Chapter 266 Antonio's Atonement
However, for Lucien, everything Antonio did after his grandson’s death was an attempt at redemption for the Valencia family.
He was merely a tool to bring Valencia Inc. to its peak.
Antonio was such an outstanding man—someone who should have had all the beauty in the world.
But why was his fate always full of twists and turns?
Sarah's heart ached for Antonio even more. She wanted to protect him, to hold him in her arms, and to love him deeply.
"Stop thinking about it, okay? Things will pass."
Sarah held Antonio's chin, gently rubbing her fingertips against his handsome cheek.
At that moment, Sarah wished Antonio would stop being so strong. He was human, with flesh, blood, and emotions.
There was no need for him to always be so tough. In front of her, he could cry or laugh if he wanted to.
"Antonio, some things are just fleeting moments in your life. You will find countless precious chapters waiting for you when this page turns. The end mark is far from here.
"Lucien Valencia's hatred has nothing to do with you. Those things were beyond your control. Remember, you don't owe anyone anything."
Sunlight poured down, enveloping Sarah completely. Her soft, long hair slightly curled, radiating a faint red glow under the sun's rays.
Antonio carefully savored Sarah's words, his thick eyelashes surrounding his sorrowful eyes.
He said, "No, Sarah, I owe you."
"What?" Sarah was taken aback. "The past is behind us, we don't need to bring it up again..."
"No, you need to know." Antonio held Sarah tighter. "Sarah, actually... Ryan is not my child."
Every word he spoke was a struggle. Antonio never thought he would utter these words. It was his burden and his responsibility. But now, he felt that he was carrying too much weight.
He wanted to confide, seek comfort, and prevent the woman he loved dearly from misunderstanding his loyalty.
Sarah was truly shocked.
"W-What do you mean? How can he not be your child? He's clearly..."
Sarah didn't want to mention Lisa; even thinking about her now brought a trace of disgust to her brow.
Antonio shook his head. "No, it's not true. That woman orchestrated all of this. She couldn't just entrap me. Unfortunately, my eldest brother fell into her trap."
Lisa was determined to marry into the Valencia family at the time. From the beginning, her primary target was Antonio, not his brother.
Even after Antonio and Sarah got married, Lisa never gave up. She held onto a cunning idea: maybe she could replace Sarah if she had a child.
Sarah was speechless, trying to piece together Antonio's words. "So... she drugged you, but accidentally you left, and your brother fell victim to it?"
At that moment, Sarah suddenly remembered overhearing a conversation between Antonio and Lisa.
"You aren't aware of how this child came to be? Using such despicable means, truly vile."
It turned out that the truth was just as Sarah had initially guessed.
Although Lisa's target was Antonio, the result turned out to be his brother, and this had led to Sarah's misunderstanding all these years...
Antonio looked at Sarah's stunned expression, his voice filled with pain.
"Perhaps this is fate... Shortly after that incident, my brother encountered trouble. And at that time, she went directly to my grandfather, claiming to be pregnant with my brother's only flesh and blood.
"How could he not treat her well? After all, she carried his one and only great-grandchild."
Sarah didn't understand. "But why did all of you claim that Ryan is your child?"
Antonio gently kissed Sarah's hand back. "I'm sorry... It's all my fault.
"Back then, Lisa somehow convinced my grandfather, and he also found out that Lisa's initial target was me.
"He was angry, thinking that my brother had suffered twice for me when it should have been me.
"He forced me to marry Lisa. We had only been married for a little over a year then, and our feelings were good. How could I agree? I also didn't want you to know about any of this.
"After numerous negotiations, he made it clear: to preserve our blissful marriage, I must commit to raising Ryan as my own and keep the truth hidden, safeguarding my brother's reputation for a lifetime.
"He insisted it was my duty to my brother, and I was overwhelmed with guilt. You can't imagine the weight of that guilt during those days."
Sarah was speechless for a while before speaking. "I never knew any of these things. So, you agreed?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. At that time, I always felt that as a man, I should handle all those messy things myself and shield you from any storm. That's why I didn't tell you."
Sarah sighed, understanding the conflicting guilt in Antonio's heart.
But she still didn't understand. "So that's why I misunderstood and thought you had a child with Lisa. I was so angry, yet you never explained. Was it also to fulfill the promise and redeem yourself for my brother?"
Upon hearing this question, Antonio closed his eyes in pain.
No, it wasn't just that...
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