BILLIONAIRE'S UNINTENDED BRIDE

Chapter 35: Reunion and Regrets

Chapter 35: Reunion and Regrets

I awakened on an expansive, luxuriously soft bed, momentarily disoriented, unfamiliar with my surroundings. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed a figure seated on a nearby couch, his gaze fixed on me. It was my father. The moment he saw that I was awake, he stood and walked over to me, a gentle warmth in his eyes. He cupped my cheek tenderly and greeted me, "Hi, sweety." A small, grateful smile found its way to my lips, a smile for the father I had only known through the distant exchange of letters until now. "Hi, dad," I replied, my voice soft.

The joy that lit up his face upon hearing me say 'dad' was heartwarming. His concern was evident as he asked, "How are you feeling, sweety?" Glancing around the room and then back at the comforting bed, I responded, "I'm feeling fine, dad. This bed is so comfortable."

A heavy silence fell between us. Memories of the harsh words I had hurled at him earlier flooded back, filling me with remorse. I was bracing myself to apologize, but he seemed to read the regret in my eyes. Before I could utter a word, he gently said, "Emily, don't worry about it. I understand. You're my daughter, and I will always love and protect you."

I met his gaze, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I know, dad, but... the things I said to you, I didn't mean any of it. I was... I was just..." My voice faltered, the image of Sebastian, alone and in danger, overwhelming me again.

"I couldn't bear the thought of him there all by himself. It... it broke me, Dad. I lost my mind thinking about it."

My father sat beside me on the bed, his presence a calming force amidst the storm of emotions raging within me. "I know, Emily. It's okay. These were extreme circumstances. Anyone would have felt the same in your place," he assured me, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.

The room was quiet for a moment, the air filled with unspoken words and emotions. I realized then just how much my father had endured, not just in the recent chaos but over the years, always carrying the weight of my safety, my happiness.

I reached out, taking his hand in mine, feeling the roughness of his skin, a testament to years of hard work and worry. "I'm sorry, Dad. For everything. For the pain I caused you," I murmured, the guilt weighing heavily on my heart.

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "There's nothing to apologize for, Emily. You're safe now, and that's all that matters to me. Dad's hand tenderly brushed my cheek, his touch a silent comfort. "I'm sorry too," he began, his voice thick with emotion. He paused, struggling to continue, the next words seemingly too heavy to bear. "I sent my guys after we departed for your safety. They..." His voice faltered, unable to finish the sentence, but his unfinished words hung heavily in the air. I knew what he was trying to say, and tears began to stream down my face.

He took a deep breath, his voice laden with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Emily. We... we couldn't save him. We hoped he might have somehow survived the explosion and that we could reach him in time, but my guys didn't find any remains. Everything was lost with the explosive. I'm sorry, Emily. I know Sebastian meant a lot to you, but I couldn't save him."

His words crashed over me like a tidal wave, confirming my deepest fears. Sebastian was gone, taken from this world, leaving a void that felt insurmountable. The reality that I would never see him again was unbearable. And then, another thought struck me like a dagger to the heart – Luke. How was I going to tell Luke that I had left his brother behind? Luke, who had only just reunited with his long-lost brother, and now... now he was gone forever, lost to us both. The weight of this realization was suffocating, a guilt that anchored heavily in my soul.

The tears flowed unabated, mourning for Sebastian's life and for Luke's loss, a brother he barely had the chance to know. "It's all my fault," I sobbed, the words muffled through my tears. "I left him there. Luke will never see his brother again because of me." The pain of this acknowledgment was a raw, open wound, and I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility for the irreparable loss that Luke now faced.