CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Dallas


I walked into the coffee shop, my eyes darting around. I saw Lucien sitting at a corner sipping a cup of coffee. I took a deep breath before strolling towards him.

I sat opposite him, my fingers intertwined, I managed to keep my face expressionless. He looked as horrible as the last time I saw him, except a little more unkempt. I was pretty sure his daughters weren't treating him well. They couldn't even take care of themselves.

“How have you been?” He asked, trying and failing togive me a sweet smile.

My jaws tightened as I remembered our last interaction together. When he threw me out of my own house.

“Can we just cut to the chase? Why did you ask to see me?”

He smacked his tongue and leaned into the chair. He kept his gaze on me, a smirk dancing on his lips.

“Is it a crime to desire some quality time with my late wife's precious daughter? I just want to see how you are doing.”

I couldn't help the chuckle that rose in my throat. It was very clear that he wanted something from me. Although I had a hunch about what it might be, I wanted him to talk about it first.

I leaned back into my chair and crossed my arms, I smirked at him.

I am going to enjoy this.

I wasn't going to hold back today. I don't have to worry about him sending me out of the house.

“Don’t you have two ‘precious daughters’ to tell your crap to? Drop the act and tell me why you're really here. I don't have all day. Unlike some people, I have a job and I'm already running late.”

He glared at me hard. If looks could kill, I'd be long dead by now. I flashed him a smile, and that further infuriated him.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
“Do you know what your mother would have wanted if she was alive?” He asked.

My expression softened at the mention of my mother but I didn't give him a response.

“She wouldn't like to see us apart like this. She wanted us to be a family. Always and forever.” He added.

I knew what Lucien was doing. It wasn't the first time he had done something like this. He was trying to manipulate me into doing something by reminding me of my mother. He had never fulfilled my mother's wishes when she was alive, he certainly wouldn't after her death.

My mother tried her whole life to bring the family together. She wanted me to grow up with siblings and a father. Above all, she wanted a family to call her own. But all her attempts were futile. Lucien made it clear to me everytime that he wasn't my father.

At the end, I was the only family she ever had. Sylvie and Stephanie never considered her their mother no matter what she did for them. Sometimes they should pretend to like her because their father asked them to.

I had to watch my mother break everytime she realized how her dreams to have a family failed. The twins and I were always at each other's throats. Lucien always favored his children over me.

My mother had to send me away to Korea so there could be some peace. It was the only thing I disliked her for. When I left for Korea, I thought she hated me too. Maybe she didn’t want me. It was only after her death that I realized she was protecting me in her own way.

When I think more about it, it wasn't after my mother's death that Lucien started taking her memories away from me. He slowly took her from me when she was alive. And I was going to get everything back even if it was the last thing I do.

He threw his car keys on the table, jolting me out of my thoughts. I stared at him with a confused expression on my face.

“I want you to have the car.”

My confusion further deepened.
“And why is that?”

“It was your mother's. Now that you no longer live with us, it's only fair that you have some of your mother's keepsake.”

That was a lie. My mother's car was among the first things Lucien sold after she passed away. He bought this car with the leftover money he had after partying hard and spending money recklessly.

“We both know this isn't my mum's car.”

“Yes, but I bought it with her money. Quit complaining and take it.” He snapped at me.

A smile etched on my face as I studied his reaction. He was fuming but trying hard to hide his expression. The whole scene was hilarious. I just need to rile him up a bit more and I can really get him to lose his temper.

“Why are you giving me the car?”

“I just told you the reason. Why are you still asking me about it?”

He took a huge gulp of his coffee, crunching loudly on the ice. His eyes darted around as if he was searching for something. Or someone.

I clicked my tongue as I stared at him.

“I appreciate your ‘kindness’--” I air quoted the last word.
“But I'm going to have to reject it.”

His eyes flared with rage. He leaned towards me.
“What do you want, huh? Take the car and leave us alone. What's with the stupid lawyers showing up at our doorstep telling me to contact my lawyer and show up in court? What do you want from me?”

So that's what this is about. I already knew everything was coming to this. It was hilarious that he thought I would drop the case just because of an old car.

“Me? I don't want anything from you. I'm just simply taking back what was stolen from me.” I smirked.

“I didn't take anything from you. Your mother left everything in my name. Why would you want to contest the will?” his eyes were red with fury.

“Because I know my mother would never do that. My mother bought the lake house for my birthday. She spent all of her savings on it just because I saw it in a magazine and liked it. My mother opened the cleaning company to help the women living in shelter homes. And so many more. They were her legacies and she would never leave them to you.”

We stared daggers at each other, neither of us willing to back down for the other. Lucien eventually averted his gaze from me.

“I will get the lake house back for you. And the cleaning company. And anything else you want. Just don't take this to court.”

“I want you to hand over everything that belonged to her. Can you do that?”

He didn't respond to my question and simply stared.

“That's what I thought. See you in court.” I stood up and was about to walk away when he said something that made me halt.

“Where did you even get the money to hire those fancy lawyers? Are you Oliver's personal whore now?”

I turned to face him, my eyes blazing with rage.

“Not everyone is an attention seeking whore like your daughters. Or an unemployed drunk who thrives on other people's sweat like you.”

His jaws tightened as he glared at me.
“Don't contest the will, or I'll make sure you regret it.”

“Have a nice day, Lucien.”

I flipped my hair dramatically and walked away from him, feeling so satisfied with my actions.