SHATTERED AND TEMPTED のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 161 - チャプター 170

"L-Luca..." I cleared my throat. "How are you?" I asked calmly and gave him a faint smile.Luca remained staring at me; I couldn't read what was on his mind. I couldn't tell what he was feeling now... His eyes, they're still lifeless."What the hell are you saying?" he asked and smiled bitterly. He remained staring at me as if I were just an illusion in his sight."H-Huh?" I asked, I honestly don't know what to say."Why the hell are you smiling at me as if you've forgiven me already?" he rasped. His voice alone says something about the life he's been living for the past years... What happened to him?"I-I've forgiven you," I just managed to say while looking at him... His eyes are dim as if his body is about to collapse at any moment... It's like he's so sleepy.Luca chuckled humorlessly. "H-How did you even do that? How did you forgive the man who killed our child?" he asked and held on to the table when he was about to fall.I swallowed and gripped my bag tightly... Oh, right. He s

"How did your talk with Luca go?"I just bit my lower lip and sighed. Aiden intertwined our fingers and kissed the back of my hand. My heart calmed down a bit because of what he did. My mind has been restless since my conversation with Luca... I talked to him because I wanted us both to have peace, but now I feel even more unsettled."I'm sorry... Is it too obvious that I'm thinking about him?" I asked when we got inside the house.Aiden chuckled and nodded. "Kinda... but I understand. I just didn't want to ask earlier because you didn't seem to be in the mood to answer anything about him."I sighed and faced him. He just smiled at me and tucked my hair behind my ears while staring at me. He pulled me into a tight hug and caressed my back.I sighed and hugged him back. "Well... I think I just made everything worse. Luca... I-I want him to move forward, but I know it won't be easy for him... without him knowing that our child is alive. I feel like that's the only solution, Van," I whis

"C-Can I just escape? I really want to escape this feeling, Crescent... I know this is an easy way out, but I can't take this anymore." Tears escaped from his eyes. "I'm being killed every day since our child was lost because of me... I-I don't want this anymore, Crescent. I'm so tired... I-I want to sleep peacefully, I want to feel warmth again... I'm really having a hard time... It's so hard, Crescent... The pain just gets worse every day... I-It hurts so much.E-Every day I wake up, I don't remember anything else but the fact that our child was lost because of me. I-I wish it was just me... I wish I was the one who was lost. It really hurts so much... I-I can't take it anymore. I really can't." His crying got louder as if he was letting out all the pain in his heart.I covered my mouth as I heard Luca crying... he completely sobbed as his tears continued to flow... He's so weak right now... as if he really wants to give up."S-Stop this, Luca... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... Please, i

I facepalmed. This is not the start of their father-daughter conversation I was expecting."Havannah, he's your Daddy... Respect him," I said, a little scolding.Luca just put down the things he bought in front of Vanna. I was stunned when I noticed that my daughter was sneakily peeking at them. Luca just knelt down to be on the same level as her, then held Vanna's hand."D-Do you want me to cut my hair?" Luca asked, his voice shaking.Vanna pursed her lips. "If you're really my real Daddy, why did you only come now? At least Daddy Aiden is better. I like him more.""Havannah!" I scolded her.Luca looked at me and nodded. "It's alright, Crescent. She's just surprised by what's happening," Luca said in a soft voice and looked at Vanna again."I-I'm sorry if I was late... It's Daddy's fault for being slow... B-But I'll do better this time. C-Can you please give me a chance, Havannah?" Luca asked... I noticed that his voice immediately shakes when he talks to Vanna.I just bit my lower l

"Baby... Listen to Mommy, hmm?" I held Vanna's hands and stared at her face... She really looks like Luca."Why, Mommy?""Baby... Luca is your Daddy. I know what he did was bad, but he's not a bad man. He was just mad last night. Please give him a chance, hmm, baby?" I asked in a soft voice and caressed her cheek."If he's not a bad man, then why did he do that to Daddy Aiden?" she asked and hugged her pink teddy bear tighter."I told you, baby. He was just mad last night. He and Aiden have a misunderstanding, but believe me, your Daddy Luca truly loves you. He's a good man, and he will be a good father to you too; just give him a chance. Don't say hurtful words to him because he gets hurt. You don't want to hurt other people, right? That's how I raised you," I gently explained to her.I really want to get mad at her for what she said to Luca last night, but I couldn't blame her for reacting that way. Luca is a stranger in her eyes; what she saw last night just made the situation wors