Page 71 of Claimed By the Enemy

Even though it was killing me.

“Mrs. Sophie?” Patrice’s voice cuts through the memory. “Are you alright? You look pale.”

I force a smile. “Just thinking.”

“About yesterday?”

“About a lot of things.”

Patrice studies my face with the kind of maternal concern that makes my chest ache. “If you need someone to talk to…”

“Thank you. Really. But I’m fine.”

Another lie. I’m so far from fine, I can’t even see it from here.

My stomach churns, and I have to set down my coffee cup before the nausea overwhelms me. It’s been happening more frequently over the past few days - waves of sickness that hit without warning and leave me shaky and disoriented.

Stress, probably. The kind of stress that comes from living a double life, from loving someone you’re supposed to destroy.

“I think I’ll go for a walk,” I tell Patrice. “Get some fresh air.”

“Would you like Vincent to accompany you?”

“No. I just need to think.”

I don’t go for a walk. Instead, I find myself in Dom’s study, surrounded by the same documents that started this whole mess. Business contracts and partnership agreements, evidence of a friendship between our fathers that someone worked very hard to hide.

Uncle Enzo’s words echo in my memory:The evidence was falsified, Sophie. All of it. Someone wanted you to find those documents, wanted you to doubt everything you’ve been taught.

But who? And why?

I’m still staring at the papers when Dom appears in the doorway. He’s dressed for work but hasn’t left yet, probably because he’s worried about leaving me alone.

“Find anything interesting?” he asks.

“Just trying to make sense of everything.”

“Any luck?”

“Not really.”

Dom moves into the room, settling into the chair across from his desk. “Sophie, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”

My heart starts racing. “Okay.”

“Yesterday, when you were with your uncle… what did he tell you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what did he say about our fathers? About what really happened sixteen years ago?”

I look at this man who’s been nothing but protective of me, who married me to keep me safe, who’s been patient with my lies and secrets even when they must be driving him crazy.

And I lie to him again.

“He said he didn’t know anything new. That he’s been looking for answers just like we have.”

Dom’s expression doesn’t change, but something shifts in his eyes. “That’s all?”