Page 118 of Ruined

"Jessica," he says, turning his attention to my sister. "Do you have anything you'd like to tell me?"

Jessica shifts in her chair. I can feel nervousness radiating off her in waves.

"No," she says, her voice small but firm.

My father's eyebrows rise slightly. "Nothing at all? About where you've been? Who you've been with?"

Jessica glances at me, then back at him. "No."

"Very well," he says, his tone clipped. "You may leave. I need to speak with your sister alone."

I squeeze Jessica's hand, silently telling her it's okay to go, but she doesn't move.

"No," she says.

My father's head jerks back slightly, as if he's been slapped. His eyes narrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I said no," Jessica repeats, her voice stronger now. "I'm staying with Evelyn."

A strange look crosses my father's face—confusion mixed with something else. Disbelief, perhaps. Or the dawning realization that his carefully constructed world of absolute obedience is crumbling.

"I wasn't asking, Jessica," he says, his voice dangerously quiet. "I was telling you to leave."

"And I'm telling you I won't," Jessica counters. "Whatever you have to say to Evelyn, you can say to both of us."

I feel a surge of pride watching Jessica stand up to our father. My little sister, who used to hide behind me when he raised his voice, is now refusing to leave my side. The transformation in her gives me strength.

"Fine," my father says through clenched teeth. "Both of you can stay."

His gaze shifts to me, cold and accusatory. "Evelyn, do you have any involvement in what happened to Ivan Volkov?"

The question hangs in the air. I meet his eyes without flinching.

"Yes," I say simply. "I do."

My father's face contorts with rage. He slams his fist on the desk, making both Jessica and I jump.

"You stupid, stupid girl!" he shouts. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yes. I survived," I reply, my voice steadier than I feel.

"I had an arrangement with the Russians!" He's on his feet now, pacing behind his desk. "Years in the making! Your contract with Ivan wasn't just about your performances—it was about building connections, establishing our family in their circles!"

Jessica gasps beside me. I feel her hand tighten around mine.

"You were working with Ivan?" I ask, though the pieces are already falling into place. The way Ivan seemed to know so much about me from the beginning. How urgently my father had encouraged me to sign that contract.

"Of course I was!" he spits. "Everything I've done has been for you, for our name. Do you think your talent alone would have taken you where you needed to go? I made arrangements, I opened doors!"

"You sold me," I say, the realization hitting me like a boxer’s right-hander.

"I secured your future!" he roars. "And now you've ruined everything. Do you understand what happens now? Ivan had allies. Powerful allies who might think we had something to do with his death. They could come after us, after this family!"

"Afteryou," I correct him. "They'll come after you, not us. We were Ivan's victims, not his business partners."

My father's face pales. For the first time in my life I see fear in his eyes.

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