"No... no one else."
"Ah—" I snapped one of his fingers.
"Really! Really, no one else!"
"Tell me everything you know."
"There's Isabella Vance... she was Kieran's informant, responsible for passing along your information. Kieran helped her fabricate evidence to make you suspect Miss Noelle..."
"Why?"
"Because... Isabella wanted to marry you, wanted to become Mrs. Morozov..."
My hand began to tremble.
Isabella. Of course it was her. That seemingly innocent woman had actually conspired with Kieran to orchestrate such an elaborate scheme.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out. Allen collapsed in a pool of blood.
"Boss." Dmitri stepped forward.
"Dump him in the Delaware River."
"Yes, sir."
I walked out of the warehouse into the deepest darkness before dawn. Standing at the dock, watching the churning waters—the truth was finally clear.
Noelle was innocent. And I had destroyed the most innocent person of all.
"Where's Isabella Vance?"
"At her apartment."
"Bring her to me."
Half an hour later, Isabella was brought to an abandoned factory in Kensington.
When she was pushed in, she was still wearing a silk robe, her hair disheveled, makeup smeared.
"Kholod?" She saw me, terror flashing in her eyes. "What is this? Why did you bring me here?"
I sat quietly in my chair, watching her coldly.
"Kholod, say something!" Her voice began to tremble. "What did I do wrong?"
"You know exactly what you did wrong."
"I... I don't understand..."
"Don't understand?" I stood up, walking toward her step by step. "Let me help you remember. Three years ago, on Christmas Eve, the person who saved me—was that you?"
Her face instantly turned deathly pale.
"It was... it was me... I saved you..."
"Liar." I grabbed her chin. "You worked with Kieran, drove a wedge between me and Noelle, fabricated evidence, set one trap after another..."
