Page 103 of Porcelain Vows

“And the kidnapping?” I ask, referring to when Gianni and her abducted me. “Was that part of the plan, too?”

Sofia has the grace to look ashamed. “You were supposed to be bait to draw out Aleksei. Gianni wanted him to suffer by threatening you, making him see how easily you could be reached.” She pauses. “I never expected him to pull that stunt he did… when he threatened to… to…”

“Rape me?” I finish, the word tasting like bile.

She looks down at her hands. “Yes. I’m… I’m sorry,” she whispers.

I pinch my lips together, pushing back the memory of those horrible moments. Sofia had fought with him over it, though.

“Did you hit me?” I ask impulsively. “When everything went down in the warehouse. Something knocked me unconscious. Was it you?” Now isn’t really the time to ask, but I can’t help myself. I need to know.

“No.” She shakes her head. “It wasn’t me.”

“Are you sure?” I press, half-afraid of the answer.

“I think you know me well enough to know I wouldn’t lie about that,” she says. “Some of the old brickwork came looseduring the gunfight. A chunk of it came down and cracked you on the head.” She’s still looking at her hands. “I… I thought it had crushed your skull, to be honest. There was… so much blood. I know I should have done something, but all I could think about was getting the hell out of there.”

“It’s okay,” I try to reassure her. “Sasha was there. He got me to the hospital. And here I am now. Good as new.” I put my hand on her arm and squeeze. I don’t want to put any more emotional pressure on her than she’s already feeling.

“Yeah, good,” she says grimly. “Just as you always were. Growing up with my mother and father. They sold me.” Her voice turns bitter. “A transaction. That’s all I ever was.”

“That’s not true,” I say, though I understand why she feels that way. “Our parents were facing impossible choices.”

“Perhaps.” She looks away. “But the result was the same. I grew up in a mansion with everything money could buy and nothing that mattered. No siblings. No friends— Father didn’t allow them. Not even a pet.”

As she speaks of her isolation, I understand how a lifetime of rejection can twist a person into someone unrecognizable. The protective shell around her heart must be inches thick after so many betrayals.

“Oh, Sofia,” I murmur, rubbing her arm softly. “If I could go back and change everything, I swear to you, I would.”

“Yeah,” she says brokenly. “I know you would.” She pulls in a shuddering breath. “God, I’ve made so many mistakes.” Her shoulders slump, her chin dropping.

The lonely child Sofia describes stands in stark contrast to the calculating woman who tried to destroy my family. Yet they are one and the same.

“But we’re going to put that behind us now.” I tighten my grip on her arm and look into her eyes. “Do you hear me?”

She nods silently, looking so young and fragile that my heart clenches. I lean in and put my arms around her, careful not to bump her head.

“Okay.” Her voice is small but her lips have curved slightly, a hint of sunshine gleaming through the rainclouds.

We sit there like that for a minute or two, arms around each other, just getting used to each other’s presence. It’s so strange to think of being able to physically touch the sister I’ve spent so many years talking to. Eventually, we straighten, but I keep my hand on her arm, reluctant to lose the connection.

“There’s something else you should know,” she says after a pause, her voice dropping. “About Bobik.”

My attention sharpens instantly, gaze drifting to where he sits with Maria in the distance. “What about him?”

“I discovered his existence during my… investigation of Aleksei.” The clinical term doesn’t disguise the intrusion. “I realized he was Aleksei’s greatest vulnerability. I have— had— video evidence of his existence. Proof that could expose him to Aleksei’s enemies.”

My blood runs cold at the implication. “What did you do with it?”

“Nothing, besides telling my father.” She glances toward Bobik, genuine remorse crossing her features. “I considered using it. That’s when I tried to get rid of you… with Imeldaand the poison. I thought if you were gone, I could replace you, become part of Aleksei’s family that way.”

Tears begin to stream down her face, surprising us both. “I’ve done some pretty terrible things, Stella.” She reaches into her pocket, withdrawing a small USB drive. “This contains everything. The videos, the documentation. I want you to make it disappear.”

I take the drive, feeling the weight of trust this represents. Without hesitation, I place it on the gravel path and crush it under my heel, grinding until the plastic cracks and the circuitry inside splinters. Sofia watches, relief visibly washing over her.

“Thank you,” she whispers as I collect the pieces, shoving them into my pants pocket. I’ll dispose of them later.

We’re silent for a few minutes, both lost in our own thoughts, until I turn to her.

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