Page 39 of Ruthless Prince

“And that’s why you killed him?”

Nico’s eyes flash. “What are you doing here, Vincent? If you think I killed your father, then I’m guessing you’re here to kill me. Is that your plan? Because, I’ll have you know, it’s not easy to kill me. Aurora even tried.”

“Clearly, I didn’t succeed,” she says, grabbing his hand.

“Why did you kill him?” I ask. “I need to know.”

Nico sighs. “Because he stole our son. Kidnapped him when he was only a toddler. Then he killed him. I waited a long time for revenge, and then I finally found it. It’s funny … he named you after our son. I think it was just to spite us.”

So, that must be why I have that pendant and why I share the same name. It’s not because I’m Nico’s and Aurora’s son—it’s because Igor was just trying to hurt them.

“I’m sorry you went through that,” I say. “And to be honest, I never loved my father. When you killed him, it was a relief. So … no. I’m not here to kill you for the murder of Igor. I’m here for a job.”

I don’t have to kill Nico and play by Mr. Moore’s rules. I can make my own money and save even more until I can get Ellie out of that house.

Nico nods once. “I believe you. I’m not sure why I do, but I do.”

Aurora lifts her glass. “Why don’t we eat dinner? I’m starving.”

“I’m sorry about your son,” I blurt out. “I never knew that about my father.”

“It was a long time ago,” Nico says.

“Twenty-three years ago,” Aurora says. “He was three when he was taken.”

My fork clatters to the table. I’m twenty-six, which means that if this boy was taken twenty-three years ago, I would’ve met him. I would have been three myself.

No …

I look at Nico and Aurora harder, taking in their face. The color of Nico’s hair that matches mine. The way Aurora’s eyes crinkle as she smiles—it’s so much like my own.

All the evidence is pointing to me being their son. But that just can’t be because if that is the truth, then … my entire world would be upside down.

I need to get proof, and to do that, I need to a paternity test. I could ask Nico, but I’m not sure how he’d take it. He might get offended and throw me out of his house.

“I’m sorry. May I use your restroom?” I ask.

Nico tells me the bathroom is down the hall, and I rush to it. My hunch proves right. After checking the cabinets, I find a comb with short, dark hairs still in them. Nico’s hair.

I grab the comb and stuff it into my jacket pocket.

When I come back to the table, Aurora asks me if everything is all right.

“Everything’s fine,” I say, giving her a small smile. She smiles right back.

Everything is not fine because I might be eating dinner with my real parents. And if that’s the case, then how in the world can I kill Nico and save Ellie?

Chapter

Fourteen

ELLIE

Vincent returns home from his meeting with Nico, seemingly distracted. He walks right past me as he heads to his room.

“Vincent?” I ask, following him. If my father is bothered by the fact I’m in the same room as my husband, then he can just forget it.

He’s in the ensuite bathroom, bent over the counter, staring down at a comb.

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