Chapter 67: Nothing right or wrong
"And you want me to let it go?"
The idea seemed incomprehensible to him. He had witnessed how Miriam had cut her down, how the years of mistreatment had chipped away at her spirit. To let it go was to allow the injustice to continue with Layla, and he wasn’t someone who tolerated that.
Layla’s lips trembled, but she pressed them into a firm line. "I don’t need you to fight this battle for me," she whispered, her eyes still avoiding his. "I’ve survived it alone for so long. I can survive it a little longer." She was trying to be strong, to show that she didn’t need anyone to defend her, even though a part of her longed for someone to stand up for her.
Lucius’s gaze softened, but the storm inside him didn’t subside. He hated seeing her like this—torn between her own strength and the pain others inflicted on her. "Layla," he said quietly, "you don’t have to fight alone anymore. You have me."
"They won’t beg for my forgiveness unless I take over the company my father owns," Layla stated, her voice firm with resolve. "That’s what I want—to be declared as the true heiress of the Rosenzweig family." Her eyes gleamed with determination, though the weight of her words revealed the emotional battle she was still fighting within.
Lucius listened carefully, his gaze never wavering from her. "I can do that at gunpoint," he affirmed without hesitation. "I won’t even hesitate to kill them, Layla. Just tell me, and I’ll make it happen. How many times do I have to tell you that I can’t stand tears in your eyes."
There was no trace of doubt in his tone, only a promise—a promise of swift action, of merciless retaliation against anyone who dared to hurt her.
But Layla shook her head, her expression softening slightly. "No, don’t do that," she said quietly, her voice now gentle, almost fragile. "That’s not the right way." She glanced up at him, seeing the fierce protectiveness in his eyes.
"But thank you... for thinking so much of me." The gratitude in her voice was genuine, though it came with a layer of sadness, knowing that Lucius would go to any extreme for her.