Chapter 77

Selena's POV

My mother seemed on the verge of saying something but clamped her shut without a word. She cast a worried glance at my father, frail and vulnerable in the hospital bed. This was truly my Asian father, and a wave of conflicting emotions washed over me. Part of me yearned to forgive him, the other to lash out.

My mother drew closer to the bed, taking a seat beside him. She reached for his right hand, gently rubbing it with tenderness.

"Why?" I finally managed, a single, choked question escaping my lips.

My mother remained focused on my father, her voice barely a whisper when she replied, "We needed help, and Diego Lorenzo isn't someone to take lightly. When the company was on the verge of collapse, he offered assistance in exchange for your father's signature on that agreement."

"Without even consulting me?" My voice rose a notch.

"He is your father," she said, her tone defensive. "He believed he was making the best decision to secure the company's future."

"Choice?" I s