Chapter 3 - The Secret Behind Six Years
The ballroom doors locked from the inside.
Guests began whispering.
Security moved toward the exits.
Roman pulled Serena behind him.
“Stay close.”
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt more than another lie would have.
Roman looked at Adrian.
“Who is calling?”
Adrian showed him the screen.
Roman's face went pale.
Serena had never seen him pale before.
The caller name read:
ANTONIO VARELLI.
Her father's name.
“But he's dead,” Serena whispered.
Adrian answered.
A distorted voice came through.
“Roman.”
Roman went rigid.
“Antonio.”
Serena covered her mouth.
The voice continued.
“You kept your promise for six years.”
Roman said nothing.
“Now keep the second one.”
“What second promise?”
The line went dead.
The chandeliers flickered.
A scream came from the far end of the ballroom.
Everyone turned.
A waiter had collapsed.
Roman moved immediately.
He checked the man's pulse.
“Drugged.”
Adrian looked toward the balcony.
“Someone is inside the building.”
Roman stood.
“How many?”
“Enough.”
Serena suddenly saw a man near the service entrance.
He was watching her.
Their eyes met.
He turned away.
“Roman.”
Roman followed her gaze.
The man disappeared through a side door.
Roman signaled two guards.
Then he looked at Serena.
“You're leaving.”
“No.”
“Serena.”
“I am done being protected by secrets.”
His expression softened.
“You don't understand what they want.”
“Then tell me.”
“I married you because your father asked me to.”
The words struck her harder than anything else.
Roman continued.
“Your father was dying. He knew people were coming for you. He asked me to protect you.”
“So our marriage was an arrangement?”
“At first.”
“And now?”
Roman looked at her.
“Now it is the only thing in my life that was never supposed to become real.”
Serena's eyes filled.
Before she could answer, Adrian shouted.
“Down!”
A bullet shattered the chandelier above them.
Glass rained across the marble floor.
Roman grabbed Serena and covered her body.
Guests screamed.
Security returned fire.
When Serena opened her eyes, Roman was bleeding.
Not badly.
But enough.
“You're hurt.”
“I'm fine.”
Then Adrian pointed toward the balcony.
A second figure stood there.
May you like
Holding a photograph.
And the photograph showed Serena as a child standing beside a man who looked exactly like Roman...
