CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

«Since I stay at Nate's, you can use my apartment,» Lara said.

Luther felt his heart sting because of her words.

Lara reminded him of Scarlet, who had remained without her ice cream because she had given it to him. Even though the twins did look more like Nate Woods, they had taken their hearts from their mother.

Lara was as worried as to find a place to stay for him. She would have offered even if she lived there, he was sure. She would have taken him in just because he needed help. The opposite of what her parents had done with her.

He bit his inner cheek, his face turning dark. Not just that his brother and Gracelyn had offended him, but they also sent their own daughter away while he couldn't protect her.

«What happened twenty years ago?» Nate inquired, noticing the shift in Luther's mood.

His mother was oddly silent, but her face did tell him enough about the situation. Something needed to be said.

There was a story he needed to hear. And Lara, as well. She deserved to know what had happened in her family.

Not that anything could surprise Nate anymore. He had a pretty defined opinion about the Clayton couple.

As a sign of peace, he sat on an armchair instead of towering over the table like before. Luther was not dangerous to Lara. Not at the moment. There was no need to threaten him in silence.

«I had a company,» Luther started, returning with his memories to the years when he was a young, promising entrepreneur. «Nothing too big, but it gave me enough to live in luxury. It was more or less the size of your father's company at the time.»

They were friends because they had something in common. Maybe too much, Luther thought after glancing at Melanie.

«I employed my brother, and everything was fine until his wife meddled into our affairs. She convinced him and a small team to embezzle from the company. They stole money, contact information, technologies... And founded a new company on the ashes of mine.»

«Ashes?» Lara repeated, surprised.

«Yes. The embezzlement was found by the police, and they put the blame on me. I lost everything, and they rose in power thanks to my demise. All that your parents own, right now, was founded with my money and hard work.»

«A-and you spend twenty years in prison because of that?»

«Gracelyn was a witness in that case. She made it sound even worse just to protect her husband and ensure the company was erased from the financial and commercial world. No one wanted to work with me, and they felt pity for my brother. It's how they stole my money, company and, eventually, my life.»

«That's terrible,» Lara said.

Her face was sad, worried, maybe even disgusted. How could her parents ruin someone like that? And, for what? Influence and money?

She had come to terms that the people she had loved in her early years weren't like she had imagined them. She had seen wrong when she thought they were loving parents and righteous citizens.

«And, what will you do now?» she continued.

It was as if she knew his intentions, as if she could read what he was going to do.

«I'll take back what is mine, simple,» he murmured, shrugging. Revealing his cards like that might have been careless, but he couldn't bring himself to be wary. Not in front of a girl whom the same people he hated had chased out of their home.

«I don't suggest you do that, uncle. Vengeance and hatred might consume you in the end. But, you lost twenty years because of them. It's not like I don't understand your reasons and feelings. I'm just worried for you. It would be bad if you ended up in trouble because of those people.»

«Don't worry, Lara,» he chuckled. «I have an advantage Grace and Steve will never have. I am the real deal while they are fake. They earned their position on someone else's work while I used my own skills. No matter how deep I fall down, I will get up with my work. But they won't be able to do so because they had never known a thing.»

«Maybe you are right,» she sighed. There was no point in convincing him to stop.

Moreover, part of her was glad there was someone else agreeing with her. She couldn't think her parents deserved their happiness. Not after finding out they had founded it on someone else's demise.
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On her father's brother's misfortune, to be precise.

She didn't doubt her uncle's version for a single moment. She could imagine them, especially her mother, planning to get the most out of the situation. No matter how much it would cost to someone else.

She shook her head, even more disappointed.

«I'm just sorry that your brother will be involved as well,» Luther continued. «Kids are innocent, even when they forget easily.»

She shrugged, giving away the last part of the information he needed.

She didn't care about David, her brother, either. For some reason, she was disappointed in him just as much.

«How odd,» he said. «He didn't contact you in years, right?»

«Oh, no,» Lara replied, her tone ironic. «He did call me quite a few times.»

She wondered how much to explain, but her uncle was straightforward with her. She could be as well.

«He asked for money. I gave him some, but he never returned it to me. That's when I last met him... He called later as well, I guess after the news about Nate and me was published in some tabloid.»

Her tone was neutral as if it didn't hurt her deeply that her brother used her like that. That he had taken away the food from her kids.

«I can't believe it,» Luther murmured.

«He's not the kid you remember, uncle. Neither am I. We both grew up... And we are different people.»

«From what I hear, your parents didn't change.»

«No, they're the only two who are exactly the same.»