Chapter8
882 Words
“Lucy…”
Her father’s voice was low but unyielding, the kind of tone that could still freeze her in place, even as an adult. Richard Bennett stood in the center of the living room, his jacket still dusted from last night’s chaos, silver cufflinks catching the morning light like quiet warnings.
“I planted Venessa.”
The words hit like a slap. Lucy’s eyes snapped to him. “What?”
“I planted her,” Richard repeated, slow and deliberate. “To test his loyalty. To test the man circling you. You think I haven’t had your back this whole time?” He stepped closer, gaze locked on hers. “Every step, I’ve been making sure you were safe.”
Lucy’s mouth fell open, a storm of emotions crashing through her. He did this… for me? Part of her wanted to collapse into his arms in gratitude, the same arms that had alwayps caught her. But another part twisted with betrayal, not just from Greg, but from the realization that her life had been quietly orchestrated. *How much of my independence was ever real?*
“You… you’ve been doing all this for me?”
A faint smile curved his lips, warming his eyes for the briefest second. “Always, baby girl. Always.”
The warmth cracked something inside her. “That bastard…” Her voice broke, the words burning like acid in her throat. *I gave him everything. My love, my belief, my influence.* “I thought he was different, Dad. I gave him my heart… Do you have any idea what that cost me?”
Richard stayed silent, his steady eyes absorbing her pain like he always had.
Lucy’s jaw trembled. “I was behind every one of his successes. I pushed him. Believed in him when no one else did. I *begged* you to get him that position at the DiMarco Group. I vouched for him. And this is what I get? A knife in the back?”
Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to sting. The memories flooded in late nights supporting Greg’s dreams, ignoring red flags, convincing herself he saw *her*, not her last name or connections. Now it all felt poisoned.
Richard’s face hardened, but his voice remained calm. “That was the moment I knew I had to watch over you more closely. Even if it meant playing dirtier than they do.”
Lucy exhaled shakily, pieces clicking into place: Venessa’s convenient timing, the “chance” encounters. Relief hummed faintly beneath the rage her father had been her shadow guardian. *But at what cost to my trust?* She leaned back in her chair, torn between fury at the manipulation and a deep, aching gratitude that someone had protected her when she’d been blind.
Her father brushed her arm gently. “You understand why I couldn’t tell you. If you’d known, you would have acted differently… and given the wrong man exactly what he needed.”
Lucy pressed her lips together, nodding. “I understand.”
Richard leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes heavy with unspoken questions. “Alright, my angel. Now tell us everything. How did you suddenly end up married to the DiMarco heir without a single word to us? How long have you two even been dating?”
Lucy’s pulse roared in her ears. She kept her face neutral, navigating the minefield. “A while. We’ve known each other for some time. It just… happened quickly.”
Her father’s brows rose, disbelief etched deep. “Quickly? That’s an understatement. One minute you’re my daughter, the next you’re someone’s wife. No engagement, no family meeting just *married*. You expect me to believe this is a simple whirlwind romance?”
She forced a small smile. “It’s not about the timeline, Dad. It’s about the connection. We fell in love. We didn’t see the point in waiting.”
“Love.” Richard tasted the word as sour on his tongue. “Do you *really* love him, Lucy?”
Her throat tightened, but the answer came steady. “Yes. I do.” *At least… I’m starting to. The way he protected me, the fire in his eyes it feels real. But how much is survival and how much is truth?*
Before he could press, Clarisse cut in sharply from the couch. “And does Austin love *you*?”
Lucy didn’t waver. “Yes. He does.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Men like him, DiMarco men, aren’t known for sincerity, Lucy. Love isn’t a word they throw around lightly.”
“We chose each other,” Lucy said firmly. “That’s what matters.”
The room fell into weighted silence. Her parents exchanged one of those loaded glances deciding whether to push harder or pull back.
What Lucy couldn’t tell them what she locked deep inside was that their “love story” was mostly ink on paper. A calculated arrangement born in chaos, now blooming into something dangerously real. *If they find out the truth, everything unravels.*
A heavy knock echoed through the foyer, cutting the tension like a blade.
Richard’s head turned sharply. “That’ll be him now.”
Lucy’s heart slammed against her ribs. *Austin.* The man s
he’d claimed to love… and the secret she was still hiding.
- Writer
