50

Nathan was still confused, he hadn't even stopped to think about what he had said.

Since the jet landed at the airport in Italy, he had kept himself busy. He visited the injured, as well as the families of the deceased.

The remodeling of the company was very advanced, but they hadn't found the whereabouts of the culprit, and that put him in a foul mood.

Two days later, he decided to call Suzanne, but the phone just kept ringing.

He frowned and tried several times, but with the same result. Then he decided to call the only person he knew might know.

"Hello?"

"Dylan, where is Suzanne?" he demanded impatiently.

"And how would I know?" Dylan responded. "I haven't heard anything from her in days."

"You're lying," Nathan retorted, annoyed.

"Well, it's your problem whether you believe me or not," Dylan said, somewhat irritated. "Look, I don't have time for this. If you're done, goodbye."

And he hung up, making Nathan curse.

After that, he called his grandfather, but he said he didn't know anything about her, although Nathan didn't believe him at all. If there was anyone who wanted to keep Suzanne away from him, it was that old man.

"What's wrong with you?" Enzo asked him.

That night, they were both sitting in the Italian's study, reviewing the police report on what had happened and the lost value in material goods.

"Isn't what's happening enough? That bastard killed 10 people and is still free," Nathan said in a bad mood.

"I know that worries you, but there's something else. What is it?" Enzo looked at him attentively.

Nathan thought he needed to vent, and who better than his friend Enzo Mancini, the most sensible man he knew.

"Suzanne is pregnant," he said grimly.

"Wow, it's about time you became a father," Enzo said, somewhat surprised but happy for his friend.

"This wasn't planned," Nathan replied.

"Believe me, I didn't plan on becoming the father of a beautiful girl either, but life is like that, it often surprises us," he smiled, patting his shoulder. "But I'll tell you something, there's nothing in this world I love more than my wife and my daughter."

"I asked her to have an abortion," Nathan said, starting to regret what he had said.

The sip of whiskey Enzo had just taken sprayed out of his mouth.

"You did what? Are you crazy?" he exclaimed, looking at his friend with a frown.

"Enzo, I don't want a responsibility like that," Nathan explained. "Have you forgotten what happened to my brother? I failed him, his death was my fault," he said, raising his voice.

Enzo could hear the pain in his voice. That had marked his friend deeply.

"It wasn't your fault, it was that monster's fault, Nathan," he looked at him with compassion. "You didn't kill him."

"But I failed him, and my mother," Nathan said, anguished.

"Think of it as life giving you another chance, this is different, Nathan," he swallowed hard. "It's your child, your own flesh and blood."

Nathan thought for a few seconds, remembering his words and Suzanne's expressions.

«I'm an idiot,» he thought, distressed.

"I was confused, furious," he whispered. "I didn't even stop to think about what I was saying, in my mind I only saw my brother's lifeless body."

"Nathan, how different are you from that man who killed your brother?"

"Don't you dare compare me to him!" Nathan roared furiously, standing up.

Enzo remained calm, as usual.

"Why not?" he shrugged. "After all, you want to kill your child, a defenseless creature that can't defend itself."

Enzo saw the anger fade from his friend's face, this time he went pale and looked at him as if he had just realized what he had done.

"I'm not a murderer, I'm not like him," he whispered softly.

His friend saw his eyes well up, but he knew Nathan was too proud to let anyone see him cry.

If there was one thing Enzo admired about Nathan Strong, it was how quickly he could regain his composure, just as he did at that moment.

They heard small footsteps in the hallway and then the door opened. A tiny three-year-old girl appeared.

"What are you doing awake at this hour, love?" her father asked lovingly.

"I couldn't sleep," answered the little brunette with blue eyes.

That little girl was identical to her mother, she had only inherited her father's hair.

"Where's your stuffed animal, sweetheart?" Nathan asked, and the girl smiled delightedly when she saw him.

"Hi, uncle Nathan," she said, extending her little arms for him to pick her up.

Feeling that tiny body in his arms, Nathan shuddered and thought that maybe being a father wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps life was giving him another chance.

"What will I do if it's too late?" he said to himself, but Enzo heard him.

"I think there's still time," he looked at him hopefully. "I'm sure Suzanne isn't that kind of girl. I bet that little one is still alive.”

Nathan kissed the little girl's head tenderly, then handed her to her father and rushed out as if the devil were chasing him.

Enzo didn't react to his irascible behavior; he knew his friend had finally regained his sanity.

In some way, he understood Nathan and even felt sorry for him. The man had had a tough childhood and still had a frightening figure that reminded him of it: his grandfather Hendrick.

Nathan Strong barked orders from his cellphone to prepare his private jet for his return to London, which they did immediately without delay.

The house had never seemed so empty as it did that day when he arrived. He searched every corner but couldn't find her anywhere.

All her belongings were there, intact, including the cellphone he had given her.

He had the feeling that this time, she hadn't left with her friend Dylan; this time, she had gone far, very far away.

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a piece of paper on the bed, which he hadn't noticed when he walked in.

"Nathan, although this began as a contract, I fell in love with you. Yes, I loved you, but not anymore. I can't love a monster like you, a being without compassion capable of killing his own child. I return all the money you paid for me, hoping never to see you again. Please leave us alone and continue your life. Suzanne."

Those words had hit Nathan Strong hard. The enormous emptiness he felt at that moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

A notification of a deposit arrived on his phone, confirming $5 million in his account, making his eyes fill with tears as he cursed under his breath.

Defeated, sad, and broken, he swore to find her and show her how sorry he was. But more than anything, he wanted to find her and claim his fatherhood.

He knew it would be a great struggle, but he wasn't willing to give up. He wouldn't give up now that he realized the enormous mistake he had made and his true feelings.

Now, that baby was his priority, he and his wife.