"She was innocent," I whisper.
"Completely." Viktor nods.
Regret and guilt run through me. I should have listened.
And now it’s too late.
"Roman sent the text," Viktor continues. "We had it planned.”
"We." I force the word out.
"Me and Roman's people." He won't meet my eyes now. "I helped coordinate the grab. Made sure your security was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Provided the getaway vehicles."
"And then you helped frame Kira's family."
"Roman did that." Viktor sounds almost defensive. "He manufactured the evidence. Created the trail. I just... didn't contradict it."
"You let an innocent woman be blamed for six years."
"Yes." His voice breaks. "And I'll carry that guilt to my grave. Which will probably be soon."
We sit in silence for a moment. The weight of his confession hanging between us.
"Why tell me now?" I ask finally.
"Because Roman is going to kill you." Viktor looks at me directly. "After the wedding. Once he's secured his position through Anya, you become expendable. He'll stage your death—probably as a suicide from guilt over seducing his fiancée. Clean. Tragic. Believable."
"And Kira?"
"Will die too." His voice is flat. "Can't leave her alive knowing what she knows. Roman will probably arrange an accident. Make it look like grief drove her to something reckless."
"Anya?"
"Will be broken." Viktor's face twists. "Roman's specialty. He'll destroy that girl piece by piece until there's nothing left but obedience."
The future he's describing is a nightmare. But also, entirely plausible.
"So, we're all dead," I say. "You came here to tell me we're all dead."
"I came here to tell you the truth." Viktor stands, joints cracking. "You deserved that much. Deserved to know your Kira never betrayed you. That she loved you.”
He heads for the door, then pauses.
"For what it's worth," he says quietly, "I'm sorry. I'm going to hell for it."
“Fuck you. You don’t get to absolve yourself now. I don’t forgive you. I will meet you in hell and I will kill you over and over.”
He nods and leaves.
The door closes, and I'm alone again with the truth.
Kira was innocent.
The guilt is worse than the physical pain. Worse than the fever burning through me.
I let rage blind me to the truth. I close my eyes and force myself to think.
There has to be a way. There's always a way.
