Chương 7
Roman walked toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
The action surprised both of us.
For a second, I forgot who I was touching.
Then I remembered.
Roman Vale.
A man who probably had people twice my size willing to take a bullet for him.
A man who had built his entire life around never being stopped.
But he stopped.
Because I asked him to.
“Don’t,” I said.
His eyes moved to my hand on his arm.
Then back to my face.
“Don’t what?”
“Walk toward danger because you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry.”
“You are.”
“I’m concerned.”
“That’s what you call it?”
A quiet breath left him.
Not quite a laugh.
Not quite frustration.
“You’ve known me for a few hours and already think you know me.”
“No.”
I released his arm.
“I think I know grief.”
That landed.
Roman looked away.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Marcus’s voice came through the speaker near the entrance.
“Roman.”
Everyone looked toward the hallway.
Marcus appeared in the doorway.
His expression was controlled.
Too controlled.
“Two vehicles followed us.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“How many people?”
“Unknown.”
“Armed?”
“Unknown.”
Victor looked frustrated.
“Useful.”
Marcus ignored the comment.
“Someone inside the building is helping them.”
Dr. Ellis stepped back.
“What?”
“I checked the cameras.”
Marcus looked at Roman.
“The cameras were disabled six minutes before we arrived.”
Roman became very still.
“By who?”
Marcus did not answer.
That was answer enough.
I looked around the room.
At the doctor.
The nurse.
Victor.
Marcus.
Roman.
People with secrets.
People protecting something.
The strange thing was that I no longer knew whether the danger was outside the building.
Or whether it had been sitting beside us the entire time.
Roman noticed my expression.
“Naomi.”
I looked at him.
“I need you to tell me everything.”
His jaw tightened.
“When?”
“Now.”
Victor turned.
“Roman.”
“No.”
His voice was calm.
But final.
“She deserves to know.”
That surprised me.
Maybe it surprised him too.
Because Roman Vale did not seem like a man who enjoyed admitting weakness.
He sat down.
Not because he was relaxed.
Because for the first time since I met him, he looked like he was preparing to tell the truth.
“My wife did not die because of complications.”
The sentence hit harder than I expected.
I stared at him.
“You said it was natural.”
“That’s what the report said.”
“And you didn’t believe it.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Roman looked at the floor.
“Elise was healthy.”
His voice changed when he said her name.
Softer.
Human.
“She was angry at me two days before she died.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“She found out I had people watching her.”
“Because of your enemies?”
“Yes.”
“And she was angry?”
“She hated feeling trapped.”
That sounded like the first honest thing he had said about her.
“She told me she didn’t marry a man so she could become his prisoner.”
I looked at the babies.
“Then what happened?”
Roman rubbed his hand over his face.
“She collapsed at home.”
“And?”
“And Adrian Kessler treated her.”
The name again.
“He said there were complications.”
“But you didn’t believe him.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Roman looked at me.
“Because when my wife died, he looked relieved.”
The room went quiet.
“Relieved?”
Roman nodded.
“Not sad.”
Nobody spoke.
“Afterward, I tried to investigate.”
“You’re saying you investigated your own wife’s death?”
“Yes.”
“What did you find?”
“Nothing.”
That answer sounded painful.
“Every path disappeared.”
Victor added quietly, “Every record was clean.”
I looked at him.
“You knew?”
“I knew Roman was suspicious.”
“Not why?”
“No.”
The honesty again.
It was becoming uncomfortable.
A person could lie to protect themselves.
The truth was much harder.
“What does this have to do with Lily?”
Roman looked at me.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not enough.”
“I know.”
“Then find out.”
A strange expression crossed his face.
Not anger.
Something closer to respect.
“You’re giving orders now?”
“No.”
I looked toward the babies.
“I’m asking you to stop letting powerful people decide what happens to everyone else.”
Victor looked away.
Because maybe he knew exactly what she meant.
A knock sounded.
Everyone froze.
The nurse near the hallway looked terrified.
Dr. Ellis whispered, “I didn’t call anyone.”
Marcus moved toward the door.
Roman stood.
This time I did not stop him.
Because I saw something different.
He was not walking toward danger because he wanted control.
He was walking because someone had to.
Marcus opened the door slightly.
A man stood outside.
Older.
Thin.
Wearing a hospital identification badge.
He held both hands up.
“I’m not armed.”
Nobody relaxed.
Marcus looked at the badge.
“Name.”
“Daniel Cross.”
Roman’s face changed.
“You.”
The man looked at him.
“I know.”
Victor stepped forward.
“Why are you here?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Because I was the one who changed the records.”
The room exploded into silence.
I felt the blood leave my face.
“What records?” Roman asked.
Daniel looked at me.
Then at Roman.
“Both.”
Nobody moved.
“What do you mean both?” I asked.
Daniel’s eyes lowered.
“Lily Bell’s file.”
Then he looked at Roman.
“And Elise Vale’s.”
Roman’s expression became empty.
That was worse than anger.
“What did you do?”
Daniel looked sick.
“I corrected something.”
Victor laughed once.
A cold, humorless sound.
“You expect us to believe that?”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I expect you to hate me.”
“Good.”
“But I need you to understand.”
Roman stepped closer.
“Explain.”
Daniel looked toward the babies.
Then back at him.
“Adrian Kessler was not protecting your family.”
The hallway felt colder.
“He was protecting himself.”
“How?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Because he was involved in something bigger than either of you.”
Roman’s eyes hardened.
“Who?”
Daniel looked terrified.
Not of Roman.
Of the answer.
“The people who paid him.”
A phone vibrated.
Everyone looked down.
Not Roman’s.
Not Victor’s.
Mine.
The same unknown number.
A message appeared.
One sentence.
Stop digging, Naomi.
I stared at the screen.
Daniel saw it.
And his face changed.
“He found you.”
Roman looked at me.
May you like
“Who?”
I slowly lifted my eyes.
