My heart felt like it had dropped into my stomach. I wanted to speak, to defend my father, but I couldn't find my voice.
Father wasn't always like this. He used to break down walls if I did as much as sneeze a little. I used to be his adorable, beautiful daughter. This was all my fault.
Maybe I deserve this for making him into a monster. Maybe this was my fate.
I just stood there, frozen, watching as the situation escalated beyond anything I could control.
Axel wasn't finished. "Have you even looked at her, Don Diego?" he demanded again, pointing at me. "Take a good look at your daughter's bruises, and ask yourself if you're really the one keeping your family's image intact, or if you're the one staining it."
My father's face turned the most evident shade of crimson, his eyes shooting flames. He stepped forward even more. "You dare…"