Page 45 of Fallen Roses

She shrugs. “She was another school friend. I heard she died in a freak accident.”

“Do you know who wanted her dead?” He adds, and she shakes her head vigorously.

“Your mother, I’m guessing.”

I swear if I had a gun I would shoot the words from her mouth and Mikhail is not known for his self control when it concerns our mother and this is no exception.

He grasps her face between his fingers and squeezeshard, a muffled squeal of pain coming from the woman who likes to dish it out but can’t take it.

“Never speak of my mother again, you sad old bitch.”

He releases her face with a look of disdain and to our surprise, she laughs out loud.

“What’s this? Have I hit a nerve? You know, Grace was always the innocent one. Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth and she played all the right moves.”

“What moves?”

I stand and head to my brother’s side and stare deep into her eyes as she hisses, “She was always so innocent. The pretty one. Everybody loved Grace. She was perfect marriage material. None of us stood a chance against her and she could have chosen any of those fools, but she chose the penniless one. Andrei Romanov. She chose him because he was in love with someone else and she couldn’t bear being second best.”

“You’re talking about Veronica. He was in love with her.”

I throw Mikhail a warning glare to back the fuck off as we uncover more secrets from the past that appear to have defined the present.

“Yes, they were in love. It was obvious but Grace decided for reasons of her own that Andrei was the prize and she took steps to change his mind.”

There is a moment in life when it all changes. Everything you ever believed is brought into question and in this hotel room, a desperate woman is throwingeverything she can to get herself off the hook, but something about the way she tells it is too real.

She shakes her head and sighs.

“All I know is that one minute Andrei and Veronica were in love and then the next thing he was announcing his engagement to Grace. I swear that’s it. As for your father–”

She shakes her head and a sad gleam lights her eyes.

“Nobody associated with The Rose Foundation or what it stood for would have wanted him dead. He was one of our founders. An important member of the team and when I learned that Veronica had also died, I wondered if it had something to do with their relationship.”

“Who would have been concerned about that?”

Mikhail’s voice is rough and I can tell he is shaken and Adele shrugs. “You may find that answer closer to home. That’s all I’m saying.”

I glance at my brother and he nods, shifting off the desk before saying as an aside, “And Marsha Steele, who wanted her dead?”

Adele shrugs. “Many people, I’m guessing. That woman was a walking disease. Once again, you may find the answer closer to home than you think.”

She holds out her hand. “I’ve given you what you want. Now give me the recording.”

Before Mikhail replies, James says with a wince of pain, “There are still the questions regarding the donations.”

“What donations?”

“The corporate ones mainly.” I add. “However, that can wait because I’m mindful this man requires medical attention and you?—”

I glare at Adele with pure hatred.

“Are expected at The Rose Foundation first thing tomorrow morning to explain the discrepancies we have uncovered.”

The blood drains from her face. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, haven’t you heard? I’m one of your new accountants and I don’t like what I’ve discovered. In fact, I am honor bound to report my findings to the relevant authorities and will be making the call at nine-fifteen tomorrow morning unless you are sitting in James’s office with the answers to our questions. So, good day, Mrs. Kenricky. Say hi to your husband and tell him I’m looking forward to meeting him soon.”

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