Chapter 62

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

He looked away, his jaw clenched. “If you’re done, I’d like to speak now.”

Elena scoffed, wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Go ahead.”

Her father met her gaze again, his eyes dark and intense. “Do you remember what I told you all those years ago, when you decided to walk away?”

Elena swallowed, her hands fisting at her sides. She remembered every single word.

“I told you that you weren’t good enough for our family, that you didn’t deserve to carry our name. I told you that you were a disappointment, that you were selfish and ungrateful. I told you that you were nothing but a disgrace, that you would never amount to anything.”

Elena flinched, her heart clenching in her chest. All those bitter memories slashed through her once again.

“And I meant every single word. I meant every single word I said to you because I knew that it was the truth. I knew that you weren’t good enough. I knew that