Chapter 17
**Chapter 17: Two Kinds of Pain p>
“Please remain seated here, Miss Kline,” the correctional officer directed with a tone that was both authoritative and indifferent. “Your father will be brought out shortly.” Serena nodded, her heart heavy, and settled into the unforgiving metal chair positioned in front of the thick glass partition designated for visitors of high-profile inmates. The chill of the chair seeped through her jeans, and the stark, sterile environment of the room loomed around her, thick with an oppressive silence as she awaited the inevitable.
Victor Kline, her father, had not yet been convicted, but the weight of the evidence presented by Nathaniel and his legal team hung heavily in the air, suffocating any glimmer of hope. It was clear to anyone observing that Victor was guilty.
The trial was still in progress, but the clock was ticking down to what seemed like an unavoidable sentence.
Was Serena shocked? In some ways, yes. The news of her father’s arrest had rocked her world, shaking the very foundations of her beliefs about him. Yet, deep down, she had always sensed his capacity for ruthlessness. What she had not anticipated was the sheer depth of that cruelty… until Nathaniel laid it bare for all to
see.
Nathaniel had not only pursued a criminal case but also filed a civil suit that had led the court to freeze most of the Kline family’s assets. This strategic maneuver allowed Nathaniel to seize control of Kline BioSolutions, taking away her parents’ opulent mansion and several other properties that had once belonged to Victor.
Serena rubbed her palms together beneath the table, desperately trying to calm the storm of anxiety swirling within her. The relentless hum of the fluorescent lights drilled into her consciousness, mingling with the distant, echoing sound of metal doors slamming shut. Every noise in this sterile environment felt cold and unwelcoming, amplifying her sense of dread.
She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat growing larger.
Whatever anxiety she clutched tightly, whatever questions she had prepared to voice, none of it could brace her for the confrontation that lay ahead.
Moments later, her father emerged, a disheveled figure clad in the unmistakable orange uniform of an inmate. It hung awkwardly on him, a far cry from the impeccably tailored suits he once wore with such pride.
Victor Kline, now in his late fifties, had previously exuded an air of arrogance that was almost palpable. His meticulously styled blond hair had always been a reflection of the pride he wore like a shield. He had boasted incessantly about being the wealthiest man in Velmon City, a title he had clung to until the Thornes eclipsed him in both wealth and influence.
Now, the man who stood before her looked as though a decade had been stripped from his life overnight.
“You!” Victor barked the moment his eyes landed on her. “What are you doing here p>
Serena felt her heart race. “Nice to see you too, Dad,” she replied, her voice steadier than she felt.
“Get out of here. I don’t want to see your face,” Victor growled, his expression a mask of disdain.
“I have something important to ask,” Serena insisted, rising from her seat, determination coursing through her veins.
Victor was already turning away, but he hesitated, casting her a venomous glance over his shoulder. “What do you want?” he sneered.
“I found out Nathan wasn’t able to seize Mother’s mansion in Rosemont Heights p>
she began, her voice trembling slightly. “I spoke to the lawyers today and discovered she drafted a will. What shocked me the most was that she left me out p>
“The will?” Victor’s laughter was bitter, cutting through the air like a knife. “You honestly believe Roselind would leave anything for you? After everything you’ve done p>
Serena felt her body tense, her mind racing as she blinked in disbelief.
“You brought Nathaniel into my home,” he spat, venom lacing his words. “YOU let a traitor in. YOU trusted him. YOU gave him the opportunity to dismantle everything I built p>
He jabbed a finger at her through the glass, his anger palpable. “You were his perfect little pawn p>
“You were supposed to serve your purpose-serve us! But no. Instead, you became Nathaniel’s tool!” His lip curled in disgust. “You were a mistake. A colossal one. We should have left you on the streets to die p>
Serena’s chest constricted painfully, her heart racing as disbelief washed over her.
They had danced around this
conversation before, but never had she encountered such unbridled viciousness. Victor had never been particularly nurturing, but she had always believed there was a boundary he wouldn’t cross, a line he wouldn’t dare to erase, simply because she was his daughter.
But she was mistaken.
Serena was utterly, irrevocably mistaken.
Rage ignited within her, and she shot back, “Father, how can you hold me accountable for your crimes? You ordered the hit on Nathan’s father. You lit the match. Nathan simply exposed the truth p>
“Some people exist solely to be used, Serena. Neal Collins was one of them,” Victor hissed, his voice low and menacing. “And you? You were no different. Nathan used you p>
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper that sent chills down her spine. “Get out. If I ever walk free again… you will regret ever being tied to me p>
Serena stiffened, a wave of fear washing over her. ‘Was he… actually threatening me p>
“I hope Nathaniel left you with nothing, that you bear the weight of being my daughter. Because that’s the only way I can get back at you for your foolishness!” Victor spat, his words laced with venom.
And then, without a single word more, he turned and walked away, leaving her reeling in the aftermath of his cruelty.
The guard signaled the end of her visit, but Serena remained frozen, staring at the empty chair across the glass, her mind a whirlwind of disbelief and sorrow.
It dawned on her that it was time to sever whatever connection she had left with the man who was supposed to be her father.
It was a lost cause.
He was simply… too vicious.
By the time she stepped into the parking lot, the wind had turned biting cold. She gazed up at the low, gray clouds gathering ominously above her, and for a fleeting moment, she pondered the sins of her past life that had led her to
svet
parents like these… a father could unleash venomous words without a second thought, a mother who had departed this world without leaving behind even a trace of warmth.
But that wasn’t the deepest wound.
No. What stung the most was the realization that she had poured her heart into a man who had never truly loved her in return A man who had manipulated her to settle his own scores, just as her father had manipulated others throughout his life.
Serena found herself trapped between two kinds of pain: one she had inherited, and
the other she had willingly walked into.
Yet soon, she would uncover a detail hidden in plain sight, a revelation that would illuminate her father’s chilling coldness… and hint at a secret profound enough to rewrite the very narrative of her existence.