I gently push the door open wider and slip out into the corridor and as I tiptoe toward the stairs, every creak of the floorboards feels like a thunderclap. With each step, my heart pounds in my chest, the sound of my own pulse deafening in my ears and I glance around cautiously, my senses on high alert.
As I reach the top of the staircase, I freeze at the sound of Reign's deep voice coming from the living room below. My heart creeps into my throat, and I press myself against the wall, praying he does not hear me.
“They think they have found where he is going next, so we’ll make our way out of here within the fucking hour to deal with this fuck.”
I place my hand over my mouth, trying to silence my heavy breathing and I consider whether to stay or not if they are now dealing with this dude.
“And what the fuck about our fathers? We still haven't worked out what they’ll do next, Reign.”
When Chaos says that it is a heartbreaking realization andguilt gnaws at me, knowing that all this madness stems from my bloodline. It's not fair that Chaos and Reign are pushed into this dangerous position just to protect me. They should not have to sacrifice their relationships with their families for my sake. Their dads are their family, and they have their reasons why they are doing what they are doing. Yes, even if it is cruel and inhumane; I don’t want them to fall out with their families over me.
Yet, another part of me still wonders if I can even trust Chaos and Reign anymore. After all, they have gone to extreme lengths to manipulate and destroy me. I think it’s better if I just disappear and remove myself from this mess entirely.
Caught between love and doubt, I struggle to make sense of it all, knowing that whatever decision I make I need to make it quick. Tears blur my vision as fear tightens its grip around my heart, blurring everything around me into a haze.
The sound of Chaos and Reign's voices continues to echo from the living room, but it feels distant and drowned out. After finally making my dreaded decision, I find myself descending the stairs with trembling legs, each step feeling like an eternity.
As soon as I reach the bottom, I am facing the front door and I stare at it, but a nagging sense is holding me back, urging me to find another way out because I might get caught. I peek behind me, gazing at the back of the house, where the large double doors to the yard are. As I start to walk toward it, I glance behind me to make sure I am not being pursued before I quicken my pace. Once it is within reach, I fling open the back door and bolt outside, my heart hammering in my chest as I sprint around the edge of the pool.
When I reach the large fence, I toss my bag over it, watching it land on the other side with a thud, then, summoning every ounce of strength, I leap upward, my fingers clutching the metal frame and with a strained groan, I hoist myself up and over the top. I drop down onto the other side, landing on my feet and for a moment, I stay knelt, catching my breath, before pushing myself upright and snatching up my bag from beside me on the grassy ground.
I throw one last glance back at the mansion and memories flood my mind, both real and fake, and despite the pain, I refuse to let them be destroyed by the betrayal. As tears stream down my cheeks, I take a shuddering breath, readying myself for what lies ahead before walking forward. I pull my phone from my pocket, and I call for an Uber, knowing that the path through the woods will lead me to a street on the other side.
As the Uber pulls up in front of my Nana's house, I peer out the window, taking in the sight of the big historic building that sits in the middle of nowhere. The vintage structure brings back memories of happier times spent within its walls and despite the confusion and questions that are stirring inside me, I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as I stare at it.
After paying the driver, I push open the door beside me and step out of the car, tossing my backpack over my shoulder before closing the door behind me. As my footsteps crunch over the rocky gravel, I head for the back of the house. My spare key is back at my dorm I think, but I know there has always been a faulty window around the back which I can climb through.
When I get there, I drop my bag onto the floor and push on the window until it finally wedges open with a stiff creek. I grab my bag, toss it inside the house, then I hoist myself up and climb through.
Once I land on my feet inside, I glance around the huge living room, noticing dust sheets are still draped over most things, a reminder of how long it’s been since I last came here. The bitter cold bites my skin until my gaze lands on a photo of me and my Nana perched up on the antique fireplace and a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips before I approach it.
As soon as I halt in front of it, I reach out and hold the photograph in my hand, memories of that day flooding back to me. The warmth of the sun on my skin, the sound of waves crashing against the shore as we stand on the beach. I was only eighteen, dressed in a yellow floral summer dress, beside my Nana, her arm around my shoulders.
