Page 63 of Sinful Embers

“She always bragged about how her golden key opening all her secrets.” He frowns. “I’m betting there are a lot of people wanting that key now.”

“I still don’t know what it is.” It’s not a lie. I don’t but I know at some point I must have because there is this nagging at the back of my mind each time it’s mentioned. Just the antidote.

His fingers flex against his thighs, a flicker of something—regret, maybe—passing over his face. “I came to get you ten years ago when I realized what Vivienne was up to.”

I freeze.

“You didn’t have your father. Mark was off on some weird-ass Robin Hood crusade. My sister had turned into a fucking politician—balancing my father, my brother, her husband, and raising three boys.” He shakes his head. “She put your care in the hands of Carla Craft and Mark.”

He turns toward me, expression darkening. “The only person I had any real faith in was Sol Craft.”

The name slams through me like a sledgehammer to the chest.

Uncle Sol.

Tears burn the back of my throat.

“He—” I choke on the words. “He died.” My voice wobbles.

Dmitri stiffens beside me, his posture going rigid. “Oh shit.” His head snaps toward me. “Did you—did you forget that?”

A horrible, twisting guilt curdles in my stomach.

I nod weakly. “He was one of the people I just… didn’t remember.” My hands curl into fists in my lap. “I feel awful.”

Dmitri watches me for a long, heavy moment, then sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “Carlos did that.”

My stomach clenches. “Did what?”

His jaw tics. “He killed Zoya. And then he doctored the video to make it look like I did it.”

A cold shiver slithers down my spine.

“I found out later he’d been drugging me.” Dmitri’s voice is low, hoarse. “For months. I wasn’t even sure where I was or what the fuck I was doing half the time while I was at Dragunov.”

Bile rises in my throat.

“Then my father disowned me,” he continues, his voice bitter. “And the only place left for me to turn?” He lets out a humorless chuckle. “Wanda.”

I stiffen.

“Just like Carlos wanted.”

“Then he tried to kill my father.” Dmitri exhales, leaning back against the bench. “Ten years ago, Boris had a car accident in Los Angeles. I flew out to see him, and that’s when I realized what Vivienne was up to.”

I swallow hard, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“She’d aligned herself with my older brother and Galina’s husband.” His eyes flick to mine, sharp and assessing. “She’d convinced them that marrying you to Radomir was a strategic move.”

A cold sensation prickles through my veins.

“Vladimir had already put the idea in my sister’s head,” Dmitri says. “And I couldn’t fucking believe she was considering it.”

I clench my jaw. “But she did.”

“She, Mark, and your grandmother called it their backup plan.” His voice is grim. “The one that would ensure your protection if Nikolas ever showed up.”

I stare at him, heart pounding.

---