Chapter 11
Roman confronted Helena only after Rebecca cleared it.
They met with attorneys present.
No shouting.
No capos.
No bodyguards standing dramatically behind chairs.
Helena looked older than she had at the gala.
Roman placed the guardianship draft between them.
“Why?”
Helena did not pretend she misunderstood.
“Nora was going to take Sophie away from this family.”
“She was Sophie’s mother.”
“And you were Sophie’s father.”
“You told her I was dead.”
Helena’s eyes flashed.
“Because you would never have done what needed to be done.”
Roman leaned back.
“What needed to be done?”
“Secure your daughter.”
“She was secure with her mother.”
“She was living in motels.”
“Because you stole the money I sent.”
Helena’s composure cracked.
“I preserved it.”
“For what?”
“For Sophie.”
Roman stared at her.
“She needed shoes.”
Helena looked away.
“She needed a stable future.”
“She needed dinner that night.”
Silence.
Roman continued.
“You created the instability you planned to use against Nora.”
“I knew Nora would eventually fail.”
“She didn’t.”
Helena’s mouth tightened.
“She came to your gala dressed like that.”
“And Sophie was still loved. Fed when Nora could feed her. Taken to doctors. Protected.”
Roman leaned forward.
“You had three years to prove Nora was a bad mother.”
His voice became quieter.
“All you proved was that you were willing to make a good mother suffer until she looked like one.”
For the first time, Helena had no answer.
Then Roman asked the question that mattered personally.
“Why didn’t you trust me to decide?”
Helena looked at him.
“Because you loved them.”
Roman froze.
She continued.
“You would have chosen emotion.”
He understood.
Helena believed love made him weak.
Everything else followed from that belief.
Roman stood.
“No.”
May you like
He looked at his mother one last time.
“Love is the only reason I’m finally making the right decision.”
