"Luca, please..."
"Please what?" He's shouting now. "Please forgive you for betraying me? For ruining my daughter? For getting her pregnant and then trying to marry her off to your bastard of a son?"
"I never would have suggested the marriage if I'd known it was her! I was trying to help you with your pregnant daughter's situation, trying to settle Leo down. I didn't know they were the same person!"
"But you know now!" He slams his hands on the desk. "You've known for weeks! And instead of telling me, instead of being honest, you've been lying to my face! Living under my roof! Probably still fucking her while I'm off on business!"
I don't deny it. Can't deny it.
His expression goes from anger to something worse. Betrayal.
"You have been," he breathes. "You've been sleeping with her this whole time. In my house."
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" He laughs, bitter and broken. "You're sorry? You slept with my daughter before you knew who she was. Got her pregnant. Arranged for her to marry your son. Then continued sleeping with her while pretending to be my friend. And you think sorry covers that?"
"What do you want me to say? I fucked up. I know I fucked up. But I'm trying to fix it now. I'm trying to..."
"To what? Take responsibility?" He's coming around the desk now. "You've destroyed her reputation. Gotten her pregnant. Complicated everything. And now you want credit for confessing?"
"I want to make this right!"
"There is no making this right!" He's in my face now, and I can see tears in his eyes mixed with the rage. "You were my brother, Axel. My brother. I would have died for you. I let you marry my daughter to your son because I trusted you. And this whole time you've been..."
He hits me.
His fist connects with my jaw so hard I taste blood. I don't fight back. Don't even raise my hands to defend myself.
I deserve this.
He hits me again. And again. His fists are flying, landing on my face, my ribs, anywhere he can reach. Each blow carries twenty years of friendship being shattered.
"You bastard!" He's sobbing now, still hitting. "You fucking bastard! She's my daughter! My little girl! And you..."
I take it all. Every punch, every hit. Let him break my nose, split my lip, bruise my ribs. Because he's right. I betrayed him. Used his daughter. Lied to his face.
This is the least of what I deserve.
The office door slams open. Viktor and Marco burst in, grabbing Luca from behind and pulling him off me.
"Let me go!" Luca's struggling against them. "Let me fucking go!"
"Boss!" Viktor's trying to steady me, but I wave him off. "Luca, you need to calm down!"
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" Luca's still fighting. "He fucked my daughter! He got her pregnant! He..."
"I know!" Viktor's voice cuts through. "I know what he did! But killing him won't fix it!"
"Maybe not, but it'll feel good!" Luca finally stops struggling, but his eyes are still wild when they land on me. "Get out."
I wipe blood from my mouth. "Luca, please. Let me explain..."
"I said get out! Get out of my house! Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you again!"
"The baby..."
"Is MINE to worry about! Not yours! You lost the right to care about my daughter when you lied to me!"