THREE HEARTS, ONE SIN

CHAPTER 10

“Elena…”

I stopped breathing.

That voice.

There was no way.

I knew that voice.

I had heard it every night when I was a child. I remembered the way my mother used to call my name when she wanted me to come downstairs for dinner.

But my mother was dead.

At least, that's what I'd been told.

“Mom?”

Nobody answered.

The house was completely dark.

Roman's hand was still around mine.

“Don't move,” he whispered.

I pulled my hand away.

“I heard her.”

“I know.”

My eyes filled with tears.

“You heard her?”

Roman didn't answer.

That scared me more than anything.

Adrian slowly turned toward the hallway.

“Whoever is doing this knows exactly how to get inside her head.”

“I don't care,” I said. “If that was my mother, I'm finding her.”

Nikolai looked at me.

“You don't know that it was her.”

I stared at him.

“Then who was it?”

Before he could answer, a loud crash came from upstairs.

I jumped.

Roman immediately moved toward the staircase.

“Stay here.”

I grabbed his sleeve.

“No.”

“Elena.”

“You're not leaving me down here.”

He looked at my hand on his arm.

Then at my face.

For a second, he said nothing.

“Fine,” he muttered.

Adrian followed us.

“Just so we're clear, I hate this house now.”

“You own it,” I whispered.

“Exactly. That's why I'm offended.”

Even Roman almost smiled.

We reached the hallway upstairs.

The door to my bedroom was open.

It had been closed before.

Roman raised his gun.

Nikolai moved ahead of us.

Nothing.

The room was empty.

I stepped inside.

My mother's photograph was still on the floor.

But something had changed.

The picture frame was broken.

And underneath it was a small black box.

I picked it up.

“What is this?”

Nikolai took it from me.

“Don't touch anything else.”

He opened the box.

Inside was a silver necklace.

I recognized it immediately.

My mother had worn it almost every day.

I stared at it.

My knees became weak.

“No…”

Roman caught my arm before I fell.

“This was hers?”

I nodded.

“She never took it off.”

Adrian's face lost its usual playful expression.

“Then whoever left it here knew your mother personally.”

I picked up the necklace.

It was cold.

Too cold.

There was something attached to the back.

A tiny folded piece of paper.

I opened it.

Three words were written on it.

SHE IS ALIVE.

My hands started shaking.

Roman took the note from me.

“Who left this?”

A voice answered from behind us.

“Your father.”

We all turned.

Nobody was there.

Adrian looked around.

“Okay. That's getting old.”

Nikolai walked toward the wall.

He pressed his fingers against it.

A hidden speaker.

Roman looked at me.

“Victor.”

The speaker crackled.

Then my father's voice filled the room.

“Elena, if you're hearing this, it means they finally told you about your mother.”

I stared at the speaker.

“Dad…”

His voice continued.

“I know you hate me.”

“You have no idea,” I whispered.

“I deserve that.”

Tears rolled down my face.

“But there are things you must understand before you come looking for me.”

Roman looked at Nikolai.

Both of them seemed uneasy.

Victor continued.

“The three men beside you were not chosen by accident.”

I looked at Roman.

Adrian.

Nikolai.

“What does that mean?” I asked the speaker.

“They each know a part of the truth.”

Adrian frowned.

“That's news to me.”

Victor's voice became quieter.

“Roman knows what happened the night your mother disappeared.”

Roman went completely still.

I turned toward him.

“You knew.”

He didn't look at me.

Victor continued.

“Adrian knows who ordered the attack.”

Adrian's face changed.

“And Nikolai knows where your mother was taken.”

My mouth fell open.

I slowly looked at Nikolai.

He said nothing.

“Is that true?”

Silence.

I stepped closer.

“Nikolai?”

His eyes met mine.

“Yes.”

My chest tightened.

“You know where my mother is?”

“I know where she was taken.”

“That's not what I asked.”

He looked away.

“I don't know where she is now.”

I laughed through my tears.

“You people are unbelievable.”

Victor's voice returned.

“Do not trust anyone completely, Elena. Not even me.”

The speaker went silent.

Then the lights came back on.

I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the three men.

For the first time, I wasn't scared of them.

I was angry.

“You knew.”

Roman finally looked at me.

“Yes.”

“You all knew something about my mother.”

Nobody denied it.

I walked toward Roman.

“You were there the night she disappeared.”

“Yes.”

I turned to Adrian.

“You know who attacked my family.”

“Yes.”

Then I faced Nikolai.

“You know where she was taken.”

“Yes.”

I wiped my tears.

“And all three of you decided I didn't deserve to know?”

Roman stepped closer.

“We were trying to protect you.”

I shook my head.

“No. You were controlling me.”

“Elena—”

“Don't.”

My voice broke.

“I spent seven years grieving someone who might still be alive.”

Nobody spoke.

Then I looked at the three men.

“I want the truth.”

Roman's expression hardened.

“You may not like it.”

“I don't care.”

Adrian sighed.

“This is going to be a very long night.”

I looked at him.

“It already has been.”

Then Nikolai suddenly looked toward the window.

“Someone's outside.”

We all turned.

A figure stood across the street.

Watching the house.

Before anyone could move, the figure lifted a hand.

Something flashed in the darkness.

A camera.

Then the stranger disappeared.

My phone buzzed.

One message.

YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER, ELENA.

A second message followed.

BUT YOUR MOTHER ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO SURVIVED.

I stared at the screen.

My blood ran cold.

“Roman…”

He read the message.

His face changed.

“What?”

I showed him.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Roman whispered,

“Victor.”