Chapter 13: The Truth Vincent Buried

The hospital room became eerily quiet.

No one spoke.

The only sound was the steady rhythm of the heart monitor beside Alexander's bed.

My eyes never left Vincent.

The color had drained from his face.

For the first time since I had known him, he looked... shaken.

"Answer me," I said quietly.

"Who paid you three years ago?"

Vincent remained silent.

"Was the caller lying?"

"No," he finally admitted.

The single word felt like a knife through my chest.

Alexander slowly sat up despite the pain in his shoulder.

"Vincent..."

"Let him speak," I interrupted.

"I deserve to hear this."

Vincent took a slow breath.

"Three years ago, your father came to me."

I frowned.

"My father?"

"He offered me a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"He wanted me to become your guardian inside the organization."

"Guardian?"

"He believed you were reckless after returning from boarding school."

"He thought you would destroy the Romano family's reputation."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"That sounds like him."

"He asked me to teach you discipline."

"And the money?"

"I refused it."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"He transferred ten million dollars into a charitable foundation under my name."

"I never spent a single dollar."

Lucas quietly placed his laptop on the table.

"He's telling the truth," he said.

"The money went directly into the Moretti Children's Foundation the same day it arrived."

I stared at Vincent.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd misunderstand."

"You decided that for me?"

"Yes."

"That wasn't your decision to make."

"I know."

"I thought I was protecting you."

"No."

"You were controlling me."

The words hit him hard.

He didn't deny them.

"There was another condition," Vincent admitted.

"What condition?"

"Your father wanted me to keep you away from anyone he considered dangerous."

"Including Alexander?"

"No."

"Alexander wasn't part of your life back then."

"Then who?"

"Your mother's side of the family."

I froze.

"What?"

"He didn't want you contacting them."

"He claimed they wanted Romano assets."

"So every time I asked about my mother's relatives..."

"I changed the subject," Vincent answered quietly.

"Because I believed your father."

Tears filled my eyes.

"You had no right."

"I know."

"You stole years from me."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Every apology comes after the damage is already done."

Alexander looked between us before speaking softly.

"Sophia..."

"Not now."

"Please."

"I need to hear everything."

Vincent nodded.

"There's one more truth."

"Go on."

"The night you drugged me..."

My heartbeat quickened.

"What about it?"

"I knew."

"What?"

"I realized the drink had been tampered with before I finished it."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"You knew?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you drink it?"

His voice dropped almost to a whisper.

"Because I wanted to know whether what I felt for you was real... or just temptation."

The room fell silent.

"You're saying..."

"I wasn't forced into that night."

"I made my own choice."

"Every second of it."

My chest tightened.

For three years I had believed I was the one who crossed the line first.

Now he was telling me the truth had been completely different.

"You let me carry that guilt," I whispered.

"I thought it would protect you."

"From what?"

"The family."

"If they believed you seduced me, they would blame you."

"If they believed I chose you... they would have seen you as my weakness."

"And in our world, weaknesses get destroyed."

I slowly turned away.

Nothing about this situation made sense anymore.

Every answer created two new questions.

Just then, Lucas's phone rang.

He answered immediately.

"Lucas speaking."

His expression changed.

"When?"

"Are you sure?"

He ended the call and looked at Vincent.

"Grace Miller has been found."

"Alive?" I asked.

"Yes."

"She's hiding in Vermont under witness protection arranged by an anonymous source."

"Who arranged it?"

"We don't know."

"She refuses to speak over the phone."

"She says she'll only talk to Sophia in person."

Vincent grabbed his jacket.

"We're leaving immediately."

"No," Alexander interrupted.

"It's too obvious."

"If someone knows Grace is alive, they'll expect you to rush there."

"He's right," Lucas agreed.

"It could be another trap."

I looked at all three men.

"Then I'll go alone."

"Absolutely not," Vincent answered.

"You don't get to decide that."

"Actually, I do."

"I'm the one they're hunting."

"Which is exactly why you won't be alone."

Before either of us could argue further, the television mounted on the hospital wall suddenly switched to a breaking news report.

The volume turned on automatically.

A female reporter appeared on the screen.

"Breaking news from New York."

"Authorities are investigating a massive explosion at Romano Logistics Headquarters early this evening."

I felt my stomach drop.

"What?"

"Several floors have collapsed following what officials believe may have been a deliberate attack."

"Emergency services remain at the scene."

"The number of casualties is still unknown."

Everyone in the room stared at the television.

Vincent slowly reached for the remote but never pressed a button.

The reporter continued speaking.

"Among the missing is Romano executive Maria Romano, who was last seen entering the building less than an hour before the explosion."

My heart pounded.

Maria was missing.

The headquarters had been bombed.

And whoever was behind this conspiracy had just erased another piece of the puzzle.

Or perhaps...

They had silenced someone before she could finally tell the truth.