Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

“Papa.”

She turned to face Luca when she heard his voice.

She had expected to see Luca with his father, sort of bracing herself to meet the man who hadn’t wanted her in his son’s life. What she hadn’t expected was that he’d be alone and staring directly at the man beside her.

The man with the cane.

The man she’d just spent the last few minutes chatting with.

Her breath caught as realization finally settled in.

“Oh, you’re Luca’s father.”

Nick arched one amused brow at her. “You didn’t know? Does my son not take after his old man?”

Sutton’s face flushed.

“No. I didn’t know.”

She turned fully toward him now, awkwardly rising from the bench. “I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

Nick waved a hand easily, still seated. “Don’t be silly. You were kind, and you should never be embarrassed about being kind.”

He reached for his cane and used it to leverage himself upright. Luca stepped forward quickly, automatically steadying him with a light touch, one hand on his father’s elbow.

Nick shook his head but allowed it.

“I told her I’d had surgery. Didn’t say who I was,” Nick said, glancing toward his son. “Your woman is bossy, Luca. I would watch that.”

“She scolded you,” Luca said, shooting Sutton a teasing glance.

Nick chuckled. “She did. Little fire in her, this one.”

Sutton tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You were reaching for your cane. I wasn’t going to just stand around and let you fall on your face.” She hadn’t even known Luca’s father was in the hospital. When the hell had that happened? Wait until she got Luca alone.

held back a smile. “That does

now. “You care about people, and it didn’t matter to you that you didn’t

reached for her hand and took

people,” he

at the unexpected sincerity

I judged you without knowing. Or rather, I judged what I thought you were. And caused both you and

hadn’t expected this first meeting to go like

you,” she said after a heartbeat, That means more than you

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Chapter 144

between them. She could see he was happy with the outcome of their first meeting as

Sutton. He respected her. He saw her kindness

than Luca could’ve asked

rebellion for one day. only cleared for short walks, and if I keep standing here, someone will come

take you back,” Luca

an eyebrow. “Now you’re acting like

must be in shock,”

his way down the hall. She walked with them slowly, lingering as they

nurse at the nurse’s station spotted them and came around the corner with a wheelchair, giving Luca

to buzz to let us know, Mr. De

party.”

grumbled something in Italian under

walk around on your own. I was just about

fussed over for the rest of the week,” Luca muttered as he crouched

leaned toward Sutton as she followed alongside them for a step. “I was not alone… My future daughter–in–law had me

Sutton chuckled. “Behave yourself.”

want to meet my

his room and under the nurse’s watchful eye, Luca returned to

to her room and helped her lower onto

the visitor chair close, turned it toward her, and

whispered into the quiet: “He’ll be

nodded, his voice low. “He’s lucky. Very. But

pillow, exhaustion tugging at her again. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but today had taken more out of her than

realized.