Page 136 of Unexpected Heroine

True to her gracious heart, Violet attempts to soften the blow. “It’s not your fault. He may have said that, but most of what he told me doesn’t make sense. It was probably all bullshit. I don’t believe him.”

I shake my head, ready to refute her words.

She’s having none of it. With more determination than I’ve seen before, she cups my cheeks and lowers her face, leaving no space between us. “Listen to me right now. I only told you this so you can figure out what’s happening and go after the right people. I don’t believe—not for a damn minute—that you were the cause of this. And even if you were, I would still choose to be with you.”

There’s no way this beautiful soul could possibly mean those words.

Nobody would ever choose to suffer the way she did for someone like me.

Overlooking her white lies, which she’s only telling to ease my guilt, I focus on something else she said.

If it’s what I think it is, she would undoubtedly choose another life.

“What else did he say that doesn’t make sense?”

The silence falls like the dark of night, snuffing out all light.

I don’t want to hear the answer. I know I don’t.

But there’s no stopping in the middle of hell.

Reluctantly, I prod her to continue, adding a pulse of my hands around her waist. “What else, Lettie? What else did he say?”

She swallows audibly and licks her lips.

“Did you know my father?”

Chapter 24

That's how you lose the girl

LETTIE

An ice storm blows in behind Tomer’s eyes, gradually freezing his entire face and moving outward toward his limbs.

Without a doubt, there’s truth to what Viktor said about Tomer and my father being involved. There has to be.

Otherwise, he would have denied it by now.

He hasn’t.

Hasn’t denied anything.

This is it.

This is the secret. The one that could destroy us.

Yet again, I’m left wondering if the metaphorical rug hiding everything I’m too weak to face is large enough to conceal something this imposing.

Finally, he speaks but doesn’t directly answer me. Shocker. “Viktor said I knew your father?”

There’s no quiver. No intonation whatsoever. He sounds bored and unaffected. Although I’ve heard him use this tone before, it’s unlike him to use it with me when we’re talking about something this heavy.

I might be sitting on his lap, barely any space between us, but he’s miles away.

“That isn’t exactly what he said,” I answer. Unlike him, my voice is shaky, timid, and barely leveeing the flood of angst lapping at the edge of my resistance.

“What did he say, Violet? I need to know.”

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