When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie) novel Chapter 177

I didn't sleep a wink all night, constantly checking the time on my phone.

By eleven, I was already up, keeping an eye on the hallway.

Lisa had arranged for me to stay in the VIP suite, conveniently close to the staircase.

I counted the seconds in my head, and when I noticed the red light on the stairwell's security camera flicker off, I knew the surveillance system was updating.

Taking advantage of the distraction, I quickly left my room and headed up the stairs.

Two floors above my room was the rooftop. Pushing open the door, I gripped the pocket knife in my hand tighter.

The wind was biting cold, and I wrapped my jacket tighter around me, scanning the area.

Suddenly, the door shut behind me, and then I saw a hunched figure.

"Galen?"

I cautiously approached, and he spoke in a raspy voice, "Follow me."

He led me to a corner of the rooftop, sheltered from the wind and prying eyes.

Removing his hat and mask, I saw the scars on his face and instinctively covered my mouth to stifle my sobs. "Galen, how did you...?"

"You know about the fire." He sighed, shaking his head, then sat down on an abandoned chair.

"Mellie, it's been a while. It's good to see you."

I nodded, at a loss for words.

Was it good seeing him? He didn't seem alright, did he? But then again, maybe if I hadn't seen him, things could've been worse.

"Galen, you've seen Geneva, haven't you?"

Thinking about the figure I'd seen at the hospital door, my voice choked up.

Nothing hurts more than a father and daughter being estranged for years.

He nodded, his eyes soft with affection.

"Geneva's grown tall and beautiful. She used to look like her mom, but now she's starting to resemble me."

I spoke evenly, unsure of how to feel.

Galen nodded vigorously, "Yes, it's all my fault, my punishment."

He didn't ask for my forgiveness, and I didn't offer any words of consolation.

He was at fault, as was Talbot, but he was also a victim.

Looking out over the rooftop, the city was ablaze with lights, bustling with life, a stark contrast to our own displacement.

"Mellie, every year I send Talbot a portion of the evidence of his conspiracy against your father, with the rest in a safe."

"There's also some money left for Geneva. I don't trust anyone else, but I trust you."

He handed me a safe key and a small envelope.

"Here's a power of attorney, so you can retrieve the evidence."

"And this USB drive contains evidence of the Crawford and Miller families' collusion. It's all yours now."