118. Why Did He Leave Us?

**118.  Why Did He Leave Us?**

Samuel stood in his penthouse apartment, gazing out at the city lights through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In one hand, he held a half-filled glass of golden liquid, while the other loosely gripped a half-lit cigarette.

Though his eyes were fixed on the dazzling nightscape, his mind was elsewhere, he kept replaying Lucy’s words from earlier. He had expected resistance, given her stubborn nature, but he never imagined she would outright hate him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of the door swinging open.

Eirene stormed in; her voice sharp with frustration.

"Everything has been fine. They haven't targeted me even once or tried to harm me, so why am I being forced to come back here?"

She had been delayed at Aanya’s, caught up in a business lesson, but what infuriated her more was Samuel’s men refusing to let her leave. They had gone as far as blocking her route home, leaving her with no choice but to come here.

Eirene had already spent two days here against her will, and she had no intention of staying any longer. The reason was simple, she couldn’t afford to fall for the same man twice.

The Samuel in front of her was nothing like the Sam from her memories. Sam had been young, bright, impatient, and clumsy. But Samuel is different, he is mature, composed, and utterly unreadable.

The aura around him was suffocating, making him feel distant, unreachable, even after she had gained her mother’s wealth.

His voice was calm but carried an underlying weight.

"That’s exactly the problem, Eirene,"

Samuel finally spoke, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray before exhaling deeply.

Sitting back on the sofa, he crossed one leg over the other, his posture exuding effortless dominance. His silk night robe hung loosely, revealing part of his sculpted chest.

"Eirene, have you ever wondered why they haven’t made a move despite watching you for days? Even when you were living and traveling alone?"

"If they don’t intend to harm me, then why do I need your protection?"

She snapped, her patience wearing thin.

As unsettling as it was to know she was being watched, the absence of any real danger made one thing clear, she wanted to keep her distance from Samuel.

"Well, they definitely want something. If it’s not you, then it has to be something connected to you," Samuel said, his tone unusually relaxed. He sounded different tonight, too calm, almost as if he were suppressing something.

"Eirene, what do you have that they might want?"

Samuel had been asking himself this question for a long time, but the possible answer was something he had always dreaded thinking about.

"Other than my mother’s wealth, which I recently inherited, I have nothing…"

Eirene admitted, her brows furrowing in thought.

"That’s exactly what worries me,"

Samuel murmured, swirling the golden liquid in his glass before downing it in one go. Setting the empty glass aside, he continued, his voice quieter but laced with an unmistakable edge.

"I once saw my daughter being sold."

Eirene’s breath hitched. She had heard about it from Victor, but hearing it directly from Samuel made it feel even more real, more terrifying.

"Thinking back, it still haunts me. I keep asking myself… what if I had been a minute late?"

The raw pain on his face was impossible to ignore.

"But she’s safe with you now, isn’t she?"

Eirene’s voice softened, her own guilt weighing on her. She, too, blamed herself for what had happened to Lucy during that horrific week.

"I’m doing everything I can to protect her,"

Samuel said, his gaze darkening.

"But the only thing I can think of is that my Lucia is the most valuable thing you possess…"

He trailed off as Eirene suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, realization dawning on her.

"Are you saying they’re after my Lucy?"

Samuel didn’t answer right away. His silence spoke louder than words.

"It’s just a feeling,"

he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"I’ve done everything to keep her hidden, but given the kind of work I’m involved in, it was only a matter of time before she was exposed."

"What work?"

Eirene’s voice rose in frustration.

"Is she in danger because people found out she’s your biological daughter?"

"I’ve been hiding her identity. Aside from my closest friends, no one knows she’s my blood. Even legally, I adopted her under Victor’s name to keep her safe,"

Samuel explained. His jaw tightened.

"But someone is after her. I just can’t figure out who… or why."

Eirene’s chest tightened at his words. The weight of the unknown, the uncertainty, was suffocating.

