Page 108 of Hidden Echoes

"What truth exactly?" His voice remains calm, but there is a hidden weight to the question.

I swallow hard.

"That Mia is alive."

Pietro's eyes narrow immediately, and I watch as he puts all the pieces into place. He may be rational, methodical, but he's also a natural strategist. Within seconds, he's already plotting the consequences of this revelation.

"He thinks she's dead," I murmur.

Seth has spent his life believing this. Believing that his little sister died in the basement where they were both raised. It's a wound that has never healed because, to him, Mia never had a chance to exist beyond that place.

And now, after all, he would discover that she is alive—and married to Kyle's brother.

Pietro closes his eyes for a moment, as if he already knows the chaos this will bring.

"He's going to try to kill me," he says with almost casual certainty.

I let out a sigh. "Probably."

"He'll assume that if I know the truth, then I've known it all along. And that means I will use it against him."

I don't say anything, because he's right. Seth will react as he always does: aggressively, looking for a way to regain control of the situation. He'll be impulsive. Dangerous.

Pietro rubs his chin thoughtfully.

"He hasn't developed a sense of feelings the way other people do, Laura. The way he processes betrayal isn't the same as yours or mine."

I know that.

“Seth already know about me,” I murmur. “He always seemed… confused around me, like he was trying to figure out something that didn’t make sense. And then I put the pieces together.”

Pietro crosses his arms. "And you think throwing him into the middle of an emotional hurricane that he doesn't know how to get out of is the best solution?"

"He has a right to know. And so does Mia."

Pietro stares at me for a long moment, assessing my expression, my conviction. Then he exhales a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"If he puts you or the children at risk, I'll kill him."

I smirk. "Fair enough."

Pietro pulls me against him, firm, possessive.

"He's going to attack us," he murmurs against my hair.

"He will try."

Pietro chuckles softly. "The problem with people like Seth Evans is that they think they're invincible."

"Well, the problem with you, husband, is that you think you're always ten steps ahead of everyone else."

He squeezes me a little tighter, his body relaxing at my touch.

"And I am," he says simply.

I sigh against his chest.

Pietro watches me for a long moment, his hazel eyes assessing every nuance of my expression. He weighs the risks, the variables, already anticipating Seth's possible reactions, the consequences of this revelation.

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