Chapter 22 Sacrificial Lamb
Elena arrived at her father’s office in the early evening, the city streetlights already came on as she stepped out of the car.
She could feel her heart racing because this was the second time she was seeing her father after finding out that she wasn't really his biological daughter.
Her small bag swung lightly against her side as she walked up the steps, and she noticed the sleek lobby of Marcus’s office.
She stepped up to the reception desk, and the secretary looked up. “Good evening, Mrs. Steele. Your father is expecting you.”
Elena nodded and took a seat in the plush chairs near the lobby, adjusting her coat nervously.
She tapped her fingers on the armrest, her mind wandering.
A few minutes later, Marcus appeared, walking briskly toward her. At first, his expression softened as he saw her. “Elena!” he said warmly, spreading his arms as if to welcome her.
But the moment she stepped closer and he saw the bag on his shoulder, he raised a single finger, stopping her mid-approach.
“You packed a bag?" He asked.
"I'll have to be home for a few days, she replied.
He nodded slowly. “Sit,” he said, “I have a meeting to attend. Make it quick.”
Elena blinked, taken aback. “Father?” she started.
“Sit,” he repeated. She hesitated for a moment but then sank into a chair, her hands folded on her lap.
Marcus’s gaze didn’t waver as he returned to his office, leaving her to sit quietly. She knew him well enough to understand that trying to argue while he was in businessman mode was futile.
Minutes passed, and finally, Marcus returned, settling into his chair behind the massive mahogany desk. He studied her for a moment, leaning back in his seat, then spoke. “Why are you showing up at my office unannounced?”
Elena’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Father, I missed you. I wanted to see you.”
Marcus’s expression didn’t soften. “You have a husband now. You need to learn to act like a wife, not just do whatever you please.”
Shock washed over her. “Father, I’m still your child! I have the right to see you at your office. I wanted to come home and talk to you!”
Marcus waved his hand dismissively. “Next time, you tell me when you’re coming. Your husband wouldn’t be pleased with surprises.”
Elena felt her chest tighten. “What is it with you and Julian? Why are you so worried about him and how he feels?”
“Don’t you understand?” Marcus said, leaning forward. “You have to stay married to him for three years. That’s part of the deal. You can’t ignore it, Elena.”
Her jaw tightened. “Of course I’m married to him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t visit my own father. I need to talk to you!”
Marcus leaned back again, folding his hands. “We had a contract. And for the sake of appearances, we need to maintain discretion. You going out to see me unannounced complicates things. Julian isn’t someone who likes unpredictability.”
Elena’s eyes began to sting with unshed tears. “So that’s it? Just because I married him, I have to obey? I have no choice but to cut off my own family?” Her voice cracked slightly.
Marcus’s face softened a fraction, but his voice was still firm. “Sit down, Elena.”
She hesitated but eventually sank back into the chair, her bag resting heavily on her lap.
“Listen to me,” Marcus continued, voice steady. “I love you just as much as I love your siblings. Recently, I’ve received reports about what you’ve been doing to Eva.”
Elena froze. “What do you mean, Father? Doing to her?”
He sighed, adjusting his cufflinks. “Eva claims you’ve ruined her reputation among friends, her relationships, even manipulated circumstances to corner Julian into being with you. She says all this has made her unhappy, and she believes Julian shouldn't be yours now.”
Elena blinked in disbelief. “Father, that is all lies! I have never done any of that! You know that I have nothing to do with her relationships or her reputation. We don’t even share friends!”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Elena, don’t lie to me. You know Eva is very emotional. You shouldn’t play with her heart like this.”
“I didn’t play with anyone’s heart, Father!” Elena snapped, her voice rising. “Eva is a chronic liar! I haven’t taken anything from her, and I’ve said nothing to anyone. How can you even believe something so ridiculous without consulting me?”
Marcus leaned back, hands clasped behind his head. “Elena, I’m not just listening to you. It’s my job to hear both sides.”
Elena’s voice faltered. “Father, I know Eva has never truly loved me. She competes with me at every turn, yet you seem to favor her. I’m the one making sacrifices for this family, and yet you—”
“Enough!” Marcus barked, slamming his hand down on the desk.
Elena flinched at the sound. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense. I built this family from the ground up, and you running into a little trouble and thinking you’re saving us does not give you the right to insult my authority. I raised you. I made you who you are. You will sit there with everything you have because I became your father. You will not murmur or complain.”
Elena froze, the sting of his words cutting deep into her soul so much that she could feel a tear drop.
For a moment, she expected him to tell her everything, to tell her the truth about her adoption, but he didn’t.
She swallowed hard, her throat tight, and whispered, “Father, is there anything you want to tell me? Anything at all?”
Marcus shook his head slowly. “There’s nothing I want to say to you. Go back to your husband and ensure the contract is upheld. And Elena…”
She looked up at him, tears already forming.
“Do not visit me unless I invite you. If you are making this sacrifice, then do it wholeheartedly.”
Elena’s heart sank as she rose from her chair, feeling the weight of his words crush her.
She turned toward the door, her tears finally spilling freely. Her life, the choices she had made, the sacrifices she had committed to, it all felt like a cage she could not escape.
As she stepped into the elevator, the sobs she had been holding in broke fully.