Chapter 2 - Roman Opened the Betrayal File Again and Discovered the Woman He Hated Had Been Protecting His Children From the People He TrustedRoman spent the night reading.
No sleep.
No meetings.
No bodyguards in the room.
Only documents.
The original financial reports.
The altered statements.
The witness testimony.
The photographs.
And the flash drive Elena had given him.
At 3:47 a.m., he found the first discrepancy.
A timestamp.
The photograph showing Elena entering a warehouse had been taken two days before the report claimed.
The bank transfer had been dated three days after that.
The witness statement had been signed before the event supposedly happened.
The evidence had been manufactured.
Not poorly.
Perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Roman leaned back.
He remembered the divorce.
Elena had stood across from him.
Pregnant.
Or so he thought.
She had been pale.
Terrified.
And he had accused her of betrayal.
She had asked him not to sign.
He had.
Because Victor had placed the file on his desk.
Because every document made sense.
Because Roman believed the people who had raised him.
Because he had stopped trusting the woman he loved the moment fear entered the room.
Now he saw the truth.
The file had not proved Elena betrayed him.
It had proven someone wanted Roman to believe she had.
The next morning, Roman visited the hidden house.
Elena sat at the kitchen table.
The children were asleep upstairs.
He stood in the doorway.
“You knew.”
She looked up.
“I knew something was wrong.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I did.”
He swallowed.
“You tried.”
“Yes.”
“And I didn't listen.”
“No.”
She looked away.
“You were angry.”
“I was afraid.”
“So was I.”
Roman sat.
“How many?”
Elena stared.
“What?”
“How many children?”
She sighed.
“Three.”
“Why didn't you tell me about them?”
“Because when I was pregnant, Victor sent people to find me.”
Roman froze.
“He knew?”
“He knew I was carrying your child.”
Roman's eyes hardened.
“What did he do?”
“He told me if you found out, he would make sure none of us survived.”
Roman stood.
Elena grabbed his wrist.
“Don't.”
He looked down.
“You have to understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“No.”
Her voice broke.
“You still don't.”
She showed him the medical records.
Her pregnancy.
The births.
The children's illnesses.
The school registrations.
Everything.
Roman stared.
Six years of birthdays.
First steps.
First words.
School pictures.
He had missed all of them.
His hand trembled.
“Why didn't you ask for money?”
She laughed through tears.
“You think I wanted your money?”
“No.”
“I wanted you.”
He looked at her.
“And I thought I had you.”
Silence.
Then he said:
“You lost me.”
She shook her head.
“I lost you the day you decided I was guilty before I could speak.”
Roman looked down.
He couldn't argue.
Then the door opened.
Luca appeared.
“Dad?”
Roman turned.
The word still felt unreal.
“Yes.”
“Mom says we should let you know we're hungry.”
Roman smiled.
“I can do breakfast.”
Mara appeared behind him.
“Can you make pancakes?”
“I don't know.”
Sophia whispered:
“Mom can.”
Roman looked at Elena.
She smiled faintly.
“Then you have your first parenting lesson.”
He nodded.
For the first time in years, Roman cooked breakfast.
The pancakes were terrible.
The children laughed.
Elena watched from the doorway.
Roman looked at them.
His family.
His.
The word frightened him.
Because now he knew exactly what he had almost lost.
Later that day, Roman called Vincent.
“Find Victor.”
“We already have people looking.”
“No.”
Roman's voice hardened.
“I want him found before he knows we're looking.”
Vincent understood.
“Yes.”
Then Roman called his attorney.
“I want the divorce records reopened.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Because they were based on fraud.”
“Roman…”
“And I want every asset transfer from six years ago audited.”
“That's enormous.”
“Do it.”
Then another phone call.
From his mother.
“Roman?”
“Yes.”
“Is it true?”
“What?”
“Your children.”
He went still.
“How did you know?”
“Victor told me.”
Roman's jaw tightened.
“What else did he tell you?”
His mother was silent.
“Mom?”
“He said Elena was using them to control you.”
Roman closed his eyes.
“Don't believe him.”
There was fear in her voice.
“Who is she?”
Roman answered softly.
“My family.”
That night, Victor called.
Roman answered.
“You've been looking for me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you lied.”
Victor laughed.
“About Elena?”
“About everything.”
Silence.
Then Victor said:
“She is dangerous.”
“So were you.”
Roman hung up.
Then he turned toward Elena.
She had heard.
“What did he say?”
“That he was right about you.”
She smiled sadly.
“For six years, I thought he was.”
Roman crossed the room.
He stopped a few feet away.
“What do you want from me?”
She looked at him.
“The truth.”
“And after that?”
“I don't know.”
May you like
He nodded.
“I'll give you both.”
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