He cut me off. “I know you love him. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here and fighting for him. You could have signed the divorce papers. You could have started a fresh new life with your son and been a wealthy woman. I would have made sure he left you alone if that’s what you had done. But you’re still here. You’re still fighting for him.”
“Because he deserves to know what a bitch Violet really is.”
”Agreed,” the old man nodded. “But if you didn’t care, you would have let him work that out for himself. Yet here you are, fighting for your family,” he smiled indulgently. “I knew the day you saved me that you were going to be his perfect match, Amy. So I’ll tell you what I know, but I want you to at least admit that you love him.”
I clamped my lips shut.
How could I admit that to him when I wasn’t even sure I did? I cared for Alexei. But did I love him? Once upon a time, I had been falling in love with him, that much I could admit, but now? Too much had happened, and until it was sorted, I wasn’t sure what I felt.
“If Violet was gone for good,” Nikola said with a groan, “would you give him a chance? Would you raise your family with him?”
“Yes.” The word left my lips far too quickly.
A knowing, triumphant smile spread across his face.” Then you love him, Amy. I’d have given you this file even if you wanted a divorce, but I wanted to see.” He pointed to the bedside table. “Bottom drawer, manila envelope. I’ve been digging into Violet for years, but the last few weeks, more and more has come up. There should be enough in there to make him listen.”
“Then why didn’t you tell him?”
“Because it has to come from you. He has to know you will fight for him. Read it, and do with the information what you will. And, Amy—”
“Yes, Nikolai?”
“Don’t do anything foolish. Stay safe. OK?”
I smiled indulgently. “I promise.”
“Hello, Kristoff?”My voice shook. It was already dark outside. It had taken me that long to read through the file Nikolai had given me. He had been thorough, and there were just as many pictures as notes.
He really had been suspicious of her for years. But it was crazy to me that he hadn’t gone to Alexei himself. Alexei respected hisgrandfather’s wishes enough to marry me when he didn’t even know me. He would have respected his wishes about Violet as well.
Maybe.
Lips twisting, I held the cell phone a little closer to my face and glanced around. The apartment was quiet and empty. But that didn’t mean Alexei wasn’t watching my every move. For all I knew, he had cameras here.
“Sorry, is this Kristoff’s number?” I asked the silence on the other end of the phone. “I was looking for Kristoff?”
This was the number Nikolai had written in his spider-like handwriting at the bottom of the last page.
"This is he.” An accented voice said finally, and I let out a sigh of relief. “If you are looking for money, then—”
I cut him off, rolling my eyes. “This is Amy Petrivov. Alexei’s wife. I don’t need your money.”
He chuckled. And I could almost picture him leaning back and grinning. “And what can I do for you, Amy? Or would you prefer I call you Mrs. Petrovov? Although I didn’t think your marriage was working out,” more laughter, “But maybe I heard wrong."
“I’m not going to answer that.”
“So what do you want, Amy?” Again, he purposely didn’t use my married name. “What do I owe for his unexpected phone call?”
I darted a look down at the file spread out across the sofa next to me and took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you about Violet.”
His silence spoke volumes, and when he finally spoke, his voice was guarded. “I don’t think we have anything to discuss there, Amy. I know you saw us together but—”
I cut him off because I really didn’t have time for another man who couldn’t see what was right in front of their nose. “I don’t care who you have been sleeping with, Kristoff. I want to know if you know she has laid the blame directly at your feet. She’s setting you up Kristoff.” I gave a mirthless laugh. “And Alexei believes her.”
“Of course he does,” Kristoff’s voice was completely emotionless. “But you don’t, I take it.”
“I believe you want him and his empire to fall,” I said quickly. “ButI don’t think it was entirely your idea. I think Violet has been playing you both against each other since school. There’s enough of a paper trail—”
He cut me off. “Do you have proof?”
