Chapter 170 FINALLY

Chapter 170 FINALLY

SIENNA

Dad pulled out a chair and sat down, curious about what the chef and I had been discussing.
"Hey, darling. How about a smile for me?" he asked with a playful grin.
"She's been all cranky, Cruz," Mr. Barry said.
That was how he always addressed Dad—by his first name. Mr. Barry and Dad were around the same age.
One thing about Dad was that he treated his employees with respect. Unlike many wealthy bosses, he never looked down on them or treated them as less important.
"I'm just exhausted, Dad," I said quietly as I stared blankly at my meal.
Dad turned to the chef.
"Barry, can you please excuse us for a while?" he said.
"Oh, sure... enjoy your meal."
Barry walked away.
Dad turned to me.
"What is bothering you, my dear? You know you can tell me everything, right?"
"Yes," I muttered quietly.
"So, go ahead. I'm listening," he said, pushing the meal in front of him slightly aside.
I looked at him, and my breath seized, my nostrils flaring.
Where do I start from? How do I look at Dad and utter such a thoughtless confession to his face?
This is crazy.
Am I even sure I want to do this?
Stepping away from my inheritance and choosing a man. Is that the right choice?
Those thoughts ran deeply through my mind. Yet, I couldn't provide answers to any of the questions flooding my head.
"You don't want to talk about it anymore?" Dad said softly. "Well, I'm always available to listen to you whenever you find the courage to talk about it."
"Hmm." I nodded, and we began to eat.
My heart still pounded. The urge to speak troubled me. To finally free myself from the bondage of love.
Yet my lips felt too heavy to say anything. I didn't want to break Dad's heart again or keep hurting him. He had already been through enough, right?
I exhaled and chewed the beef in my mouth gently.
Mr. Barry was an excellent chef; every dish he prepared usually carried a rich, memorable flavor. But that day, everything tasted sour to me. Even the spicy chicken felt completely insipid.
We ate silently.
Dad took a bite of the chicken and turned to me again.
"I don't like the fact that you're just picking at your meal. Is something wrong? Tell me. I'm your father," he said, staring at me.
"I'm not hungry," I managed to say.
"Why? The food tastes great."
Surprise slipped into his voice.
I sighed, shifting my gaze away from the meal.
"You hate me, right?" I said, not looking at him.
"No, princess," he said, his face filled with shock. "I can't hate any of my children—not you, not Alex. I was angry about your behavior, yes, but that's all in the past now. I love you, Sienna."
The moment Dad mentioned the word "love," my lips and throat dried of saliva.
That hurt a lot.
Looking into his eyes, I truly saw love—unconditional love.
How do I bring this issue up?
I can't.
No.
I'll hurt myself in the process.
Rising to my feet, I lowered my head.
"I think my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom."
I hurried away.
When I got to my room, I shut the door and leaned my back against the wall.
I knocked my head twice, trying to get over the frustration and pain inside me.
The knocks didn't solve anything.
I ended up with a headache instead.
Two days later, I went to the office with Dad. During the lunch break, Dad decided we should go somewhere fun outside the company to have lunch.
I agreed.
We drove off.
The restaurant had a calm, pleasant atmosphere, with beautiful seating and an overall extraordinary setting. Even the meal was exceptional.
"Do you like this place?" Dad asked as we walked in.
"Of course I do." I smiled a little.
Since yesterday, I've been trying to act normal, waiting for the moment I could gather the courage to stand before Dad and tell him to his face that I was going back to Washington.
"Well, I brought you here for a reason," he said, his expression clouding.
"What could that be?" I asked.
He didn't reply.
A couple of neatly dressed men standing at the front door greeted Dad warmly.
We walked in, and Dad ordered something that looked really appetizing.
"Hmm. Yummy." I rubbed my hands together, my eyes glued to the meal set before me.
Dad gave a slight grin.
He didn't seem happy or sad, so it was difficult to read the expression on his face.
"I brought you here so we could talk."
He took a glass of water and drank.
"Okay, Dad," I muttered as I began to devour the meal before me.
All along, I was oblivious to the fact that Dad knew what had been happening around him.
"You love Leo, right?" he asked very directly.
"Huh?"
I turned to him with shock written all over my face.
At that moment, I didn't know whether to answer the question or remain silent.
I muttered a few words, but not even I understood what I was saying.
Why was he suddenly asking those questions?
Did Mrs. Peters say anything to him?
"It's okay if you want to return to Leo. I'm not going to stop you. It's your choice," he said, pain evident in his eyes.
Dad wouldn't have brought up this conversation if Mrs. Peters hadn't told him.
She was the only person I had told about my plans to go back to Washington.
Gosh.
I couldn't believe it.
But wasn't this what I had always wanted?
To tell Dad about Leo?
Maybe this was an opportunity to speak up.
To make my own choices again.
I blinked nervously, my voice cracking.
"I'm so sorry about that, Dad—"
Tears threatened to flood my eyes.
"It's okay," he said, pain registered on his face.
"I'm no longer your daughter, right?" I asked, holding back my tears.
Dad put a little food in his mouth and smiled painfully.
"You're still my daughter, Sienna. You can only stop being my daughter when you move out of my home and return to Washington," he replied, almost too softly.
Watching the disappointment on his face made me weep inside.
At that point, all I could think about was backing down on my plans.
But I still loved Leo.
I still wanted to be with him.
"Tell me. When are you going to move out?" he asked again, as though he didn't want me around anymore.
Turning to him, my heart shattered.
"By the end of the week," I said, shutting my eyes as I struggled to get the words out.
"Alright, princess. You're free to leave whenever you wish to," he said, shifting his eyes to his meal. "Come on, sit up."
I put a little food in my mouth, but my teeth suddenly felt numb, and I couldn't chew.
Deep down, I knew I wasn't going to change my mind.
Breaking Dad's heart hurt badly.
But all I could say was:
"I'm sorry." :::
The chapter flows well emotionally. The strongest part is the dinner conversation where Sienna struggles between her love for Leo and her loyalty to her father.