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"I've worked for Roman for many years," she says carefully. "Since he was a little boy."

She falls silent again, searching my face. "There are things about him that only Roman has the right to tell you. I won't take that away from him."

A wave of disappointment settles over me, though I can't say I'm surprised.

"But," she continues softly, "I will tell you..."

She glances toward the kitchen doorway as if making sure we're alone before lowering her voice.

"I was surprised because Roman doesn't share a bed with anyone."

Her eyes return to mine. "So when you told me he stayed with you...that surprised me."

I frown. "Why?"

She lets out a slow sigh, her hands tightening around the dish towel she's holding before she finally looks at me. "Tell me something," she says gently. "Last night... while you and Roman slept... did you notice anything unusual about him?"

I frown, caught off guard by the question. "Unusual?" I repeat. "No." I shake my head slowly, replaying the night in my mind. "What exactly was I supposed to notice?"

A flicker of surprise crosses Sofía's face before it quickly disappears. She looks away for a moment, as though she's debating whether to continue. When she finally speaks again, her voice is quieter.

"Years ago, when Roman was just a little boy, his parents were murdered. By the man who became the former Pakhan. He slaughtered them, then kidnapped Roman and his younger brother, Maxim."

The words steal the air from my lungs. I had no idea.

Sofía swallows before continuing. "What those boys endured afterward..." She shakes her head slowly. "No child should ever have to live through something like that. They were tortured for months. Broken in ways that no one should ever be broken. The experience left a lasting impression on Roman."

I stare at her, unable to speak.

"After Roman reclaimed what was his and became Pakhan, he rebuilt this estate," she continues. "That private wing you found... he had it built for himself. He suffers from terrible nightmares. Sometimes he barely sleeps at all. Other times..." She hesitates, choosing her words carefully. "The nightmares become so real that he wakes up believing he's still trapped in that place. He isolated himself because he was terrified he might hurt someone during one of those episodes."

My fingers tighten around the edge of the counter. All at once, everything begins to make sense. The reason he refused to share a bed with me. The haunted expression I'd caught on his face more than once.

It was never because he didn't want me. It was because he was trying to protect me.

A lump forms in my throat as I picture the little boy Roman must have been. A frightened child ripped away from his parents, forced to survive horrors no child should even know exist, only to grow into the man everyone fears. For the first time since meeting him, I don't see the ruthless Pakhan. I see the wounded little boy still carrying scars inflicted by monsters.

My chest aches so fiercely it almost hurts to breathe. "Has he..." My voice comes out barely above a whisper. "Has he always lived like this?"

Sofía gives a sad nod. "For as long as I've known him."

"And no one can help him?"

"There are some battles another person can't fight for you." Her expression softens. "All we can do is stand beside him when he'll allow it. I've already said more than I should have," she admits.

"The boss would not be pleased if he knew I'd told you even this much." She reaches for the breakfast tray and gently presses it back into my hands. "If you want answers, they have to come from him. Not from me."

“Thank you.”

I balance the breakfast tray carefully as I make my way upstairs. My thoughts drift back to everything Sofía confessed downstairs. I wonder if I should tell Roman that I know. Maybe it would make things easier between us. Maybe he would finally understand that I don't see him differently because of what happened to him.

Then another thought follows. What if he isn't ready for me to know? What if bringing it up only makes him retreat behind those walls again? Worse still, Sofía trusted me enough to tell me as much as she did. If Roman finds out she was the one who spoke, she might get into trouble.

No... I can't do that to her. Whatever conversation Roman and I are meant to have, it has to happen because he's ready to have it, not because I forced it.

By the time I reach our bedroom, I've already decided to leave the subject alone for now. I push the door open with my shoulder, balancing the tray as I step inside.

The room is empty.