Page 76 of Sinful Betrayal

“She knows what she needs to do. She has a duty to this family, tome, and she knows the price if she fails.”

I stumble away from the door, not wanting to hear another word.

I can’t let him do this. I can’t let him hurt another person.

I hurry up the second flight of stairs that leads to my father’s private rooms. He has a second, smaller study off his bedroom where I know he keeps some of his private files.

He has never trusted computers or technology for fear of being hacked, which works in my favor.

I need to find something that I can give to Anton that will help take down my father once and for all.

Behind the desk in the smaller study is a bookcase overflowing with books and files, but I know my father doesn’t keep his most personal documents on display.

I pull out a stack of first editions by Tolstoy in the original Russian that he brought over from our house back in Russia.

I always wanted to read the delicate books, which is what led to me finding my father’s secret notebook filled with contacts he keeps hidden in the back ofWar and Peace.

Inside is a list of every man who has ever worked for my father, including any aliases they might work under. This list is the key to my father, and I need to get it to Anton.

I kneel on the floor and pull out my phone, taking photos of each of the pages of the small book.

My hands shake uncontrollably as my father’s words play on repeat in my mind.

I plan on slaughtering the child.

“Oh gods,” I sob as I snap a picture of the final contact, my brother Lev, before quickly putting everything back the way I found it and hurrying out of the room.

I’m in way too deep, and I need to find a way out of this plan,now.

By the time I’m being dropped back at school, the rehearsal is about to end, so I hurry through to my studio where I fall in line behind the rest of the class as they file out of the studio.

Allie looks over her shoulder at me, and I mouth “Thank you” at her.

She nods before hurrying away toward the exit. I feel bad for asking her to cover for me, but I had no choice.

Yakov is waiting outside the studio as usual, watching everyone closely for any sign of a threat.

“Hey,” I greet, trying to appear normal despite my racing heart and sweaty palms.

Yakov frowns, eyeing me closely. “We better get home.”

“You speak,” I blurt, taken aback. “I actually thought you might be mute.”

He only narrows his eyes before ushering me toward the exit.

I’m lost in thought as I sit in the back seat of the car on the drive back to Anton’s estate.

If my father decides to act on my false information, Anton needs to know what he’s facing. But there’s no way I can tell him without revealing who I am and the fact that I’ve been lying to him this entire time.

He’ll hate me for it, but I can’t in all conscience sit on this information that could potentially wipe out his entire family.

I just have to hope that he’ll be willing to forgive me when he finally learns the truth.

18

ANTON

I forgetthat I can’t drink like I did when I was in my early twenties. All day, I haven’t been able to shake the pounding headache or the constant feeling of nausea in my stomach. The alcohol was meant to take away my problems, but instead it just gave me new ones.

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