A Fresh Start novel Chapter 7

Suffocated?

I felt like I was the one suffocating.

Jayden, my love passed away from overwork the year before her college entrance exams. They couldn't save him.

At the time, she was attending an expensive private tutoring class. I thought she was fully preparing for the exam.

So even though the family and company were in chaos after Jayden's death, even though so many relatives were eyeing the Martin family's assets, even though I was heartbroken…

I still forced myself to handle everything, not letting a word of it leak out.

At that time, I was so busy that I only slept four or five hours a night.

Sometimes, I was woken up by phone calls, feeling the large wet spot of tears on my pillow. I had to keep telling myself it was okay, it would pass, and that Charles and Gianna needed my support.

I took a long time to calm down.

Staring at the daughter I thought I knew best.

When I spoke again, my voice felt strange and hoarse. "Gianna, can you tell me, if I've done wrong over these years, what would be right? What do you think love should look like?"

"Give me freedom!"

She shouted.

"I said I wanted to see a bar, and Luca took me, protected me."

"I wanted to skip those classes I didn't like, and he would take me out, no questions asked."

"And he wants to meet my boyfriend too."

Charles indeed wanted to meet the guy who had his sister so bewitched.

He was still trying to turn things around, hoping Gianna would come to her senses.

But now, I didn't think it mattered much anymore.

There was a subtle sadness, as if we were destined to take different paths.

But no matter how painful it was, some endings were unavoidable.

I agreed to Gianna's request.