THREE HEARTS, ONE SIN

CHAPTER 9

I stared at Roman.

“My mother.”

He didn't answer.

That was enough to make my stomach twist.

I stepped closer to him. “You know something about her.”

Roman looked away.

“Roman.”

Still nothing.

“Say something!”

Adrian sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe we should all sit down.”

I turned on him.

“Why? So you can give me another family secret over tea?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Fair point.”

Nikolai walked toward the window and looked outside.

I didn't care about the window.

I cared about Roman.

“You knew my mother was alive?”

Roman finally looked at me.

“I knew there was a possibility.”

“A possibility?”

My voice cracked.

“You knew there was a possibility that my mother was alive for seven years, and you said nothing?”

“It wasn't my secret to tell.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Of course. Because apparently everyone in my life gets to know things except me.”

Roman's expression hardened.

“Your father made us promise.”

“My father?”

“Yes.”

I shook my head.

“I don't understand.”

Roman walked toward the fireplace and stood with his arms crossed.

“Seven years ago, Victor told us that someone was coming for his family.”

“Who?”

“We never found out.”

“You're lying.”

His eyes met mine.

“I don't lie to you.”

I almost laughed.

“You've been hiding things from me since the day we met.”

“There's a difference.”

“What difference?”

“I didn't tell you everything. That's not the same as lying.”

I stared at him.

“That sounds exactly like something a liar would say.”

Adrian quietly nodded.

Roman turned to him.

“Don't.”

Adrian immediately looked away.

“I'm staying out of this.”

Nikolai suddenly spoke.

“Your mother wasn't in the car.”

I turned toward him.

“What?”

He looked at me.

“The night of the accident. Your father told everyone she was inside the car.”

My heart began pounding.

“But the police said…”

“The police were given a body,” Nikolai said.

I swallowed.

“A body?”

“A woman.”

I felt sick.

“Then who was she?”

“We don't know.”

The room suddenly felt smaller.

I sat down.

My hands were shaking.

“So my father lied about my mother's death.”

Roman nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

“And you all knew?”

Roman looked at me.

“We knew something was wrong.”

“That isn't an answer.”

“It is the only one I have.”

I stood up again.

“Where is my father?”

Roman's face became unreadable.

“I don't know.”

“But he called me.”

“Yes.”

“He knows where my mother is.”

“We don't know that.”

“He knows something!”

Roman didn't respond.

I turned away from him.

For seven years, I had believed my mother was dead.

I had cried for her.

I had visited a grave with her name on it.

I had spent years wondering what she would have been like if she had lived.

And now some stranger had walked into this house and told me she might still be alive.

It was too much.

I wiped my eyes quickly before anyone could notice.

Adrian noticed anyway.

He walked over and handed me a glass of water.

“Here.”

I stared at it.

“I don't want water.”

“Okay.”

He took it back.

“Do you want something stronger?”

I looked at him.

He shrugged.

“Just asking.”

Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped me.

Adrian smiled.

“There she is.”

“Don't make me regret laughing.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

Roman suddenly walked toward us.

“We need to leave.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

“Because whoever sent that man knows we're here.”

“So?”

“So this house isn't safe anymore.”

I looked around.

It had felt safe when we arrived.

Huge walls.

Security cameras.

Guards.

And somehow, people still kept getting inside.

“Where are we going?”

“My other property.”

Adrian groaned.

“Please tell me it has food.”

Roman ignored him.

I grabbed my bag.

Then something caught my attention.

A small black mark was visible on the floor beside the fireplace.

I crouched down.

“What is that?”

Nikolai came closer.

He examined it.

“A bullet hole.”

Roman immediately turned toward him.

“What?”

Nikolai touched the wall.

“Someone fired from here.”

I stood up.

“When?”

“Recently.”

Roman's eyes moved around the room.

“Everyone out.”

We didn't argue.

We moved toward the hallway.

Then I heard something.

A faint buzzing sound.

My phone.

I pulled it from my pocket.

Unknown number.

One new message.

YOU ASKED ABOUT YOUR MOTHER.

My blood ran cold.

Another message appeared.

NOW ASK ROMAN WHAT HE DID THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED.

I slowly looked up.

Roman was standing across the room.

He had seen the message.

His face changed.

“Give me the phone.”

I held it tighter.

“What did you do?”

“Elena…”

“What did you do that night?”

He didn't answer.

Adrian looked between us.

“Roman.”

Nikolai's eyes narrowed.

Roman finally spoke.

“I was there.”

My heart stopped.

“You were there?”

“Yes.”

“When my mother disappeared?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't you tell me?”

His jaw tightened.

“Because I was the reason she survived.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

Roman took a step toward me.

“I didn't kill your mother, Elena.”

“Then what did you do?”

Before he could answer, every light in the house went out.

A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.

Adrian pulled me down.

Nikolai reached for his weapon.

Roman grabbed my hand.

“Don't move.”

Another gunshot.

Then silence.

And from somewhere in the darkness, a woman's voice whispered my name.

“Elena…”

I froze.

I knew that voice.

I had heard it in my dreams for years.

My mother's voice.