Chapter 138: Chapter-138. (Then Why Help Me?).
Every time my parents had sidelined me, every time they favored my brother, Gregory, who never asked for it.
They had made their choice.
Every time my father spread the family’s empire across the globe, every branch, every new company, every media channel, they had done it without me.
They hadn’t ignored me by accident; they had made the decision to leave me behind.
My brother... Gregory. I thought of him.
He had loved me, true and steady, but even he had been powerless under the weight of our parents’ favoritism.
And now, as I traced each memory carefully, I realized the extent of it.
How my parents had built empires, spread their influence across the country, created wealth and power, yet never truly included me.
Not in their plans, not in their decisions, not in their vision.
I had been sidelined my entire life.
I let out a quiet breath, one that was more release than exhalation.
Slowly, my lips curved into a small, smug smile. It was a dangerous smile, one that held years of frustration, anger, and finally... clarity.
"You’re right. It’s high time they got a reality check." I said softly, looking at Matteo.
He didn’t say anything at first, simply watched me, his eyes calculating. The cigar smoke curled lazily into the air, twisting and floating like the possibilities now before me.
I met his gaze, the tremor in my voice fading with every word, "I have stayed silent too long," I said quietly.
"I let them make the rules... decide the story... pretend my truth didn’t matter." My fingers curled into fists as I took a breath.
"But no more." I completed.
Matteo’s brow lifted slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"I have the match now, and this time, I will choose where it burns," I said, my voice steady, almost calm.
"I have stayed silent too long. I have let them make the rules, decide the narrative, and ignore the truth of my life. No more. I have the match now. And I will choose where it strikes."
Matteo’s faint smile widened just slightly, "Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"My lawyers will help you. They will make sure the notice reaches your family, every asset you are entitled to... all of it in your name."
I froze for a second.
It took a moment for the meaning to actually sink in. Every asset, properties, and every company. Almost my family’s entire empire would in my name.
It sounded impossible. Like something out of a fever dream I had not dared to imagine.
I blinked and looked up at him. Matteo’s expression was calm, unreadable. He sat back in his leather chair, the dim lamplight outlining his sharp features.
His cigar smoke curled lazily in the air, soft and silver against the warm glow of the room.
I should have felt relieved. Or grateful maybe, but something about his calmness unsettled me.
I asked, finally, my voice quieter than I expected. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
He smiled faintly, the kind that did not reach his eyes. "Let’s call it an act of goodwill. Besides, you are just taking what’s yours. The Kingsleys stole enough already."
I wanted to believe him. I really did, but the problem with Matteo was...he never did anything without reason.
I sat back slowly, watching him. His expression did not change, but the silence between us stretched, heavy and strange.
He noticed the shift in my mood. Of course he did.
He was the kind of man who always noticed everything, every twitch, every flicker in someone’s eyes.
"You don’t trust me," he said quietly.
It sounded less like a question as it was a statement.
I let out a faint, humorless laugh, "Should I?"
That earned a real smile from him, sharp and knowing, "Probably not."
The honesty almost disarmed me. Almost.
"Then why help me?" I pressed again.
"You don’t owe me anything. You are neither my family nor my friend. So what is it you want, Matteo?"
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke. The silence that followed was heavier than before.
I could hear faint sounds from the hallway outside. The footsteps of his men, a door closing somewhere, but inside the room, it was just us.
And him thinking.
Long enough for the silence to start biting at me.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, almost thoughtful, "You are right. I don’t do things without reason."
I stared at him, waiting as he looked down briefly, then back up, locking eyes with me, "I want something."
The air between us tightened as his words echoed into the room.
My fingers clenched slightly on the armrest, not wanting him to notice the control his words have over me.
"Something?" I repeated in the same tone of his.
He nodded slightly, joining his hands together as were in some damn business meeting, "Or rather... someone."
I blinked, completely caught off guard, "Someone? Someone who?"
There was something about the way he said it that made my stomach twist, "I asked who? Don’t just sit there like a statue." My voice came out higher than I expected.
He hesitated for the first time since I had met him, which shocked me and gave me anxiety at the same time. Then, slowly, he said, "Emma."
The name hit me like a mini explosion as my breath caught in my throat.
"Emma?" The name came out like a mere whisper.
"Yes." He said simply as if he was just borrowing toy or something.
For a moment, I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t think.
That small, fragile name echoed in my chest like a warning.
The little girl with the wide eyes and messy brown hair. The one who barely spoke, who flinched at sudden noises, who sometimes clung to my hand like she was afraid I’d vanish.
The girl Josh had brought to her one day out of nowhere to complete his so-called family.
The little innocent girl who was now more than family to me.
The girl who was now so dear to me that I would shake mountains for her.
And now Matteo was saying he wanted her.