Page 49 of Fierce Secrets

"No, Mer. You have to believe me on that. I had my suspicions, but I never knew the truth. Not until that envelope, so I messaged Gray before my shower."

"So you told him and not me? Hid it from me?" The sob broke free as I balled my hands up, gripping my phone tight in one. "I can't..." I pushed myself up from the floor, suddenly needing space, air, anything. "This is too much."

"We were trying to protect you!"

"By lying to me? By all playing your parts in this ridiculous charade?" I headed for the door, shaking with a myriad of emotions. "I need to get out of here."

"Meredith, please?—"

The cold air hit my face as I stormed out, tears freezing on my cheeks. I spied Roman's car at the end of the drive, but I didn't care as I began walking quickly from Sofia's place.

I sniffled as Roman got out of his car, concern etched across his features as Sofia called after me.

"Ms. Cassaro?—"

"Unless you plan to physically restrain me, I'm leaving," I snapped, and Roman's face tightened as he nodded and clasped his hands.

His face remained impassive as he gave me an almost apologetic nod. "Then I'll have to follow you."

"Do whatever the hell you have to do," I muttered. "But tell my brother and Leo they can go fuck themselves. For everything."

I marched past him, ignoring the vibrating of my phone as Sofia tried to call. I half-expected her to follow me as well, but perhaps she'd realized I needed some space, and she wasn't exactly dressed to run after me in her robe.

I turned the corner in the street, needing to keep moving as my mind swam. My phone vibrated with a text from Sofia, telling me to at least be safe, and she was here when I was ready to talk.

I scoffed and shoved it into my pocket. She obviously didn't think I needed two people following me. Good.

Behind me, I could hear Roman's quiet footsteps following at a distance.

But all I could think about was how my entire world had been carefully constructed lies, and I'd been too blind to see it.

CHAPTER 18

LEO

My phone rang, and as I pulled it from my pocket, a message came through from Roman, flashing across the screen as I answered Gray's call.

"Someone sent her the photos, Leo. And she's remembered everything, Sofia called me. Roman is following her, but she's upset and reeling," Gray's voice was tight with worry. "She won't answer calls or my texts, what if this causes her to have a severe panic attack?"

"What?" My stomach dropped, and I clenched my jaw at this news. I pulled the phone back for a second to check Roman's text. He was following her as instructed. Good.

"She remembers everything, everything that happened that night!" Gray snapped into the phone, and I closed my eyes as the situation sunk in.

All our careful protection, the years of keeping her safe from those memories, undone by a few text messages.

"Roman's following her," I assured him, though my own chest felt tight. "He knows the signs."

As if on cue, Roman's update came through, and I put my phone on speaker to check it.

She's in a rideshare. Keeping my distance but maintaining visual.

"Let me add Roman to the call," I said, and Gray let out an exasperated sigh on the other end. I connected Roman into our call, and he was straight to the point.

"She's upset. I'm following her, making sure she's safe," Roman relayed.

"She found out the truth, someone sent her the photos as well," Gray muttered.

"Not good. Sofia tried to call her back to the house, but she wouldn't listen. I tried to stop her as well, but as she put it, I'd need to use physical force if I wanted to stop her."

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