[chapter 21. It unravels slowly]
Selena forced a smile on her face as she wrapped a cardigan tightly around her body and descended the grand staircase. She knew exactly why her father summoned her, and the thought made her stomach twist.
As she approached the ornate doors of his study, she took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. She knew that whatever he had to say, it wasn't going to be good. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited for his gruff voice to bid her entry.
Selena's eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces of her father, Maxim, Wilson, and Garold. She couldn't help but linger on Garold for a moment before turning her attention back to her father.
A bead of sweat trickled down Garold's forehead as she carried a subtle smile.
"Have a seat, Selena," Theodore said, his voice cold and emotionless. Selena sighed to herself, knowing it was going to be an interrogation of sorts. She slowly lowered herself into the chair, steeling herself for the questions that were sure to come.
"Did something happen?" Selena asked, trying to sound nonchalant even though her heart was pounding in her chest. She was walking on thin ice, and the tension in the room was palpable.
Maxim narrowed his eyes at her, his expression dripping with suspicion. There she goes again, pretending not to know what's going on. What are you hiding, little sister? he thought to himself, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
The air in the room was thick with tension, and Selena could feel the weight of everyone's gazes on her. She had to tread carefully to get out of this situation unscathed.
They can never know.
She relaxed in the chair and put on an innocent mask.
"You said all the time that you were only in the orphanage," Theodore said, leaning forward and fixing his gaze on his daughter. "I'm asking you again, Selena - where were you?" His words carried the weight of a final warning, and Selena knew that if she didn't come clean now, her father would start digging into her past without her consent.
The tension in the room was almost suffocating, and Selena could feel the weight of her father's expectations pressing down on her. Ignoring the guilt that was bubbling inside her, Selena tilted her head and pretended not to understand her father's question. "What do you mean?" she asked, glancing at Maxim.
"Did I do something wrong this morning?" she asked meekly, lowering her eyes. After a moment, she looked back at Maxim and said, "Brother?" She could see the shock in his eyes, his pupils dilating as she addressed his brother for the first time. She could physically see him lowering his walls.
"Don't try to manipulate your brother," Theodore growled. "Just come clean, Selena Mariano. You won't like the consequences if you don't," he muttered, his eyes burning with anger and pain. Theodore needed to know his daughter's past to trust her. As a businessman, he couldn't let a potential threat into his family, no matter how much he loved her.
"It's Knight, not Mariano," Selena said, her voice dripping with anger as her façade of innocence crumbled bit by bit. She knew there was no going back now that the truth was out in the open.
Selena's eyes blazed with fury as she stared at Wilson- the man who had always been so kind and protective of her. "What do you know?" she demanded, her voice dripping with accusation.
"You looked into my past, didn't you?" She let out a sardonic smile. "You were the one who acted the closest to me, without any boundaries. You spoiled and defended me, but it was all just an act to observe and analyze me closely. You don't trust me at all. You just wanted to keep an eye on your boss's daughter."
Everyone betrayed her; it was nothing new.
"You did what?" Maxim seethed at the loyal aide.
Theodore sat back in his chair, his face brimming with anger and betrayal. He had always trusted Wilson, but now he realized that Wilson was blinded by his loyalty. Theodore had let his guard down; it would cost him a lack of trust from his daughter.
"Get out of the room, Wilson," Theodore muttered, his voice dripping with anger. "We'll have a 'talk' later," he announced as Wilson bowed his head in shame and left the room.
"You are a Mariano," Theodore's voice shook. "My blood runs in you."
Selena let out a chuckle. "A blood who let me go."
"Tell me the truth," Selena demanded, her voice shaking with anger. "Everyone knows how much you were obsessed with Mom. You had the security of a fortress when she was pregnant, but as soon as she gave birth to me, you let your guard down. It was so easy for them to take me away. Why did you let them do it? Why did you abandon me?"
Theodore looked at his daughter, his green eyes brimming with tears. "Who told you this?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear and guilt. He knew he had made a grave mistake, and now he was paying the price.
The company was on the verge of being taken over at the time. The shareholders were withdrawing their funds. Maxim got attacked, and he needed to act quickly.
"I didn't let you go, Selena," Theodore said, his voice full of pain and regret. "I could never let my daughter go. It was a tough situation, and I sent half of my team to another city for work. I know there's a mole, someone who took you away. I've been trying to find out who it is all these years."
Selena looked at her father, her heart torn between anger and forgiveness. She wanted to believe him, but it was hard to let go of all the hurt and betrayal she had felt over the years.
"We could never abandon you, sweetheart," Theodore said, his voice full of emotion. "I loved and cared for you since before you were born, and I will continue to do so until my last breath. You are my daughter, and I will always be here for you."
Selena shook her head, tears of anger brimming in her eyes. She could not cry in front of them. Weak. She would not look weak in front of them. It is a lie, she reminded. They had abandoned her once, and they could do it again.
"Give them a chance," another voice in her head whispered. "You deserve it. They may be able to heal you."
But the other voice, filled with anger and hatred, laughed. "Chance! You are joking. Selena, don't forget why you're here. You want your revenge. Family is just a distraction."
Selena looked at her father, her heart torn between forgiveness and resentment. She didn't know what to do.
"I lied," she admitted, her voice above a whisper.
"All these years, I was not at the orphanage," she looked at her father, watching his teary eyes widen slightly.
Everyone in the room waited as they allowed her to collect herself and speak. "I was in the orphanage till six," she started. Her fist clenched, her nails digging into her flesh making crescent marks.
"Then I moved to Russia," she spoke, watching Garold's face pale. "I was raised and taught there," she said, mixing lies with truth. It was true that she moved to Russia, but not when she was six, but when she was thirteen. Till that time, she was with them- seven years in hell.
"The man who adopted me taught me how to paint, sing, behave and blend in high society. He pampered me with everything I wanted. He sang lullabies when I had nightmares. He brought light into my world."
"He was kind to me, my everything," Selena said, her voice brimming with emotion. "He was the only person who showed me love and care- who made me feel like I belonged somewhere."
Her eyes welled up with tears as she remembered the man who had taken her in and provided her with a home when she had none.
She was hostile, but now she can be manipulative; before, she was an unhinged animal. She attacked anyone who came too close to her.
He still held her close despite her punches and kicks. When he attempted to treat her injuries, she cut his face. Ignoring the pain, he first wrapped her wounds.
Theodore's face was ashen when he realized he was not the father figure of her life. He had missed all the chances. He knew whoever the person she was talking about was irreplaceable. He was something that Theodore could never be.
His heart clenched at the thought. His daughter, he had missed so much of her life.
Maxim lowered his head. Why did her words cause a lump in his throat? Why did the smile on her face when she mentioned that man cause him so much pain?
"Who was that man?" Maxim asked.
"It was B--"
thud
"Sir, the left wing is on fire," the door burst open.
~~~~
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