Chapter one hundred and seventy one

The man nodded, feeling a sense of understanding wash over him. “I don’t want to be like him either,” he said.

Cleopatra looked at him, her eyes searching. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

The man shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I know I need to make things right.”

Cleopatra’s eyes locked onto the man’s, her expression serious. “My father, he’s not just a bad man, he’s a monster,” she said, her voice firm. “He’s been holding my mother hostage for years, using her to control me.”

The man’s eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Cleopatra’s expression didn’t change, but her voice took on a hint of bitterness. “He’s been using my mother’s safety to force me to do his bidding. He knows I’ll do anything to protect her, so he uses that against me."

The man felt a wave of anger wash over him. How could someone do such a thing to their own family? “I don’t blame you for what you did,” Cleopatra said, her eyes still locked on