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“She has no idea about us.”
He repeats, almost as if he’s trying to convince himself, but I have no idea why.
He’s saying it to the twins, but I feel like his words are meant for the rest of us too.
Nikolai and Mikhail exchange a look, their eyes heavy with unspoken questions. Neither one moves first, they just stare at me, their expressions unreadable.
I watch as their confusion slowly shifts to something else; something darker, something dangerous.
Isaak captures our attention again.
“My daughter no longer lives in America. She was forced to move, because this all landed back on her. Only a child, only six years of age, and her entire life changed. And because Alyona was so angry about the fact that both my daughter, and my daughter’s mother still lived…” His chest heaves as we all wait for him to reveal the rest of this story. “She tried to kill my son. She tried to ruin me.” I feel my heart drop into my stomach. “My son was only thirteen at the time—Mikhail was still just a boy—when my wife tried to end his life. She drugged him, and left his unconscious body in the water to drown. She said it was a way to get back at me. A horrific way to take revenge. Like I said, she was losing her mind, and losing herself to insanity. She wanted me to lose it all.”
Everybody is silent.
Barely anybody even breathes.
I press a hand to my mouth, whimpering, his name barely a whisper as it falls from my lips.
“Mikhail…”
I notice the way his shoulders slump, and the way his face crumbles.
Why would Isaak reveal this…in front of all these men…
I look around the room, realising that the only people who look surprised at hearing this are the twins themselves, Dario, and myself.
And then the question I don’t want to hear, the question that’s been floating around in my mind ever since Isaak first spoke, is asked aloud.
“What does this have to do with her?” Nikolai’s voice is tighter, his gaze unnerving as it flicks to me, searching me, demanding answers. “Our mother was responsible for her mother’s death, and our sister was forced to move away from the country. My brother was almost murdered because of all of this, so I ask you this again, Otets. What. Does. This. Have. To. Do. With. Her?”
A sharp ache appears in my chest, squeezing me tight.
I don’t know if I even want to hear the answer, because somehow, this is all tangled up aroundme,whether I like it or not.
A murder.
My mother’s.
A little sister.
Theirs.
A horrific trauma.
Mikhail’s.
And somehow, I’m part of this twisted history.
Nikolai continues staring at me, the weight of it almost unbearable, and I can't take it any longer.
I need to look away, but I can’t.
I’m frozen in place.
“My daughter’s mother…my Stella...she was killed by her own brother when the truth about my fatherhood to my daughter was revealed.” Isaak’s gaze pierces into mine. “I didn’t receive a body, but ratherpiecesof it, personally hand-delivered to me by Francesco.” My breathing stutters as my heart stops beating. I shrug out of my brother’s hold, stepping away from him, unable to bear his comforting touch any longer. “This happened only days after Mikhail was almost killed. I barely had the strength to mourn her. I was too busy making sure my son would live.” Isaak’s eyes never leave mine, not even once. “MyStella...murdered…another innocent life lost because of your father’s anger.”
I wrap my arms around myself, my throat so sore now, my heart so heavy in my chest.