Page 124 of Downfall

“Who do you think?” I reply. My parents of course, though I know it was my father’s doing.

“And nobody knew?”

“No.” I reply. “I never got much of a bump but my parents put out that I was too broken at Tybalt’s death to leave the house. And as soon as she was born they did everything they could to hide the evidence and make sure my marriage to Paris went ahead.”

“So Paris never knew?”

I shake my head. “No one did.” I half whisper. “I kept it secret and my father kept her like a weapon to use against me. To ensure I did whatever he wanted.”

His face reacts to that. Pure fury at the fact our child was held to ransom this entire time.

“How did you find out?” I ask.

“You were hysterical.” He says. “You started muttering about our child. About someone stealing our child so we looked into it.”

“I thought all the records were expunged.”

He shakes his head. “Not all. There has to be a birth certificate doesn’t there? After that it was a case of tracking where she was from your father’s activities.”

I look away in frustration. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Could I have figured it out? Got her out that way? I know the answer already. That my father would have known, that for me, I’d only have put her in more danger.

“So what now?” I ask quietly. Fearfully too. Roman has all the cards now and once again I have nothing.

“Lara stays with me. No more hiding her in the shadows. No more pretending she doesn’t exist.”

“You have her?” I gasp.

He nods back with his eyes blazing. “She’s safe now. She’s going to be brought up as a Montague.”

“No.” I gasp, grasping at his shirt and he stares at me like I’m mad. “Roman please. Don’t take her from me. Please, I’m begging you.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He says confused.

“Please. I’ll do anything, just don’t take her away.”

He shakes his head, gripping my shoulders as I cling to him. “Rose, you’re her mother. Do you really think I’d be that cruel?”

I blink at him but his words don’t register. He still looks so impossibly furious right now and I know what he’s capable of. How ruthless he can be when he wants to.

“I’m not your father Rose. I’m not going to use your own child against you.”

My tears start to stream. I’m shaking again as I desperately try to understand what the hell he’s saying. He pulls me into his arms and starts soothing me as if he’s not angry, as if he’s not furious at me.

“That’s why you did it, isn’t it?” He says. “That’s why you told your father where the compound was.”

I nod. “I’m so sorry. I know I was betraying you but I had to. I had to try and save her. They’ve had her for almost six years. Six years. I couldn’t see any other way.”

“It’s okay.” He says.

“No, it’s not.” I sob into his chest feeling a lifetime worth of pain and grief hitting me. “It’s not.”

“I’d never have walked away.” He murmurs. “I’d never have left you.”

I don’t reply. I just let him hold me and for the first time it feels like we might just understand each other. That it finally all makes sense.

He pulls away just enough to lift my chin up.

“Do you want to see her?”

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