Her beaming, warm smile radiates joy and love, but as I study her face, my own smile begins to fade. Despite the fond memories captured in the image, a pang of sadness washes over me as I realize she never revealed the truth about my identity, which confuses me. Those were simple times that I would never get back and I thought life was hard then, but I now have a horrible feeling that things are about to get much harder.
I lift my bag that is in my hand and shove the photo into it before I leave the living room and head upstairs to my Nana’s room. As I stroll along the corridor, shivers shoot up my spine since it smells so much like her in here, but I continue until I am entering her bedroom.
I toss my bag onto her big bed, thinking about how the last time I saw her was in here when she died in front of me. I close my eyes, trying to shake the haunting memories, before opening them again and heading for a large vintage painting on the wall. I lift it off and place it on the floor before gazing at the safe hidden inside the wall in front of me. I raise my hand and turn it until it lands on my birth year, and it clicks open. I open the small silver door before I carefully examine what is inside; the stacks of money, the expensive jewelry, and the documents, each item a reminder of my Nana's life and her legacy to me.
With a mix of eagerness and anxiety, I carefully gather the cash and jewelry from the safe, the sparkle of the precious metals catching the dim light filtering through the curtains before placing them on the bed. I turn swiftly to gather the rest from the safe. My fingers shifting through the paperwork with a sense of urgency and each rustle of paper echoes in the quiet room as I search for the crucial cheque, until I finally find it and I exhale a sigh of relief.
I return to the bed and lay it alongside the cash and jewelry, arranging them with care before loading them into my waiting backpack. Once I think I have everything I need, I zip it closed, the weight of my impending departure settles heavily on my shoulders, but when I glance to the rest of the documents on the bed to return them to the safe, an envelope stands out since it has my name scrawled on it in my Nana's elegant handwriting.
Confused, I delicately lift the envelope between my fingertips, my brows furrowing as I inspect it with my eyes before taking a slow seat on the edge of the bed. I carefully slide a letter opener under the flap, the anticipation building with each movement. As the envelope opens, I gently extract the letter nestled within and once I have unfolded the weathered paper, I'm greeted with a lengthy letter.
[My Darling Charley, if you have discovered this letter, I must be gone, and you must have a lot of questions, all of which I shall address in this letter. I apologize for keeping you in the dark about who you truly were, Swan. By the way, I always told your mother that I didn’t like that name.]
I giggle at her confession as my eyes brim with tears.
[Your Russian Mafia family was murdered, but an angel was watching over you that day as you survived, and every day I counted my blessings that you did, and I was lucky to have you in my life. You were such a nervous and timid little thing when I found you in the system; you were damaged by the life you were raised around, and I attempted to teach you in some way just how strong and capable you really are. You are Swan Morozov, thetrue heir and queen of the Bratva, not Charley Barker. Even if you are confused and terrified right now, you're powerful, beautiful, and courageous, and in time you will learn just how strong you are. Your family had many enemies, my dear girl; they donned pure blood and that irritated many. I know you do not want to be a bad person, and you do not have to be, but your real intent is to sit on that throne and reign in honor of your family.]
I sniffle and close my eyes for a second, knowing I do not want this absurd title. I am a wimp, I am not a mafia queen, and I will never be one. When I finally re-open my moist eyes to see what else she has to say, I continue scanning them across the lettering.
[You have been promised to the son of your father's rival, whom he murdered, resulting in his demise and your family's deaths. In the Bratva blood lineages, which is who you have been paired with. Maddox Orlov is your future husband, but truth be told, your father never wanted this and thankfully there is a loophole in the linages since you are now the heir—
My heart leaps into my throat as soon as a loud noise echoes through the silent house from downstairs. My head whips round to the doorway, every nerve in my body tenses as I listen intently, my senses heightened by the sudden intrusion. With trembling hands, I grip the letter opener that is on the bed tightly before I slowly stand and cautiously head for the door.
When I am in the corridor and staring where the stairs are, I back up slowly until suddenly I notice a huge figure coming into view at the far end of the hallway, dressed in all black. Mybreathing comes to a halt and my entire body freezes, but when he lifts his head and I see the same mask that was in the haunted house, my teary eyes expand, and I scream before whirling around to flee the opposite way.
