Chapter 202

202 Bloodlines and Breaking Points

Lucian

“I know my mother isn’t perfect,” Darian said, his voice cracking with a raw honesty that cut through the room. “But she’s not a killer. The worst she ever did was ruin breakfast with her complaining and lie about people she didn’t like. That’s it. What else did she do, Father? Because this… this is too much.”

He stepped closer, eyes burning with restrained anger.

“I’m starting to believe her when she said you never loved her. There’s not a single picture of her in this house. Not one. And you’re always the first to point out her flaws-as if she was nothing but mistakes. You did it so often, it became

normal. Routine. But this?” He gestured around us, voice rising. “Trapping her in a room like a prisoner? This is extreme.”

Darian’s voice broke, but he didn’t stop. “So she’s being blackmailed-maybe she didn’t tell you because she knew you’d toss her aside. She’s always afraid of you, and now I understand why. You’re heartless. You locked her in here like a