Page 141 of His Darkest Obsession

"Answer me, Roma." My voice gains strength. "There's no point hiding anything from me now. Did you help him?"

He finally looks at me, exhaustion etched into his face. After a long moment, he sighs deeply.

"Five weeks ago, after the gala, Anatoly called me about an NDA. Said it was between you and Bennet. He ordered me to find it."

"And did you?"

Roma shakes his head. "No. But the spectacle at the gala between you and Lola drew attention. Apparently, every fucking crime family in New York started digging into you, and it was only a matter of time before all of them found out that this fucking NDA exists."

I sink back into the couch, nausea swirling in my stomach.

I feel a hand resting on my shoulder. When I look up, I see Svetlana standing behind me with a sorrowful expression. I look into Svetlana's eyes—the same eyes as Anatoly's—and guilt starts eating me up from the inside.

For an entire week, I've been shutting him out, avoiding his touch, refusing to speak more than necessary... all because I thought Anatoly had betrayed me, that he was working with Bennet.

All because I thought he never really cared about me.

But he wasn't.

He was trying to protect me. To avenge me.

"But if you didn't find the NDA, who did?" I turn my attention back to Roma and ask.

"Vassily." Roma's mouth twists. "Apparently he got a tip from Grisha Volkov, of all people."

I close my eyes and Svetlana's hand gives my shoulder a soft squeeze.

But it doesn't do a damn thing to reassure me.

Valentina was telling the truth, just not the whole truth.

There are no secrets in this world. Not because brothers share everything with each other, but because the network of information in this world is so tightly woven that nothing stays hidden for long.

My hand instinctively moves to my stomach.

It's only a matter of time before everyone—Valentina included—finds out about my pregnancy.

It's only a matter of time before I'm forced to lose another child.

Except the difference this time is that this is a child that I wanted from the start.

I push myself up from the couch. My limbs feel heavier than they should.

"I need to talk to Anatoly." My voice sounds far away, even to my own ears.

Roma shakes his head. "He's on his way back now. You can talk when he gets here."

"No, I need to call him now." I move toward Roma, reaching for his phone. "Give me your phone. Please."

Something about the desperation in my voice makes Roma's expression soften slightly, but he still hesitates.

"Indigo, just wait. He'll be back soon?—"

"I can't wait!" The words burst out of me. "You don't understand. I have to talk to him now. I have to tell him..."

My breath suddenly catches in my throat. The room feels too hot, then too cold. I take another step toward Roma, but my legs feel disconnected from the rest of me.

The TV reporter's voice echoes through the room: "...forensic experts are describing the scene as one of unprecedented brutality…"