The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 133

He blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

The man his son was calling Dad, the one with that wild, dark blonde hair, looked way too familiar. Wasn’t that Elio?

His son was actually calling Elio Dad?

Steven’s blood pressure shot through the roof. His usually composed, handsome face clouded over with anger. Any gratitude he might have felt vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by pure, burning rage. He clenched his fists and stormed toward them.

Cody was perched happily on Elio’s lap, face upturned and innocent. “New dad, when will I be big like you?” he asked, all curiosity and trust.

Elio tousled Cody’s hair, grinning. “Soon, buddy. Do you like your new dad?”

Cody nodded, totally sincere. “Yeah, I like you.”

Elio looked over at Lucie with a huge, smug smile. “See, Lucie? He likes me. Your son is my son now. When we get married, I’ll treat him like my own.”

Lucie’s expression turned icy. She didn’t bother arguing; she knew better. With Elio, the more you fought back, the more he enjoyed it.

“Enough, Cody. Come here, let me wipe your face,” Lucie said, grabbing a sanitizing wipe and gently cleaning the dirt from his cheeks and hands.

“Thank you, Mommy.”

Elio leaned in, clearly fishing for attention. “Lucie, can you wipe my face too?”

Lucie frowned, clearly not in the mood, but then noticed the dirt and blood on his face. She wiped him off quickly and tried to move on.

“And this side, too,” Elio said, tilting his head toward her and pretending he was about to rest it on her shoulder.

“Oh, stop it,” Lucie said, rolling her eyes and giving him a playful smack on the head.

“Ow, Lucie, that hurt. You need to kiss it better.”

“Dream on.”

Cody giggled. “Mommy, don’t hit my new dad!”

To anyone watching, they looked like a real family—laughing, teasing, bickering. It was a scene that hit Steven straight in the gut.

He felt his heart splinter. Was she really so eager to move on, to replace him? Did she not care how furious this made him?

“Cody. Come here,” Steven called, his voice sharp and commanding.

All three turned to look at him. Steven stood a few paces away, radiating an intense, almost dangerous energy. His eyes were cold and unyielding.

“Daddy!” Cody jumped off Elio’s lap and ran into Steven’s arms.

Steven knelt down, holding his son tight. “Let me see you. Are you hurt?”

That made Steven even angrier. He grabbed her arm, his voice low and threatening. “I asked you why you’re with Elio.”

“Let me go. Who I spend time with is none of your business.”

His face twisted with rage. “You’re my wife. How can it not be my business?”

Lucie stared him down, her voice cold. “And you weren’t with another woman?”

Steven froze, guilt flickering across his face for just a second.

Typical. He could mess around, but she was supposed to be loyal, devoted, always putting him first and never even looking at another man.

“Let go, Steven. We don’t question each other anymore. I won’t ask about you, and you don’t get to ask about me,” Lucie said, trying to pull her arm free.

When she had been fighting for her life in a hospital bed, he was off in Switzerland with someone else. What right did he have to question her now?

Steven’s breathing turned rough, his eyes burning with frustration. “Lucie, I’m warning you. If you betray me, you’ll regret it.”

Elio stepped in, shoving Steven’s hand away. “Let her go, Steven. Lucie’s decided to divorce you. Stop trying to control her.”

Steven laughed, cold and menacing. “She’s still my wife until the divorce is final. And if you try anything, you’ll regret it a lot more than she will.”