AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thought makes me so sick that I feel like vomiting, but it’s also something I must be real about. Days of pure bliss have gone by, but that doesn’t mean things can’t take a dire turn, as they already appear to be doing.
Lance, dead. That’s not something I ever expected to happen.
Me, pregnant. That’s not something I expected either, and it could be true if I’m not more careful. I should probably take a test just to calm my nerves, but even that feels like too much. Could I just start playing it safe and hope for the best? Or is it already too late?
I suck in a deep breath, pushing it all aside for the time being. I want to know more about Avros. That will be my mission for now, even as the darkness looms on the horizon, I can find solace in continuing to explore him.
14
Avros
The file on Lance Halloway lies open before me, its contents like a ticking bomb waiting to detonate my entire world. My eyes scan the pages frantically, searching for some mistake, some loophole that will prove this isn't happening. But there it is, in stark black and white: Lance Halloway, key witness against Miron, is Sydney's cousin.
"Blyat," I mutter, the Russian curse slipping out as I slam my fist on the desk. How could I have missed this? The implications hit me like a freight train, threatening to derail everything I've built.
I lean back in my chair, the weight of this revelation pressing down on me like a physical force. Sydney, my beautiful, innocent Sydney, is related to the man I ordered killed. The man whose death I orchestrated to protect my brother, to safeguard my empire.
Images of Sydney flash through my mind. Her smile as she greets me in the morning, the way her body responds to mytouch, the trust in her eyes when she looks at me, when she lets me come inside her. Trust I know now I don't deserve.
I feel guilt like nothing I’ve ever felt before, washing over me like scalding hot water, then icy cold to the point where my bones ache. I don’t’ deserve her. I’ve known that since the beginning, but I also can’t give her up.
It’s a delicate balance, one that could ruin me if the scales tipped even the slightest to either side. I can’t give up this wicked lifestyle, but I also can’t give up Sydney.
I stare at the file, my mind racing, my pulse pounding in my ears like a war drum. How the hell did I not know? Every detail, every connection is usually at my fingertips. I pride myself on control, on always staying ten steps ahead. And yet, somehow, I missed this. Missed that the woman who’s become my entire world is tied to the man I sentenced to die.
Lance Halloway. Sydney’s cousin.
I stand abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor, and start pacing the length of my office. My muscles are tense, coiled like a spring, ready to snap at any second. I rub the back of my neck, trying to loosen the knot of tension there, but it does nothing. The pressure builds, suffocating.
What am I supposed to do now?
I stop by the window, staring outside, but the view doesn’t calm me like it usually does. It’s just a blur of green and blue, meaningless, distant. Sydney’s face keeps swimming in front of my vision. Her soft lips, her wide eyes, the way she looks at me like I’m her protector, like I’m some kind of hero.
She doesn’t know who I am. Not really. She knows pieces of me, the parts I let her see, the parts I’ve carefully crafted to make her stay. But if she knew everything… if she knew what I’ve done… If she found out about Lance? She’d leave, no question. I can’t let that happen.
But can I really keep this from her? The truth, once buried, always finds a way to claw its way to the surface. It’s inevitable.
I slam my fist against the glass, the dull thud reverberating through my hand, grounding me. I’m almost surprised it doesn’t break until I remember that it’s bulletproof. That’s the type of life I live, the kind that she wouldn’t understand. Everything has to be bulletproof or it will eventually shatter.
One mistake is all it takes, and this one that I’ve made might just be enough to break my fragile glass heart.
This isn’t just about keeping her. This is about the empire I’ve built, the life I’ve fought tooth and nail to protect. One misstep, one slip of the tongue, and everything falls apart. I’m not just risking my relationship with Sydney, I'm risking my brother’s life, my business, everything.
But Sydney… Fuck, I never meant for this to happen. I never meant to let her in so deep. She was supposed to be a distraction, a fleeting pleasure to indulge in before moving on. Yet somehow, she became everything.
The thought of losing her gnaws at my insides, sharp and relentless. I’ve always been able to walk away before, cut ties, move on without looking back. But not this time. Not with her.
I sink back into my chair, dragging a hand through my hair. There’s no easy way out of this. No clean solution that lets me keep her without the risk of everything else collapsing.
I take a deep breath, forcing the air into my lungs.Think.There has to be a way to fix this. There’s always a way.
Lance is already gone, there’s nothing that can be done about that. What’s done is done. But Sydney… If she finds out from someone else, it’s over. I can’t let that happen. If anyone is going to tell her, it has to be me. On my terms.
The idea of that conversation makes my stomach twist, the bile rising in my throat. But I’d rather be the one to break her heart than risk her hearing it from anyone else, anyone who might use it to hurt me, to hurt her.
I glance back at the file, the damning evidence of the secret that could tear us apart, then I let out another loud curse. How the hell am I going to tell her?
15
