CHAPTER 104: NO POWER OVER ME

~LAYLA~

"What do you mean?" His voice had changed, losing some of its authority.

"Drop the act, Charles. I know I’m not your daughter."

There was a long pause. When he spoke again, his voice was ice. "You don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh, really? That’s the card you’re playing?"

"Layla, that’s ridiculous. You’re upset; you’re saying things..."

"Don’t," I cut him off sharply. "Don’t insult my intelligence by denying it. I know the truth. I know I’m adopted."

The silence on the other end was deafening. I could hear his heavy breathing as he processed what I’d just said.

"How..." he finally spoke in a quieter voice now. "How did you know?"

"It’s not necessary how I found out. What matters is that I know."

"Layla, listen to me. Your mother and I, we loved you. We raised you as our own..."

"Loved me?" I interrupted. "Is that what you call it? Treating me differently from Cassandra my entire life? Making me feel like I had to earn your approval while she could do no wrong?"

"That’s not fair!"

"It’s completely fair! Now I understand why. I was never really part of the family, was I? I was just... what? A charity case? A correction to your drunken mistake."

"It wasn’t like that."

"Then what was it like, Charles? Enlighten me."

He sighed heavily. "Your mother... she couldn’t have children after we got married. There were some issues. She wanted a child so badly. When we found you, she saw it as a blessing."

"A blessing you couldn’t wait to throw away the moment I didn’t fit your perfect Watson image anymore."

"That’s not true."

"Isn’t it? The moment your ’daughter’ humiliated me before the whole world, what did you do? You sided with her, and when I challenged your decision? You cut me off... disowned me. Would you have done that to your real daughter?"

"Cassandra is different..."

"Because she’s your blood," I finished. "At least now I know why you never fought for me the way you fight for her. Why you let her destroy me without consequences."

Charles was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was calculated. "What else do you know, Layla?"

The question hung in the air, loaded with implications.

"What else are you hiding, Charles?" I countered. "What other secrets are you afraid I’ve uncovered?"

"Answer my question."

"Why? So you can get ahead of whatever I might reveal? So you can start covering your tracks?"

"Layla, don’t play games with me."

"I’m not the one playing games. You’ve been playing them my entire life. Pretending to be my father, pretending to care about me, all while treating me like I was less than."

"We gave you everything..."

"Everything except the truth! Everything except real love and acceptance!" I was livid now. I wasn’t sure if it was the deal that we just lost, or Cassandra’s action of Charles’... or everything combined.

"Do you have any idea what it’s like to grow up feeling like you’re never quite good enough? Like there’s something fundamentally wrong with you, but you can’t figure out what it is?"

"We tried our best—"

"Your best wasn’t enough. And now Cassandra’s facing the consequences of the entitlement you instilled in her, and you can’t stand it."

"She’s my daughter."

"And I’m not. We’ve established that. So stop calling me asking for family loyalty when you’ve made it clear I was never really family to begin with."

"Layla, regardless of blood, you were raised as a Watson..."

"No, I was raised as less than a Watson. As someone who had to constantly prove their worth, who had to be perfect just to get a fraction of the attention you gave Cassandra."

"That’s not how it was."

"That’s exactly how it was. And you know what? I’m glad I’m not your biological daughter. I’m glad I don’t share your blood, because it means I’m not destined to become the kind of person who protects criminals and punishes the innocent."

"Watch your tone," Charles warned, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"Or what? You’ll disown me again? Too late for that. You’ll cut me off financially? Already done. You’ll try to destroy my business? Cassandra already tried that and failed." I took a breath, steadying myself. "You have no power over me anymore, Charles. None."

"You’re playing a very dangerous game, Layla. Making threats, throwing accusations..."

"I haven’t made any threats. I’ve simply stated facts. Cassandra committed crimes. She’s being held accountable. That’s how the law works, even for Watsons."

"The law," he scoffed. "You think the law is on your side? You have no idea how many judges, prosecutors, and politicians owe me favours. How many strings I can pull."

"Then pull them. Use all your influence, all your money, and all your connections. But it won’t change what happened. It won’t erase the evidence."

"Evidence can be discredited. Witnesses can be convinced to change their testimony. Juries can be swayed."

"Are you admitting to planning to obstruct justice?"

He laughed coldly. "I’m simply stating facts, as you put it. The legal system is more flexible than you think, especially for people who know how to work it."

"That sounds like a threat."

"Consider it whatever you want. But know this: if you continue down this path, if you insist on prosecuting Cassandra, you’ll make an enemy of me. And I’m not an enemy you want, Layla."

"I made an enemy of you the day I chose to live my own life instead of the one you planned for me. This changes nothing."

"It changes everything. Before, you were just a disappointment. Now you’re an active threat to my family."

"Your real family, you mean. The one I was never truly part of."

"Don’t twist my words."

"I don’t need to. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear over the years. I just finally understand why."

There was another long pause. I could hear muffled sounds in the background, like he’d covered the phone to speak to someone else.

"Last chance, Layla," he said finally. "Drop the charges against Cassandra. Walk away from this. I’ll make it worth your while financially. We can pretend this conversation never happened."

"You want to buy my silence? Try to pay me off like I’m some kind of blackmailer?"

"I’m offering you a way out of this mess."

"The only mess is the one Cassandra created. And I’m not dropping anything. She faces trial, she faces consequences, and if you interfere, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of man you really are."

"You’re making a mistake."

"No, the mistake was ever thinking you actually cared about me. Goodbye, Charles Watson."

I hung up before he could respond, my entire body shaking with a mixture of anger and adrenaline.

"Well," Henry said after a moment of silence. "That was intense."

"Are you okay?" Helena asked, looking and sounding genuinely concerned.

"No," I admitted, sitting down heavily. "But I will be. Eventually."

"You’re adopted?" Henry asked carefully. "I didn’t know that."

"Neither did I until recently. My mother left me a letter before she died."

Helena squeezed my shoulder gently. "I’m so sorry, ma’am. That must have been such a shock."

My phone buzzed again. This time it was a text from Axel: How’s Chicago?

I stared at the message, debating whether to tell him about the failed meeting or Charles’s call. I decided on honesty: The meeting fell through. Optics too risky for them. And Charles called, threatening me.

His response came quickly: What?!!!

Before I could type a response, my phone rang, with Axel’s name flashing on the screen.