Page 117 of Downfall

And then Rose speaks. Sobs. I barely hear the words but they reverberate through me anyway. It can’t be true. What she just said. There’s no way.

Sofia’s jaw drops in horror.

We both look at each other like we don’t know what to do and Rose sobs harder repeating the same thing over and over again.

“They stole our baby. They stole her.”

Roman

The doctor sedated her. She was in such a state we had no choice. Sofia stayed with her while I’ve been sat like a mad man in my office.

I’ve pulled up every record I can find. I’ve checked every hospital but there’s nothing. If Rose really did have a child then where the hell is the evidence of it?

Ben’s sat opposite me. Watching. Like he’s too dumbstruck by all of this to even speak and a part of me is wondering how I’m even functioning.

The door opens and Sofia slips inside.

“She’s asleep.” She says to no one in particular.

I grunt back. It’s not like she’s suddenly forgiven. She still fucked me over. Fuckedusover.

“Roman.” She says softly putting her hand on mine. “We need to talk about this.”

“No we don’t.” I snap keeping my eyes fixed on the computer in front of me.

“Yes we do. If it’s true then it could explain a lot.”

“Ifit’s true.” I state. “But so far there’s no evidence. Nothing to prove it. If Rose Capulet did have a baby don’t you think this city would know? It’s very foundations are built on gossip and scandal.”

“Not just a baby.” She says. “Your baby.”

“You don’t know that.” I mutter.

“Who’s else would it be?” She says yanking my arm, forcing me to tear my eyes off the screen and look at her.

“It could be anyone’s.” I say but I know it’s not true. Something already tells me that this is it. This is the answer to everything. And yet it doesn’t explain why she stayed. If she was pregnant why did she not tell me? Why did she not leave with me?

I snarl, rubbing my face with my palms.

“Where have you looked?” Sofia asks.

“What?”

“Where have you looked?” She says again.

I glance at the screen. “The hospitals. Clinics. You name it. I’ve hacked into them all. There’s nothing.”

“Well there wouldn’t be if she was under a false name or if she had the child at home.” Sofia says.

I raise an eyebrow. I guess that makes sense.

“Try birth certificates. And not just for Verona, try the nearby cities. If they’re going to hide it they’ll have registered the child somewhere else.”

I smirk at her wisdom. “Since when did you become so smart?”

“Since you became an idiot.” She snaps back.

I shake my head. I know she’s talking about what I did, with Rose, with stripping her like that, but I won’t apologise. She might have been manipulated into what she did but she still kept this secret.

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