Page 107 of His to Own

“I know now.”

He sucks in a breath. “Know what?”

“That you truly won’t hurt me. I know now.”

“I’m glad. Though it’s a little sad it took you having a life or death situation to realize this. Elena, no more keeping things from me. Tell me what’s on your mind, always.”

“No more keeping me in the dark then. You will tell me what you do for work. You will not hide things from me either.”

His little smirk makes me want to kiss him. “I think we have a deal.”

When he leans in to kiss me, I pull away.

“Huh,” he says. “That’s not what I thought was going to happen.”

“There’s something I need to tell you. Something I just learned. I’m still processing it. But you asked for complete honesty, so I’ll give it to you.”

“What is it?”

I let out my shaky exhale. “My mother. She told me at the party that… she had an affair. I’m not my father’s biological daughter. She said my father isn’t completely sure if I’m his child or not but that’s why he hates me. It’s why he’s always hated me more than Lana and Adriana. They’re his actual daughters.”

“Your mother just told you that?”

“I was going to ask her for more but then you came in and I… snapped. And ran away and that’s how Aleksander was able to kidnap me.”

Maxim is quiet and still for a long moment before he wraps his arm around me.

“Your shirt is going to get wet,” I object.

“I don’t fucking care about that. You just told me something huge. I’m sorry, Elena. That must be a tough thing to bear.”

“I haven’t had time to even think about it since Aleksander took me. But… in some ways, I feel more free. At least I know why my father hates me. I just… I don’t know how to ask him about it. I don’t even know how to talk to my mother about it. Or my sisters. They don’t know. I feel… ashamed.”

“You did nothing wrong. Your mother’s sin was her own. Not yours.”

“I still feel shame though,” I whisper. “It all makes so much sense and I feel light. And yet, I also feel more weight on my shoulders at the same time. How does that make sense?”

“That’s… life. It’s always fucking complicated. But you don’t need to deal with it now. Let me take you home.”

“Aleksander?”

“We’ll look for him. We’ll find him and kill him.”

“You could have ran after him.”

He shakes his head. “But then you would have been out in the cold in a ripped dress and I didn’t want you getting hurt even more than you’ve already been hurt. I would choose you every time, Elena. I hope you see that.”

“I’m starting to.” For the first time since I married Maxim, I feel only hope.

He takes me back home and I change into my pajamas and get under the covers in the bed we share. He changes into comfier clothes as well and gets in beside me.

Without a word, Maxim wraps his arms around me from behind and I let myself fall asleep, feeling completely safe with my husband.

In the morning, Maxim is gone but he left a note on the pillow, telling me that he went out for work in search of Aleksander.

I can’t go to school today since I’m suspended but it’s killing me to stay cooped up in the house all day. I need more answers from my mother but to do that would mean to return to my father’s house and I’m just not ready for that yet.

So instead, I go to the park like I always do. The guard Maxim hired for the day for my safety follows behind but he keeps his distance enough for me to not feel like I’m losing my mind.