Chapter 0323
This was the first time Tanya had ever asked this question in all these years.
Even though Mark had never said anything outright, Tanya had long suspected that he was protecting someone. She had chosen not to ask, assuming that if he wanted her to know, he would have told her. But now, after everything that had happened, she needed to know.
Who was this person worth protecting at all costs so much so that Mark would even sacrifice his own daughter’s life?
When confronted with her question, Mark’s eyes widened slightly, but his response was the same as always. “There is no such person. It’s just Suzy making things up. Don’t
overthink it.”
“Dad…” Tanya wasn’t letting him off this time. “You might not have noticed it yourself, but when you lie, your eyes always shift up and to the right.”
Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line, his silence stretching painfully long.
Finally, he let out a quiet sigh and confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s your
mother.”
“My mother?” Tanya’s voice spiked uncontrollably. “But you told me she died long ago!”
Since she was old enough to remember, Mark had always told her that her mother had died in childbirth. He had painted her as the love of his life, explaining that even his current marriage was nothing more than a political arrangement.
He said he kept Tanya from claiming her rightful place in the Goodwin family not because he didn’t want her to have it, but to protect her.
Given his powerful status and his wife’s volatile nature, revealing Tanya’s existence would have put her safety at constant risk.
Tanya had believed him. Every word.
Now, he was telling her that her mother was alive.
Faced with her daughter’s growing anger and confusion, Mark’s face was awash with guilt. “I’m sorry. I lied to you. Your mother never died. But she can never be a part of your life.”
“Why?” Tanya demanded, the realization dawning on her. “Because she’s the one who killed Suzy’s family, isn’t she?”
Mark let out a heavy sigh, his expression tired and worn. “Yes.”
“One hundred lives… What kind of grudge could she possibly have had against the Frost family?” Tanya’s brows furrowed deeply, her mind racing.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0373
Mark laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. “Unrequited love.”
“What?” Tanya’s worldview shattered into pieces. “Unrequited love? Are you telling me my mother killed over a hundred people because she loved someone from the Frost family, and they didn’t love her back?”
Mark nodded slowly, his expression pained. “Yes.”
Tanya let out a bitter laugh, tears threatening to spill. “So let me get this straight. My mother was deeply in love with someone else, and you knew it. Yet you still loved her, even
to the point where you’re willing to sacrifice everything for her?”
now,
Otherwise, why else would he still refuse to reveal the truth, even now?
Mark’s expression remained filled with bitter resignation. “That’s right. Even knowing she loved someone else, I still loved her. I always have, and I always will. Even if it means giving up my life for her, I’d do it without hesitation.”
All these years, his feelings for that woman had never wavered.
From the moment he first laid eyes on her, she had captivated him completely. Even knowing she never loved him, that she only ever used him, and that Tanya’s birth was nothing more than a calculated move to tie him to her–none of that had diminished his love for her.
She was, perhaps, the piece of his soul he was destined to lose, only to find it in her.
Seeing her father like this, Tanya felt a wave of complicated emotions.
She didn’t know whether to pity him or despise him. “No wonder you told Suzy earlier that you didn’t truly love me. Because in your heart, the one you love the most is my mother- the woman I’ve never even met.
Her voice was quiet as she asked, “Can you tell me who she is?”
Mark shook his head without hesitation. “No.”
“Not even to me?” Tanya’s frustration boiled over, her tone rising. “You expect me to die for her, but you won’t even tell me her name? Do you think that’s fair to me?”
