Chapter 6 - Roman Admitted He Never Planned To Love Me—And Then He Risked Everything To Save My Mother
The search for my mother became the only thing that mattered.
We followed the hospital records.
Every transfer was hidden.
Every name was fake.
But whoever had moved Elena had made one mistake.
A nurse remembered her.
She described a man.
Gray hair.
Black ring.
A limp.
My father recognized him immediately.
"Victor."
We traced him to a private estate.
Before we could move, Roman stopped me.
"You stay here."
"No."
"Mave."
"I'm coming."
"You don't know what we're walking into."
"Neither do you."
He sighed.
Then he reached into his pocket.
The diamond ring was still there.
The same ring I had rejected.
He placed it on the table.
"What are you doing?"
"Returning it."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want the debt anymore."
I stared.
"I've already paid part of it."
"Not enough."
He shook his head.
"I'm canceling the rest."
"Why?"
"Because you don't owe me anything."
I looked at him.
He continued.
"And I don't want you beside me because you think you have no choice."
His voice softened.
"I want you beside me because you choose to be."
I couldn't speak.
The man who had once entered my shop believing money could purchase a wife was standing in front of me giving up the one thing he could have used to keep me there.
"The ring was never the important part," he said.
"Then what was?"
"You."
My heart pounded.
"I didn't expect this."
"Neither did I."
Then he kissed me.
It wasn't possessive.
It wasn't forced.
It was careful.
Like he was giving me every chance to walk away.
I didn't.
When we separated, he whispered:
"You still have every right to say no."
I smiled.
"Maybe I won't."
The rescue happened that night.
Victor had moved my mother to an old lake house.
Roman entered first.
I followed.
Inside, we found Elena.
Alive.
Weak.
But conscious.
She looked at me.
"Amara."
I stopped.
Only my father called me Mave.
My mother had called me Amara when I was little.
"Mom?"
She cried.
I ran to her.
We held each other.
Twenty years of unanswered questions collapsed into one embrace.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't."
"I tried to come back."
"I know."
She looked at Roman.
"You're his son."
He nodded.
She smiled.
"Your father would be proud."
Roman looked away.
Then Victor appeared.
He had a gun.
"You always were difficult, Elena."
My mother stiffened.
Victor looked at me.
"You ruined everything."
I stood.
"You ruined my life."
"No."
He smiled.
"Your father did."
Roman stepped in front of me.
Victor laughed.
"You really think you can protect her?"
"I don't think."
Roman's voice was calm.
"I know."
The confrontation ended when police arrived.
Roman had already sent them the evidence.
Victor was arrested.
But there was one final problem.
The ledger named dozens of powerful people.
If it became public, Chicago would explode.
Roman looked at me.
"What do you want to do?"
I thought of my father.
My mother.
The life I'd almost lost.
"Tell the truth."
My father nodded.
Roman did too.
We turned everything over.
Not just the criminal records.
The legitimate businesses tied to them.
Every hidden account.
Every false debt.
Every forged deed.
The process took months.
But the network collapsed.
Some people went to prison.
Others cooperated.
The Caldwell organization was dismantled.
Roman stepped away from its criminal operations.
He kept only legitimate businesses.
The salvage yard became independent.
And my parents finally came home.
I thought that was the end.
I was wrong.
Because three months later, someone left a photograph on my workbench.
It showed Roman and me together.
May you like
On the back were six words.
HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS YOU.
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