Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 433

Chapter 433: Chapter 29 You Belong to Me

Daniel’s POV

After an extended conversation with the head of the Sullivan family, I found myself genuinely impressed by Lila’s father. The man commanded one of the most sophisticated money laundering operations on the East Coast, yet he spoke of his daughter with the tender devotion of any loving parent. His legitimate real estate empire and art galleries provided perfect cover for moving dirty money, but when it came to Lila, there was nothing calculated about his affection. This stood in stark contrast to his wife Claire’s manipulative coldness. When the call ended, Lila appeared composed despite the evidence of recent tears still visible on her face. I gently pulled her onto my lap, my fingers tracing the damp trails on her cheeks.

"Now, beautiful girl," I said softly, "tell me who this Beckett person is."

Her response was unexpected laughter. "Anyone would think you’re jealous."

"But I really am," I admitted without hesitation. It was the unvarnished truth. In my world, jealousy could be deadly, but with Lila, I felt safe enough to be vulnerable. She studied my face carefully, as if searching for any hint of insincerity.

"Beckett is my older brother," she explained. "He’s wonderful and always protected me from my mother’s schemes. He’s from my father’s first marriage. His mother died giving birth to their second child, who also didn’t survive." She paused briefly, and I could see the weight of family tragedy in her eyes. "Shortly after, my parents married and had me. Justin is my younger brother and my mother’s golden child. We don’t get along well."

"I see." Based on what her father had mentioned about family dynamics, I ventured, "Your mother has always treated you this way?" In our circles, stepmothers often saw stepchildren as threats to their own children’s inheritance, but Claire’s behavior seemed particularly vicious.

"Always," Lila sighed heavily. "It’s like she despises my very existence."

Curiosity drove my next question, along with my protective instincts. "And how does she treat Beckett?" I wondered if the current acting head of the Sullivan family received similar treatment from his stepmother.

"She doesn’t dare mess with Beckett. She’s always ignored him, treating him like an unwanted guest in our family estate," Lila explained with sadness coloring her voice. "My brother is such a good person. He suffered terribly losing his mother when he was just a child. My father thought Claire would eventually accept him as her son, but that never happened. Beckett learned to navigate the family business early to protect himself."

"And it’s different with Justin?"

"Justin receives all her love and devotion. He’s a spoiled, entitled person who thinks the world owes him everything. He treats everyone beneath his social status like dirt. He and Beckett despise each other, and he and I constantly clash. When we were children, he used to hurt me and then play innocent when adults came around. Beckett left the main family compound when he turned eighteen to run the West Coast operations, and I followed his example by using college and this job at Thorne as my escape route." The profound sadness in her voice touched something deep inside me.

"What about your father?" I asked gently, though I already suspected the answer.

"My father is loving, kind, and surprisingly principled for someone in his position. He’s truly a good man who treats his associates and employees with respect and fairness. He always tried to compensate for the affection my mother withheld from me, protecting me whenever he could without undermining family hierarchy." Her face brightened slightly. "You’ll like him. And I think he was genuinely impressed by you." She offered me a weak smile, which I returned.

"Tiny one," I assured her, stroking her hair, "you have your father, your older brother, and now you have me to care for and protect you." I wanted her to understand that she wasn’t defenseless anymore, not with the Martinez family resources behind her.

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