Page 143 of Capuleto

"I can't blame you; I understand she's made it difficult for you to trust anything she or anyone in my family says. So don't believe us, rely on the evidence. You mentioned Andrey has obtained some that exonerate her from several incidents."

"Not all," I countered.

"You just have to find the rest," she said confidently. "Tell me, hand on heart, what would you have done if the roles were reversed? Have you considered that?"

"Yes, several times. And I might have acted like her in some ways, but I would have been unable to hide that Yuri was alive. She knew what her son meant to me!" I exclaimed.

"Yuri is her brother. The man she's adored and admired all her life. Her reference point. You have no idea how much his loss shattered her."

"I can imagine."

"As much as you thought he was your friend; it wasn't the same. Nikita only ever had eyes for him, since she was born. For her, he was the one who got my husband to accept her into his world. No matter how much I tried to get Nikita closer to Irisha or Sarka, I failed. It was blind adoration she felt for him. And what I'm about to say may sound harsh, but now I understand why he left her." Jelena sighed heavily and sat down in the chair with a thud. "Nikita was the secret weapon of Vladimir and my son. A woman with my daughter's characteristics can bring down an empire."

"Are you telling me or just sharing?" I asked, annoyed. "She made me look like a fool in front of my family."

"Don't hold it against her; she was raised for this, just like a dog for illegal fights. My husband trained Yuri to be a charmer and Nikita to execute the coup de grâce, I'm convinced. If anything characterized Yuri, it was that he doesn't stop at anything or anyone."

"Not even his family?" I asked. She looked at me with sorrow.

"Not even his family. If you want Nikita, you better find her before it's too late."

"What about this picture? Is it your daughter?" I showed her the photo Segarra had given me, and she laughed.

"Are you joking? Of course not! Nikita would never wear Chanel; she says it's archaic." She didn't seem to be lying, but I saw something in her eyes that I didn't like.

"Do you know who it is?"

"What is she accused of?"

"Of being the person behind the resale of Mentium," I clarified. "We know it's a woman who had access to Korpe. Look, the warehouse door was open, and it can only be done from the inside with the security codes." She looked at me intently.

"Then it must be Irene. Yuri could have given her those codes."

"Irene is a redhead," my father intervened, "and she doesn't have those breasts."

"There are wigs and minimizer bras; there are many garments that can shape the figure. I would bet on her. They probably tried to make her a poor copy of Nikita. I swear to both of you that isn't my eldest daughter, and I never swear in vain."

There was a possibility she was right; I couldn't rule it out. Irene had tried to make me see my wife in those images when I already suspected it wasn't her.

"Are you going to help us?"

"Are you asking if I'm capable of choosing between my daughter and my son? I'm not a fool; I know what will happen once you find Yuri."

"And what will that be?" my father asked, probing her. She exhaled softly.

"Everyone is responsible for their own actions and destiny. I adore all my children, but I can't prevent each from choosing their path. If I think of where Nikita might be, I'll tell you."

"And Yuri?" I inquired. She tilted her head.

"I stopped knowing everything about Yuri a long time ago. Can I go back to my room, or are you going to kill me? I need to be alone to digest what has happened."

"Go ahead." My father extended his hand, and we both stood up to see her out.

She stopped at the door and turned to me.

"Find her; I want to see my daughter become a mother. I don't want to miss that for the world." Her eyes sparkled slightly.

"I'll do everything in my power." She nodded.

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