The Designer's Daughter

Chapter 10: The Truth About Nathan

Lucia sat across from William in his study, the warm glow of the fireplace flickering against the dark wooden walls. It was the first time they had been alone since she arrived, and she wasn’t sure why, but something inside her told her to ask.

She hesitated before speaking. “Nathan… what was his mother like?”

William’s expression darkened slightly, and he leaned back in his chair. For a moment, he said nothing, as if debating how much to tell her. Then, with a quiet sigh, he spoke.

“His mother’s name was Rose.” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, something bitter. “She was the woman my father wanted me to marry.”

Lucia’s brows furrowed. “But… you didn’t love her?”

William shook his head. “No. I never wanted anything to do with her. My heart already belonged to someone else.” His eyes flickered with an emotion Lucia couldn’t quite place. “To your mother.”

Lucia swallowed hard, gripping the arm of her chair.

William exhaled. “But my father… he was a powerful man. Controlling. He didn’t care about what I wanted—only what suited the family’s reputation. One night, he and Rose… they drugged me.”

Lucia’s breath caught in her throat.

“When I woke up, everything had already happened,” William continued, his voice steady but cold. “And months later, Nathan was born.”

Lucia’s heart ached as she watched the way William’s jaw tightened.

“She died giving birth to him,” he added. “And my father… he never cared. To him, Nathan was simply an heir to continue the Anderson name.”

Lucia looked down, her mind racing. She had spent years thinking William was just another man who abandoned a woman he got pregnant. But now… now she saw a different story. One filled with pain and betrayal.

She met William’s gaze. “Did you ever resent Nathan?”

William’s expression softened slightly. “Never.”

Lucia wasn’t sure why, but those words eased something in her chest.

William leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Nathan is innocent in all of this. He lost his mother before he even had a chance to know her. And I swore I would never let him feel unwanted—no matter how he came into this world.”

Lucia felt a lump form in her throat.

She had spent years feeling like she didn’t belong. Like no one wanted her. But Nathan… he had been loved, despite everything.

And now, they had each other.

“I’m glad he has you,” Lucia said quietly.

William studied her for a long moment. “And now, he has you too.”

Lucia’s chest tightened. She wasn’t sure what she had expected when she asked about Nathan’s mother. But she hadn’t expected this—a truth that, in some ways, mirrored her own painful past.

Maybe they weren’t so different after all.

Maybe, for the first time in her life, she wasn’t alone.

—

To Be Continued...