Chapter 5 - The Secret Roman Had Hidden From Me
We hid in my bakery.
Of all places.
Roman sat at one of my tables, bleeding from his shoulder.
I cleaned the wound.
“You're going to need a hospital.”
“No.”
“Roman.”
“No hospitals.”
“You're impossible.”
“You knew that when you threw flour at me.”
“I didn't know you were going to get shot.”
He looked at me.
“Neither did I.”
For a moment, we laughed.
Then silence returned.
Lily sat in the corner reading Elena's notebook.
Victor stood near the window.
He had surrendered his weapon.
I didn't trust him.
Neither did Roman.
But we had nowhere else to go.
Then Victor said, “There is something you need to know.”
Roman looked at him.
“What?”
“Clare isn't random.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Victor looked at Roman.
“Her father worked for our family.”
My heart stopped.
“My father?”
Roman stood.
“Victor.”
“No. She deserves to know.”
Victor continued.
“Daniel Bennett handled financial records for your father.”
I stared at him.
“My father was an accountant.”
“He was.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Daniel discovered the ledger.”
I looked at Roman.
“You knew?”
He didn't answer.
“You knew my father?”
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was trying to protect you.”
“You don't get to decide what I deserve to know.”
“I know.”
“You lied to me.”
“I know.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Roman looked devastated.
And somehow that hurt more.
I walked into the kitchen.
He followed.
“Clare.”
“Don't.”
“I never wanted you involved.”
“But I am.”
“I should have told you.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
I turned.
“Of what?”
“Of losing you.”
The words silenced me.
He continued.
“Every time you looked at me like I was just Roman, not the man people fear, I wanted to keep that. I knew if you learned what I was, you'd look at me differently.”
“Maybe I would.”
He swallowed.
“But I didn't want to find out.”
I stared at him.
“You can't protect someone by lying to them.”
“I know.”
“And you can't build something real on a fake relationship.”
His voice became quiet.
“Was it fake?”
I couldn't answer.
Because somewhere between the flour and the coffee and the arguments, something had changed.
Something real.
Then Lily screamed.
We ran into the bakery.
She was holding Elena's notebook.
“There!”
She pointed to a page.
A name had been written repeatedly.
Not Sophia.
Not Victor.
Not Roman.
Daniel Bennett.
My father.
Lily looked at me.
“Your father wasn't working for them.”
I shook my head.
“What was he doing?”
“He was trying to expose them.”
I felt dizzy.
Victor nodded.
“Your father helped Elena escape.”
“And then?”
“Sophia found him.”
I couldn't breathe.
“My father died in a car accident.”
Victor's expression was grim.
“It wasn't an accident.”
The room seemed to tilt.
Roman caught my shoulders.
I pushed him away.
“My father was murdered.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew enough.”
“I was nineteen.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
“I know.”
I walked away.
For the first time since meeting Roman Duca, I didn't want his protection.
I wanted the truth.
May you like
All of it.
And I was going to get it.
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