Page 221
Jillian blanches. The color drains from her face so fast I’m worried she might pass out right there in the booth.
“Rae, I…” She shakes her head, red hair whipping across her cheeks. “I can’t. I can’t be involved in this. Kir… If he finds out I’m the one who gave you the journal, or even if he justthinksI’m trying to manipulate him?—”
“It’s okay.” I reach across the table and squeeze her hand. Her fingers are still ice-cold. “I’m not asking you to come with me. Actually, I’m not asking you to do anything except stay safe.”
She stares at me. “You’re really going to do this? Walk up to Kir Lazarev and tell him everything he believes about his parents is wrong?”
“Someone has to.”
“What if he doesn’t believe you? He could think you’re lying to protect Lukas.”
“Then at least I’ll have tried,” I say. “That’s more than anyone else has done for him in eighteen years.”
Jillian’s grip tightens on my fingers. “You’re insane,” she whispers. “You know that, right?”
“Takes one to know one.”
A ghost of a smile crosses her face. “Be careful, Sunshine. Please. For both of us.”
I lean across the table and press a kiss to her forehead. She smells like stale coffee and exhaustion and fear, but underneath it all, she still smells like Jillian—likehome.
Then I turn and go. I’m halfway to the door when the TV above the counter stops me cold.
The local news is on as the 6 A.M. broadcast begins. The sound is muted, but captions scroll across the bottom of the screen. A breaking news banner dominates the frame in urgent red:
LUKAS LAZAREV TO MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENT ON WIFE’S DEATH
The shot cuts to an empty podium bristling with microphones. Reporters jostle for position behind a velvet rope. A new chyron pops up, reading:Statement expected within the hour.
My stomach descends straight through the floor.
He’s going to confess. That’s why he told Kir he didn’t love me—he was clearing the runway, making sure I wouldn’t be dragged down with him when he fell. Lukas is going to stand at that podium and take the blame for Elena’s death, letting the world believe he’s a murderer, all to keep her final wish intact.
Kirill can never know I chose to leave him.
If Lukas does this, he will go to prison. He’ll lose everything—his freedom, his legacy, and whatever scraps of his son’s respect might still be salvageable. And he’ll do it willingly, because eighteen years ago, he made a promise to the woman he loved.
He’ll throw his life away to honor his word.
Unless I get to him first.
78
RAE
NYPD PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MEDIA ADVISORY: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUBJECT: Public Statement by Lukas A. Lazarev
DATE: 21 December 2025 | 7:00 AM
Mr. Lazarev has requested the opportunity to make a public statement regarding the death of Elena Lazareva. Legal counsel has advised against this statement. Mr. Lazarev has declined counsel's advice.
I burst out of the diner and sprint for the nearest subway entrance. The journal pages are crammed into my jacket pocket, crinkling with every stride. I take the stairs two at a time, vault the turnstile, and throw myself onto a train just as the doors are closing.
As the train winds through the underbelly of the city, I check the time on my phone obsessively. Minutes wither and die, and I can only pray that there are enough of them left for me to make a difference.
