The Thief's Stolen Heart

Chapter Fifteen

Lynn stood outside Mr. Caine's office, staring at the closed door as she gathered her courage.

Last night she had a nightmare that he had locked her in a dark room to stay for eternity because her mouth was sewed shut and she couldn't speak up for herself. She realized that in a way, the nightmare was accurate. He was taking complete control and locking her away, and she kept her mouth shut.

She was done being quiet and submissive. She was going to stand up to him. She was done being miserable.

Finally, Lynn knocked on the heavy door, ignoring her urge to run and hide away.

"Come in."

With shaking hands, Lynn opened the door and stepped into the massive office. She pulled the door closed behind her, keeping her breathing even.

Mr. Caine finally looked up, and his eyes flashed. "Adalynn, why are you here?"

Lynn tensed and fought down her want to look down and back out of the room. "Father, I need to talk to you."

"Some other time, I'm working."

"No, I'm going to talk to you now." Lynn stood in front of his desk, refusing to cower under his gaze.

The millionaire stood. "Go back to work, you have things to catch up on."

"No. You are going to listen to me for once in your damn life!" Lynn snapped. Her outburst left Mr. Caine speechless. She took that moment to speak. "I have bent to your will my entire life. Ever since Mom died I have been judged and ridiculed by everyone around me, including my own dad!

"I have tried to live up to your expectations, tried to please you. I have taken criticism from you for eleven years. I have done my best to be the perfect statue, and still you ridicule me and hit me into the ground with everything you have!" Tears were streaming down her face but she didn't care. "I have cowered away and hidden long enough. I have tried to be whatever you want me to be, when all this time I only wanted my dad." Lynn shook her head. "And you have never cared that you have been hurting me my entire life."

Mr. Caine stood silent, staring at his daughter in shock. "Adalynn-"

"I can't live like this anymore, Dad." Lynn's voice shook now that her anger was cooling down. "I haven't even talked to you since Mom died. Not a real conversation."

Her father fell into his chair, dropping his head into his hands. "Losing your mother tortured me." He finally said, so quietly that she nearly didn't hear it.

"Well when she died, apparently my dad died too." Lynn walked out of the office, not bothering to wipe away her tears.

Some people stared at her, not knowing what to think. Others looked down at the floor, obviously having heard part of her outburst. But Lynn didn't care. She said what she needed to, and if anything was going to change, it would have to start with Mr. Caine.

* * *

Lynn basically barricaded herself in her room that evening. She was in the worst of moods, feeling sad, angry, relieved, and numb all at the same time. And she didn't feel like seeing anyone.

She laid flat on her bed with a pillow on her face, wishing that she never had to move or speak to anyone again.

Of course, she wasn't left alone for very long. Someone knocked on her door and stepped in without waiting for an answer. The door closed again.

Lynn sighed from under her pillow. "Mama, I already told you I'm not hungry. I'll eat in the morning."

"Adalynn."

Lynn bolted upright at her father's voice, startled that he was here. "Dad?"

His dark hair was looking particularly messy and grey, and he looked ready to drop dead.

Lynn sat at the edge of her bed, hugging her pillow to herself. "What are you doing in here?"

His eyes were seemingly glued to his shoes. "I'm sorry, Flower. After your mother died, I could barely handle it, so I buried myself in my work. I- I was also a coward because I... I ran away from you. You just-" he rubbed his face. "You look so much like her, I couldn't seem to look at you." His voice shook, which made Lynn's heart squeeze. "I know I've messed up, and you have the right to hate me and never speak to me again-"

Lynn was on her feet. She crossed the room and pulled her dad into a hug. He went tense with surprise. "I just wanted you, Dad." Lynn said, her voice tight with tears. "I still love you, I've just missed having you be my dad."

Mr. Caine finally wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I'm so sorry, Flower." He whispered hoarsely. "I was wrong to grieve the way I did. And for so long. I pushed you away, my precious Flower."

Lynn was a crying mess now, along with her father. But she didn't care. "It's okay. We can fix things. We can heal together."

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This one is a bit shorter, but I wrote what I needed to. Well things will slowly get better in Lynn's life, so that's good, lol. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)