Page 133 of The Diávolos: Part Two
I stand frozen, my eyes wide and unblinking. What the fuck does he mean byhistory?
“Explain,” I order.
“We were at the Sisterhood at the same time.”
“You? At the Sisterhood? How does that make sense? It’s an all-girls establishment.”
“Like I said, Philip needed to keep me hidden.”
Holy fuck. “Does Angelica know about you?”
Atlas shrugs. “I doubt she remembers. She wasn’t fully…cognizant.”
Right at that moment, my wife steps out of the room and tiptoes toward us. As soon as she sees Atlas, she flinches, but then straightens, standing tall. Her facial expression conveys a mixture of emotions. Sadness, pity, confusion. Determination.
She takes a few more hesitant steps. “You’re…Atlas? I overheard your conversation,” she says, a little sheepish.
Atlas inclines his head in silent confirmation.
“Do you remember him?” I ask her.
Angelica shakes her head. “Aria found his file in her father’s office and told me about him. I asked Gianis if he knew anything, but he didn’t.”
Atlas winces at the mention of Aria’s name. He must already know that she’s his half-sibling.
“Why didn’t you tell me about him before?” I can’t help but feel a pang of hurt.
Her gaze falters for a moment, and she takes a deep breath. “I just never found the right time,” she admits. “With everything happening, it just wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.”
“So, you toldGianisinstead?” My frustration starts bubbling to the surface. “We were supposed to face things together, remember?”
Silence stretches between us. Finally, she sighs and looks away. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t handle it well.” There’s a vulnerability in her eyes as she meets my gaze again. “I was scared,” she confesses, her voice shaky. “Scared to face the fact that Atlas could’ve beenmyhalf-brother. It would’ve made everything more complicated, so I avoided bringing it up.”
My eyes search hers for any sign of deception.
I let out an exhale, realizing her intentions weren’t malicious. “I understand, my angel. But promise that you won’t keep anything from me again,” I say, my tone softer now.
“I promise.”
Moving on, Angelica cocks her head to the side and addresses Atlas. “The resemblance is uncanny. You look exactly like Dimo.” Aria’s younger brother, Dimitri. “Now I understand why Aria was so confused when she saw your photo, though she couldn’t place why you were so familiar,” she adds. “For a moment, I thought she was implying you looked likeme.”
Angelica finally moves closer to us. “Is that why you helped me? Because I’m friends with Aria?”
“No. I saw what they did to you at the Sisterhood. It wasn’t right; none of it is,” Atlas responds.
The corners of Angelica’s mouth droop and she wraps her arms around herself. My heart squeezes.
“Yeah. Well, I’m sure you haven’t lived a great life either, so thank you for what you did. I couldn’t have come out of there alive if it weren’t for you. I owe you.”
Now that Atlas’s father is dead and the Sisterhood abolished, he’s free to come out of hiding. There’s a lifetime's worth of trauma he has to deal with, and if his experience has been anything close to what I imagine, it’s going to take a long time for him to live normally. But when Angelica offers for him to come with us, he refuses.
“I’m sure Aria and Dimitri will be pleased to know they have another sibling. Please reconsider meeting them,” Angelica pleads.
Atlas’s face falls. “I’m not too sure how their mother will react to her late husband’s bastard child making an appearance after all these years.”
“Aria and Dimo are nothing like their parents,” Angelica says softly, but there’s no convincing him for now.
Before leaving, Angelica extends her hand to Atlas. He takes it after a moment of hesitation. “If you need anything, please call us.”
