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"I miss you too."

"Promise you're taking care of yourself."

"I could say the same thing to you."

"I am."

"Really?"

I smile to myself. "I think... things are getting better. Roman stayed with me last night. All night. I told you before that I had never spent a night with him, but yesterday, he changed."

"That's... unexpected."

"I know."

I walk over to the window, looking out across the estate. "And I found something. I got into that part of the house he kept hidden. I picked the lock."

"Aurora! You can't do something so dangerous—what if Roman gets angry?"

"Unfortunately, he did catch me, but luckily, he didn't get mad."

She groans. "So?" she asks. "What was he hiding?”

"I found one of my paintings from school in there.”

Audrey is silent for several seconds. “How did he get it?” she finally asks.

"I don't know. Do you think..." I begin slowly, "Maybe Roman knew me before all this?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Why else would one of my paintings be hanging in the most private room in his house?"

She hums thoughtfully. "Maybe he bought it. You sold your paintings, remember? People bought them."

"But why?"

"Because he liked it. Maybe he's just one of those people. Maybe he simply saw a beautiful painting by a talented artist and bought it."

I bite my lip. "Do you really believe that?"

"How else do you explain him having your painting?"

“You're right. I spoke to the housekeeper and she opened up to me about the real reason Roman doesn’t like to sleep in the same bed with me.”

“And what's the reason?”

I go on to tell her what Sofía had told me. By the time I'm done, silence settles between Audrey and me. Neither of us speaks for a few moments.

When Audrey finally speaks, her voice is much softer than before. "That's... heartbreaking, Rory."

I lower my eyes to the untouched breakfast on the bedside table. "Yeah. No child deserves that."

"I can't even imagine it."

Neither can I.

Just thinking about a little boy being dragged away after losing his parents. It explains so much about the man Roman has become. The endless hours in that private wing. The boxing. The ice baths. The distance he keeps between himself and everyone else.