"The woman you know as Vera Koval-Radin, my honored guest here tonight, has gone by several names over the past two decades." I click forward to a list of names, dates, and cities. "Vera Volkov, Vera Tarkova… And then in marriage, Lebedev, Koval, and Radin. She's had three husbands who either vanishedor died under circumstances that were never adequately investigated."
Two hundred pairs of eyes move between me, the screen, and the woman at the table of honor whose face has drained of color. She stands abruptly, gesturing to Sofi and Sabine to move, but Timur has the spotlight shine right on her now, and Yegor and Radimir stand behind her, ready to grab hold of her if she tries to make a move.
The next slide shows death certificates, police reports, and financial records documenting asset transfers within days of each death. "The evidence compiled tonight has been shared with the Police General's office. I've invited General Marinsky and Major-General Orlov here this evening not as social guests but as officers of the law." I gesture at them, but I notice they're going through the file, not fully paying attention, which isn't a problem. They have the evidence and soon, they'll have the woman too.
Radimir and Yegor have moved into position behind the three women, blocking the exits on all sides. Vera turns her head, sees them, and her composure cracks. Her hands cling to Sofi's skirt and Sabine's wrist and her eyes dart from Radimir to me.
I glance down at Mila. She's sitting rigid with her eyes wide and her lips parted as her stepmother's crimes play out on the screen above us.
"Vera Koval-Radin is a murderer," I say calmly, though my chest is burning with so much anger over what Vera did to Mila. I have to remind myself to stay calm and not let my emotions get the better of me. "She married into three families, extracted their wealth, and eliminated her husbands when they were no longer useful. She married Anton Radin with the same intention. Whenhe died, she positioned herself to steal the inheritance he left for his daughter."
The final slide appears—a side-by-side of Vera's former identities, each paired with the death record of the husband she left behind.
"General Marinsky." I nod toward table nine. "The evidence has been delivered. I'll leave the rest in your hands."
The Police General stands, his Major-General beside him. They cross the ballroom toward Vera's table and the room erupts—chairs scraping, voices rising, guests craning in their seats. Vera's on her feet, backing away from the table, and Radimir steps forward to take her arm.
"Get your hands off me." Vera's voice cuts through the noise. "Roman, this is absurd. These are fabricated lies, every single?—"
"Mrs. Koval-Radin." The Police General takes her other arm. "You need to come with us."
"I will not." She wrenches against Radimir's grip as her gown twists around her legs, tripping her. "I will not go anywhere with you people. Roman! Tell them this is a mistake! You know me. You know our family. Tell them!"
I don't answer her. I stand on the stage with the microphone in my hand and watch the Police General and Radimir walk her toward the side exit while Sofi and Sabine stand still at the table, frozen. Vera's heels scrape against the floor as she resists and her voice rises to a pitch that makes guests at the nearest tables flinch.
"You'll regret this, Roman! Do you hear me? You'll regret every second of this!"
The side door opens, closes, and Vera's voice cuts off.
The ballroom holds its breath for several seconds before the murmuring starts, a confused, buzzing energy that I have to quiet in order to finish my speech. I'm happy things went the way I planned—mostly—though I regret having to do it so publicly at an event meant to be wholesome.
"Please." I raise my hand and the room settles. "Please, I understand this is unexpected. I ask for your patience as we continue the evening." I wait for a few more seconds for the rest of the chatter to die down. I know people have questions and I won't make it out of here tonight without answering a million of them, but it appears a few won't wait for me.
Sofi steps away from her table and walks toward the stage with her chin raised. She reminds me of her mother, and it makes me cringe. "Make your announcement, Roman." Her voice carries across the room, cutting through the murmur. "You said you'd tell us who you're marrying."
Sabine stands behind her, watching and waiting, but I can see it in her eyes that she understands it's neither of them. She's hurt and angry, and it's not her fault, but I don't care.
I look down at Mila. Tears are running down her cheeks and her hands are trembling. It almost brings me to tears to see her hurting too. I nearly climb off this dais and go to her, but I have to finish this.
"I can't marry either of you," I say, and my chest feels like it's being torn apart. "I won't."
"Why?" Sofi takes another step toward the stage. No one in this room speaks. You can hear a pin drop. "You promised a marriage alliance…"
"Because my heart belongs to someone else." I don't mince words as I say what needs said, and Mila's gaze sweeps up to meet mine. I hold it, unable to turn away from her. "Someone very beautiful and very wise told me not too long ago that to know the right thing and to not do it is shameful. And I know that it's wrong to marry for money or power, especially more so when your heart beats someone else's name."
My gut feels hollowed out as I stare down at Mila, now fully sobbing and ruining her makeup.
Sofi stands frozen in the middle of the ballroom. Sabine reaches for her arm and pulls her back. I can see the understanding settle across the room in real time—the exchanged glances, the heads turning toward my table and the woman in the emerald dress sitting beside my empty chair.
"Dinner will be served momentarily," I say quietly, and then I set the microphone back on its stand.
I step off the stage, walk past my table without looking at Mila, past the rising guests and the waitstaff gathered at the kitchen doors, and I push through the side doors into the hallway. The noise of the ballroom fades behind me as I walk until I'm alone in the darkness.
Given how I feel, it's not safe to be around anyone right now.
I need air.
29
