Page 133 of Sins and Virtue

The story began to unfold from my lips. “About twenty-two years ago in a small kingdom, one day a beloved queen took her daughters out for a picnic. Unknowingly, it began to rain, and she had to drive herself and her daughters home; however, the brakes failed, leading the car to lose control and roll over a cliff. Resulting in a tragic accident. The queen died.” Small sobs emerged from Blair’s throat as she couldn’t control her facade anymore. “But her daughters didn’t. All three of them.”

She paused, her voice shaking with surprise. “Three? I have two sisters.”

“Two twin sisters and a younger brother.”

“Twins? So I’m a triplet?” She gasped, shaking her head as tears flowed down her red, torn cheeks. “But that’s not possible. I can’t have—”

I raised my finger, pointing to the beautiful gold heart-shaped pendant hanging around her neck. “Check the photo inside.”’

“How did you—” A flash of recognition passed through her hazel brown eyes as she tore off her necklace and swiftly opened the pendant as I placed one of the photographs in front of her.

“Oh my god.”

Konstantin’s expression grew more tense by the minute, as he hated to see his wife in any type of pain. “What is it? What are you doing to her?” He directed his anger towards me.

“So this photo is real?” She asked me with pure vulnerability, something akin to disbelief.

“Yes, it is, Blair. That’s you and your family. The Royal Family of Theronida.”

Her eyes grew round. “Royal Family?”

I nodded once more.Surprise.Not everyone was that lucky to discover they were blue-blooded.

“Are you saying I’m a princess? Shut up!” She shouted in a whisper.

“Princess Blair Marie Athena DeLoughrey, second-in-line to the throne,” I declared her true identity, the one she longed to know. She was not a mere pawn in this game. She was royalty. So she would stand by my side when I conquered the world.

“Second? So I’m the middle child?” the corner of her lips curled upwards. “I’m a middle child. Can’t you believe it? I have never been anyone’s sister,” she told her husband as he gazed at her with tender affection.

He lifted his hand, caressing her cheek softly. “Are you happy, kotyonok?”

“So much,” she said through a new batch of tears.

Looking at the pair, I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. A moment I wished one day to experience for myself, but that was only wishful thinking. After all, no one could love a soul like mine. So broken. So chaotic. So torn.

It would be too much to ask anyone for.

Her curious voice drew me out of my wondering despair as she added, “So if I’m the middle child, who are my sisters?”

“Your eldest sister is Crown Princess Breelynn Thalia Isadora DeLoughrey.” I handed her another photo. This time it was a portrait of an identical gorgeous brunette maiden wearing a Tiffany blue corset gown and a diamond tiara with matching earrings. A maiden who put her duty and honor above her heart, her pain. Her tragedies.

She gazed down at the picture with newfound emotions. “Breelynn.”

“She’s been looking for you for a long time. She never stopped believing you were alive, but no one paid her much attention.”

“Why?”

“Your sister, as privileged and powerful as she is, is currently facing her own battle. Reinforcing her own claim to the throne. Making sure she keeps the DeLoughrey line ruling. She holds a whole country on her shoulders. It’s not an easy task.”

Her brow tightened together, a mixture of conflicting expressions passing over her features. Life was kind and unkind to the fortunate and unfortunate alike. So no one was saved from heartaches and suffering. It was how you dealt with it that counts.

“She’s so beautiful. So elegant.”

“Of course,kotoynok, she looks like you— that’s why.” Kon was a smooth talker. With a face, body, and voice like that, I wasn’t surprised. He was any woman’s wet dream.

“Hey!” She lightly slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t start looking at her like that. She’s my sister, and you can’t have her.”

A troublesome smirk played on his lips.