CHAPTER 13
1062 Words
My mother was alive.
That should have been enough to make me happy.
Instead, I was staring at her blood on my hands, trying to understand the words she had whispered before losing consciousness.
She is your father's daughter.
My father's other daughter.
My sister.
I looked at Roman.
“You knew.”
His eyes remained on my mother.
“Elena—”
“You knew!”
“I knew Victor had another child.”
My chest tightened.
“But you didn't know it was her?”
Roman hesitated.
That was enough.
“You did.”
He finally looked at me.
“Yes.”
The word barely left his mouth before I slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
Adrian went completely still.
Nikolai glanced at Roman, then at me.
Roman didn't touch his cheek.
He simply stared at me.
“You deserved that,” I whispered.
“I know.”
My eyes burned.
“You all knew about her.”
“Yes.”
“And nobody thought I deserved to know?”
“It wasn't that simple.”
“Stop saying that!”
My voice broke.
“Everything is always complicated with you people!”
My mother groaned.
I immediately dropped beside her.
“Mom?”
Her eyes fluttered open.
“Don't… waste time.”
“You've been gone for seven years!”
“I know.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice!”
She looked away.
“I thought keeping you alive mattered more.”
I swallowed hard.
“Who shot you?”
Her expression changed.
“Victor.”
I froze.
“My father?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Not Victor.”
“Then who?”
She looked toward Roman.
“Ask him.”
Roman's face hardened.
“Don't.”
My mother gave him a bitter smile.
“You've protected that man for too long.”
Roman stepped forward.
“That's enough.”
“No.”
My mother pushed herself up slightly.
“Elena deserves the truth.”
I looked at Roman.
“What truth?”
He didn't answer.
My mother spoke instead.
“Seven years ago, Victor wasn't killed.”
“I know.”
“He was supposed to disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because someone inside his organization betrayed him.”
Roman's expression changed.
“Who?”
My mother looked at him.
“You know.”
Roman said nothing.
I felt my stomach twist.
“Tell me.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“Your father had enemies everywhere. But the person who betrayed him was someone he trusted completely.”
“Who?”
She opened her eyes.
“His right hand.”
Adrian frowned.
“That's impossible.”
My mother looked at him.
“Is it?”
Adrian went quiet.
I looked at Roman.
“Was it you?”
His eyes met mine.
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
“Then who?”
Roman didn't respond.
My mother whispered a name.
“Marcus.”
Adrian's face changed.
“Nobody has seen Marcus in seven years.”
“Exactly,” my mother said.
I looked between them.
“Who is Marcus?”
Roman finally spoke.
“Victor's closest adviser.”
“And where is he now?”
“Dead.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“He isn't dead.”
The room went silent.
My mother looked directly at me.
“He's the man hunting you.”
My blood ran cold.
A sound came from outside.
Nikolai immediately stood.
“Someone's coming.”
Roman pulled his gun.
Adrian moved toward the door.
“Stay with your mother,” Roman ordered.
I ignored him.
“I'm coming.”
“Elena.”
“You don't get to order me around anymore.”
He looked like he wanted to argue.
Then another gunshot cracked through the night.
The window shattered.
Glass flew across the room.
I screamed and covered my head.
Roman grabbed me and pulled me behind the wall.
Adrian fired toward the broken window.
Nikolai ran outside.
“Did you see him?” Adrian shouted.
“No!”
I looked at my mother.
She was staring at the shattered window.
Her face had gone pale.
“What?”
She whispered, “He's here.”
“Who?”
“Marcus.”
My heart stopped.
A phone began ringing.
Not mine.
Roman reached into his pocket.
His phone wasn't ringing.
Neither was Adrian's.
Nikolai returned from outside.
“It's coming from the hallway.”
We all looked toward the dark corridor.
The ringing continued.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Roman moved first.
I followed him.
He found an old phone lying on the floor.
The screen displayed one word.
ELENA.
Roman picked it up.
The call ended.
A message appeared.
YOU FOUND YOUR MOTHER.
Another message followed.
NOW FIND YOUR SISTER.
Then another.
SHE'S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.
I stared at the screen.
“What does that mean?”
Nobody answered.
Then my mother's voice came from behind us.
“Because she's already inside the house.”
I turned.
My mother's eyes were fixed on the staircase.
A woman stood at the top.
Young.
Beautiful.
Dressed completely in black.
She slowly stepped into the light.
My heart pounded.
She looked at me.
And for one strange second, I felt like I was looking into a mirror.
Not because we looked exactly alike.
But because there was something familiar in her eyes.
Something dark.
Something broken.
The woman smiled.
“Hello, Elena.”
I couldn't speak.
Roman raised his gun.
The woman laughed softly.
“Still protecting Victor's little girl, Roman?”
Roman froze.
Adrian lowered his weapon slightly.
Nikolai's face became unreadable.
I looked at the woman.
“Who are you?”
She walked down one step.
Then another.
“My name is Isabella.”
She stopped halfway down the staircase.
“And I'm your sister.”
My mother started crying.
Isabella looked at her.
“You shouldn't have come back.”
My mother's voice trembled.
“I came back for my daughter.”
Isabella smiled.
“Which one?”
Nobody moved.
Then Isabella looked directly at me.
“I came for you.”
And suddenly, I understood something.
She wasn't here to save me.
She was here to take me.
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