Chapter 181 Silent Forgiveness
Luke and Peach watched the distant silhouettes of William and Arabella, going to their home after closing a long lost chapter of William’s past.
“They are finally together,” Peach whispered, leaning her head against Luke’s shoulder, smiling at them. “Where they should have been all along.”
“Hmm,” Luke agreed, his hand finding hers and interlacing their fingers, glancing at her in mesmerization, “So are we.”
They began walking toward Luke’s car, the tension of the last few days finally beginning to evaporate. Peach glanced at her husband, a playful glint returning to her emerald eyes.
“Speaking of togetherness... Papa called this morning,” she started, her voice suspicious.
“He invited us over for dinner this weekend. But it was strange. He didn't demand I show up, and he wasn't hesitant with me for the first time in my life. In fact, he sounded almost... careful.”
Luke didn't look surprised. Instead, a slow, dark smirk spread across his lips as he unlocked the car.
“So?”
Peach prodded, stopping him with a hand on his chest, “What did you say to my father to make a man like him hesitate?”
Luke turned to her, his smirk deepening into something dangerously handsome. “You really want to know?”
“Every word.”
His fingers clamped on her chin, lifting it slightly while whispering in a seductive voice, “I threatened him if he dared to sabotage our marriage by submerging you in work and converting you into a second him.”
His face inches apart from hers, indulging in the way her eyes went wide, “I will sabotage their bond by submerging her in me. And trust me, she will leave her father in my words.”
Peach’s breath caught. She stared at him, genuinely shocked by the audacity it took to threaten the head of her family’s legacy.
“You... you actually said that to him?”
“Tell me,” Luke challenged, his eyes seeking a hint of hesitation but there was none.
“Would you have not done it for me? Would you have stayed with him if I asked you to choose?”
Peach let out a soft, breathy chuckle, shaking her head.
“You know me too well, Luke. It’s not healthy, you know. But you’re right... I would have done it in a heartbeat.”
“See. I knew.” Luke reached out, pulling her into a firm side-hug as they reached the car, his arm heavy and protective over her shoulders.
“And besides, I promised myself I won't let you become like your father. You are different, you have a heart, you are… lovable.”
Peach grinned, the word lovable acting like a balm on the old wounds. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight as they left for their home.
Later, at the weekend, Luke and Peach were getting ready for dinner.
"You look ridiculous in pink, Luke," she teased, though her eyes were shining when Luke wore a pastel pink shirt and white pants, adjusting his sweat on his shoulder.
"I know," he grumbled, though a soft smile tugged at his lips. "But it makes you happy. That’s the only thing that matters tonight."
She stood on her tiptoes, pressing a lingering, sweet kiss to his lips before they left.
The Harrison estate was as cold and grand as ever, but the atmosphere inside had shifted.
Mr. Harrison sat at the head of the table, but he was no longer the untouchable figure of industry. He looked at his daughter with a hesitation.
After dinner, Luke stepped out to the terrace to take a call, leaving Peach alone with her father in the dimly lit study.
"The dinner was... pleasant, Peach," Mr. Harrison said, his voice unusually thin. He looked down at his glass of brandy.
“Why so hesitant, Papa?” She chuckled, leaning against the table.
"I owe you an apology. For failing you."
Peach paused, "Huh? What do you mean, Papa?"
"That day, when you were with Luke in the event, the way you held onto him... I saw the way your eyes shone," he whispered, his grip tightening on his glass.
"They never twinkled like that when I bought you jewels or handed you a new company, they never did at my gifts.”
She smiled coldly and looked away, not wanting to mention those lonely moments.
“Maybe it was then I finally realized that it wasn't the luxury or the top-notch service you wanted. It was... me. And I was too late to redeem myself."
A lump formed in Peach’s throat. "I love you, Papa," she started, her voice breaking, biting her cheek to suppress the sobbing building in her throat.
"All these years, all I ever wanted was your attention. I just wanted you to be there. I even... I even hurt Luke because he had the one thing I didn't: A family."
"Luke told me," her father said, a tear finally escaping and tracing a path through the wrinkles of his face.
Her eyes went wide, "When did he...?"
"I thought he was making it up at first. A tactic to keep me away. But seeing you tonight... I saw you were genuinely happy. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Peach." He began to sob, his shoulders shaking.
"I know I cannot undo the past, but I will try my best to be a good father—"
"Give up, Papa," Peach interrupted softly, though her voice wasn't cruel. It was honest, glancing at the old man with a gentleness.
"You cannot be a good father. Work runs in your blood; it’s your entire reason for living. You would be hollow without it.”
She turned to him, resting her head over her father’s chest, “You don't know how to be a father because you never learned."
Her father’s cries deepened, the weight of a lifetime of mistakes crashing down on him. He wanted to embrace her, he desperately wanted to but since he never did it before… He couldn’t.
She chuckled, a tear in the corner, “See? I told you.”
“I am sorry, I am so sorry–”
"However," she pulled away, pausing at the door and looking back at him with a small, secret smile.
"You can try not to be a bad grandfather."
The room went deathly silent. Mr. Harrison froze, his eyes wide and red-rimmed, "Wh... what?"
"Luke doesn't know yet," she whispered, her face glowing with a new kind of light.
"That’s why I asked for this dinner. He thinks you invited us. His surprise is waiting for him at home." She winked, letting out a
"Oh, Peach... Oh, my daughter," Mr. Harrison gasped, his face transforming into a mask of pure, unadulterated joy.
He reached for her hand, his grip shaking, kissing her hands- something he never did before- with an unforeseen delight.
Now, her father’s face twinkled in a way she never saw.
"I promise, I will be the best grandfather. I will make up for everything I missed with you. I won't fail this one." He beamed, looking up at her.
Peach squeezed his hand back, a silent forgiveness, before stepping out into the hallway to find her husband, ready to start the next chapter of the Grayson legacy.