Chapter 321
Samantha and Xander sat in silence as the car glided toward their destination, the low hum of the engine the only sound breaking the heavy quiet. The unspoken tension hung thickly between them, each lost in thoughts too guarded to share.
Samantha’s hands were on her chest, fiddling with a gold pendant.
Xander noticed her actions and curiosity got the best of him.
“Why do you like fiddling with that pendant p>
“It was a gift from my father years ago, and my late mother’s photo is on it,” she replied with a long sigh.
At the mention of her late mother, Xander froze. Samantha almost never spoke of her, and the unexpected reminder struck him like a shockwave, leaving him momentarily speechless.
“I see p>
And once again, silence enveloped the car. For the past few days, Samantha had been rather quiet than usual. Xander noticed this new change of her and wondered what could be bothering her so much.
The only thing that occupied her time was looking after the girls at the house, and keeping them under her wings to make sure they didn’t get any ideas.
Xander unknowingly sighed, and Samantha turned to look at him.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“It’s nothing. Just wondering what Bruce could want to talk about p>
Samantha gave a stiff nod, then turned to look straight again while fiddling with the pendant once in a while. Xander sneakily stole a glance at her.
Her red hair was curled to frame her face beautifully, making it difficult to admire her side profile. When he realized he was staring longer than he was supposed to be doing, he decided to focus on the road.
Since the death of Arabella, he hasn’t had the chance to fall in love again. Samantha had been with him through thick and thin, and despite everything he’d faced, she’d always made it clear she loved him. Sadly, he’d always rejected each confession.
For over two years, he hadn’t heard her confessing her love for him, so he couldn’t help but wonder if she still loved him like she used to. But since she was still with him, he tricked himself into believing she still did.
“We’re here,” Xander said as he parked the car in front of Bruce’s house.
It wasn’t some kind of enormous mansion with extravagant designs. Instead, it was the clear opposite.
Xander noticed Samantha clutching the pendant desperately now for her dear life. She stared at the house, a glint of something Xander couldn’t decipher passing through her eyes.
In all the years he’d known Samantha and Bruce, the man had always lacked love for his daughter for some reason he still didn’t know until now.
He linked her finger with his as he pulled her into the house. At first, she was shocked to find him holding her hand. Warmth wanted to creep into her heart, but she quickly reminded herself he still longed for his lost love.
She let him hold her while still keeping in check with her feelings. She wouldn’t want to confess to him again and only get rejected.
They entered the house and Bruce’s henchmen all greeted them with a respectful bow.
“Where is he?” Xander questioned.
“Please follow me.” The henchman walked away while Xander and Samantha followed behind him.
Although this was her father’s home, Samantha wasn’t quite familiar with anything. Since Bruce moved into this new home years ago, she didn’t visit him and he didn’t let her visit him. This was her second visit there after the first time when she’d wanted to be a good daughter in his eyes, but as always, he chased her away even before she could step into the house.
As they got closer to the room Bruce was in, Samantha contemplated unlinking her hand with Xander’s. It seemed intimate and Bruce definitely wouldn’t like it if he found them holding hands like a couple.
“He’s in here, sir,” the henchman said, and immediately, Samantha unlinked her hand with Xander’s, shocking him. He wanted to question why but she’d already walked away, heading towards the door.
“Father,” Samantha greeted after she stepped inside.
It wasn’t Bruce’s usual liquor room but bottles of liquor were still present to show he’d been drinking.
“What are you doing here?” Bruce questioned, his eyes flaring in anger when they landed on Samantha.
The girl took a step back, already contemplating leaving that room. Her father had always despised her for the longest time she could remember. But whenever she asked him what she did wrong, he would always lash out at her as if she was supposed to crack into his mind and figure out everything he was thinking about or what could be worrying him.
For years, she’d tried to make it up to him despite not knowing what she did to anger him so much all the time he laid his eyes on her, but he would never even look her way.
“I already informed you beforehand that I would be bringing her along, don’t you remember?” Xander asked Bruce.
The old man still glared at Samantha, who subconsciously hid herself behind Xander’s figure in case Bruce lifted any of those liquor bottles and threw them at her.
He’d done it before, and he could still do it again.
“I thought you didn’t mean it,” Bruce slurred, showing he was already drunk.
“You should stop drinking father, you’re already old p>
As soon as those words came out from Samantha’s lips, she saw two empty bottles of liquor flying towards her.
Her heart sank. Thankfully, the bottles didn’t touch her because Xander was quick enough to fling them aside, protecting both of them.
The bottle crashed into a wall and shattered into pieces.
Samantha had always wondered if Bruce ever realized that if all his attacks towards her had succeeded, she would probably be lying six feet under.
She knew he despised her, but should it be to the extent he was willing to kill her without batting an eyelash?