CHAPTER SEVEN

LUCA

I had just embarrassed myself in the presence of Lily. She saw my weakness and shame, something I so desperately guard.

After the embarrassing moment at my penthouse, I dropped Lily off without saying a word to her, not even goodbye. I have locked myself in my house the whole day wallowing in self pity. It's getting dark and although I have a business meeting with Smith, I don't plan on leaving my mansion let alone going to where Lily lives.

Sinking deeper into the bubble bath, I vigorously scrub my body to wash off the pain. The guilt. The hurt. But no matter how I try, these things will always be part of me. The pain of watching my father abused my mother for so many years. The guilt of letting him kill her. If only I had done something...

The guilt of my mother's death is eating me alive.

I scrub harder against my skin. I don't care if my flesh tear off from my bone, maybe that's exactly what I want. The voices in my head are growing louder, taunting me.

'They are all the sam