"I’m scared, Eirene."

His voice wavered, making her heart clench.

"For years, I never knew fear. Not even when I watched my own father die in front of me. But now…" His hands clenched into fists as he whispered,

"Now, I am terrified..."

"Terrified of what?"

Eirene asked, though she already had an idea.

"Of losing you and Lucia."

His confession hung heavy in the air.

"Eirene, I don’t know when it happened, but you and Lucia have become my world. More important to me than my own life."

For the first time, Samuel’s emotions were laid bare. Whether it was the wine loosening his restraint or the weight of years of suppressed feelings finally breaking free, Eirene wasn’t sure. But she remained silent, her own emotions too tangled to form a response.

Until a small voice broke the stillness.

"Mom…"

"Baby, did you wake up? Was Mom too loud? I'm sorry."

Eirene gently picked up Lucy, who was still rubbing her sleepy eyes. They had been too loud, and Lucy, a light sleeper, had woken up.

Lying beside her, Eirene stroked Lucy's head gently, humming a soft tune to help her fall asleep again.

"Mom?"

Lucy’s voice was soft. The bedside lamp cast a dim glow in the room, but with Lucy facing away, it was hard to read her expression.

"Yes, baby?"

Eirene responded in the same gentle tone, continuing to pat her head.

"Did that man… the one everyone calls my father… have the same eyes as mine?"

Eirene’s hand froze.

It was a simple question, yet she could sense the bitterness in Lucy's voice whenever she mentioned the word "father."

*Eirene had always planned to tell Lucy the truth, that her real father, Sam, had died in the fire years ago, but she was afraid. What if Lucy accidentally let it slip and exposed her lie about adopting her?*

But now, hearing the resentment in Lucy’s tone toward the man who might love her the most, Eirene’s heart ached with confusion.

She sighed, trying to recall Sam, the man she had once loved. *Did he have the same striking blue eyes?*

"No…"

She pulled Lucy closer, rubbing her back soothingly.

"But you know what was similar?"

"What?"

Although Lucy asked, her voice lacked curiosity.

"His eyes were innocent, impatient, and sometimes mischievous… just like yours."

Eirene could never forget Sam, the man she had loved for eight years. Even after his death, she had carried that love in her heart.

"Do you still love him?"

Lucy tightened her arms around Eirene, burying her face in her chest.

Eirene hesitated. This wasn’t the first time Lucy had asked. She used to ask this often, especially when Robin had started pursuing her. Back then, Eirene had always answered without hesitation… *‘Yes.’*

But now…

"I don’t… hate him."

That was all she could say about Samuel Richi, the man who was no longer her 'Sam', the gardener from her past.

"Why did he leave us? Did he not love you… or… did he not like me?"

Lucy turned to face her, eyes locked onto Eirene’s, as if pleading for the truth.

Eirene’s heart pounded. There was something in Lucy’s gaze that she had never seen before. Although Lucy was usually mature for her age…

*Had she overheard something?*

Eirene pushed the thought away and tucked Lucy’s hair behind her ear before stroking her cheek lovingly.

"No, baby, he loves you… You are his world. I’ve seen him love you unconditionally."

She wanted to say more. She remembered Samuel once asking for her help, to be recognized as Lucy’s father. She recalled his happiness when Lucy had called him *'Daddy'* back in Eirene’s hometown.

"Then why did he leave us?"

Lucy asked again, her voice quieter but firmer.

This time, Eirene had no answer.

Lucy buried her face against Eirene’s chest again, but this time, Eirene felt the dampness of her silent tears.

Eirene held her close, gently patting her back, letting her cry until she fell asleep. But even as Lucy’s breathing evened out, Eirene’s night remained sleepless.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Outside the room, Samuel stood motionless. He had heard everything. They weren’t loud, but their conversation had reached him clearly in the silence of the night. He lit another cigarette, exhaling slowly, it was going to be a sleepless night for him too.