-" I felt a lump form in my throat. I gulped it down. My voice was still weak.. "I can't keep figuring things out. Do you even know how many things I have to deal with on my own? Including that marriage that you're arranging for me. The least you can do is tell me the truth." I sounded faint. I sounded like I was about to start crying.. And maybe I was. I was just not aware of it. I wasn't aware of anything at that point, I just wanted him to start talking. His eyes were wide. They held the kind of mix of emotions I could not read.. He was barely blinking.. He found it just as hard, I could tell.. But he was making it hard.. He was the reason everything was happening. He had to tell me the truth. It was high time for that. And thankfully he did. Truth or not, he started telling a story. A story none of us were aware existed as part of his life.. "It was war. Chaos. Believe it or not, I was working with the old king. I considered him a friend even. We had vows, deals, friendship.. was ready to die for him in that war and I expected him to the same for me.. Instead, he turned his back on me.. Against me, against everyone-" "Jessica too.. I heard. You loved her.." I stopped, seeing the unfamiliar emotion behind his eyes, so I was quick to add. "And I'm not judging you. I know what you had to go through." My heart sank. I understood.. I understood what he had to go through.. I really did, because I was was now ready to do anything for Christian. I couldn't imagine anything happening to him. And I was doing everything to stop that war.. For him. I gulped down the lump in my throat again. The convention was taking out every emotion out of me. "I did. She was carrying my daughter.. She was in most danger, and I.. I could not stand and watch them murder her. I had to do something." He stood up, walking towards the large window.. He cut himself off.. The subject was heavy for him. "I was still in somewhat good relations with Vlad,- and God forgive me for mentioning that name after I vowed I wouldn't. He still trusted me. I had an opened view on his plans." His words hurt me just as much.. I knew what kind of a monster the old king was. I never met him, but Christian being his son hated him.. His family took him down. He was mad. Someone had to stop him. Everyone was glad they did. "I told her to run.. I told her I would find her after the war.. I told her to do whatever it takes to keep herself and our daughter safe, because at that point, I knew Vlad wanted the vampires and only them to dominate. Clionas were supposed to be extinct first." He turned around towards me again.. And I saw guilt in his eyes. Clear guilt. I knew that he thought he had betrayed his people by trusting Vlad.. I knew that thought he betrayed Jessica and Amelia too.. And now.. I now I made him feel like he had betrayed me for not telling me. I hoped he had good reasons not to. "And they were.. Only a few left standing.. I thought Jessica was dead too.. After I didn't find them, I gave up.. I thought the war took them. I though he took them." I blinked and felt something slide down my cheek. I looked on the side and wiped my face. Tears are not allowed. Not now, not ever. "But she kept her promise unlike me.. She kept Amelia safe.. Safe enough for no one to be able to find them, nor even me. And it for the best." I inhaled.. Exhaled.. My chest was heavy. I had no clue about this side of my father's life. He spoke freely, meaning my mother probably knew. He showed no emotion other than guilt, which meant he was probably no longer in love with Jessica. And I- felt every bit of heaviness from my father's past. "So when did you? How did you find them?" I managed to find my voice, watching him calmly walk back in his chair. "A few years ago.. I found out that a girl named Amelia Grace ran away from Venedocia. Our people were keeping track of their system in case of a loophole or weakness that we could use.." He sat back down on his chair and looked at me. "That name connected with Venedocia. It meant something. I had to. I had to check." I few years ago, he said.. I was old enough to notice something.. Yet I didn't. At that time I was getting the trainings I needed.. And every time my father was absent on them, every time my uncle had to train me for him.. Was that the reason? "One of our people, Dylan, and a few others, they made sure she was alright. She thought she was living a normal life again for a year but instead they were just keeping her protected under my order. And we didn't succeed." He stopped, releasing a heavier breath and leaning back on bus chair. "She was taken again. By the worst. The Le Bourisers." I knew the story after that.. Well, somewhat. Dimitri fell in love with her, they managed to beat Adam and everything was fine after that.. However, my father continued with details I had no clue about. "I lost track after that. It was an inner circle, I didn't have people there.. Dylan almost got killed, and a few of our other people. It was a deadly mistake. I didn't want them to know that we were interested in a girl named Amelia Grace. They soon found out her last name.. Waldorf.. Then rumor spread that the hunter's daughter was dead." After years and years of thinking she was dead, my father found out his daughter was alive and serving the old king.. And then everyone thought he killed her again? Did our people know everything? Was it just me and the twins that were left out?