Chapter 6
Helena finally agreed to speak.
Attorneys present.
No Sophie.
No Nora.
Roman sat across from his mother in a conference room at the charity club.
He had never seen her look smaller.
He did not let that soften the question.
“Why did you tell Nora I was dead?”
Helena folded her hands.
“To protect you.”
Roman almost stood.
Lauren touched his sleeve.
He remained seated.
“From what?”
“Nora.”
Roman stared at her.
Helena continued.
“She had financial documents.”
“She had invoice numbers in a notebook.”
“She threatened the family.”
“Nora says she didn’t.”
“Of course she says that now.”
“What exactly did she threaten?”
Helena looked toward her attorney.
He nodded reluctantly.
Helena said:
“Exposure.”
“To whom?”
“Authorities. Donors. Anyone who would listen.”
“Why would that threaten me?”
Because, Helena said, Marco showed her documents proving Roman had personally approved the questionable charity transfers.
Roman’s face became still.
“What documents?”
“Your signatures.”
“Forged.”
Helena shook her head.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Did you ask me?”
Silence.
“Mother.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Her answer came quietly.
“Because if you admitted it, I would have known you were vulnerable.”
Roman leaned back.
That sentence revealed more about his childhood than Helena probably intended.
In her world, asking Roman whether he had made a mistake would have forced him to acknowledge weakness.
Better to solve the threat around him.
Helena said Marco told her Nora wanted money and distance in exchange for silence.
Roman looked at Lauren.
“Money.”
Helena continued.
“I thought she would take Sophie and keep coming back.”
“So you told her I died.”
“I told her what would make her leave.”
Roman’s voice became dangerously calm.
“You told a woman carrying my child through poverty that her child’s father was dead.”
“Sophie was already born.”
“That correction does not help you.”
Helena’s eyes filled.
“I thought Marco was handling the support.”
“He was.”
Roman pointed toward the vault.
“He handled it into a locked room.”
Helena looked away.
There.
A distinction.
“You knew the money wasn’t delivered.”
She said nothing.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why preserve it?”
Helena swallowed.
“Because Marco said you might ask someday.”
Roman felt cold.
“What was I supposed to be told?”
“That Nora refused it.”
The archive.
The packets.
The returned gifts.
It had been built as proof.
Roman asked:
“And what did you tell me about Nora?”
Helena’s voice dropped.
“That she wanted out.”
“Did you create the no-contact letter?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
She looked toward the wall.
Roman did not need the answer.
“Marco.”
Helena began crying.
“I thought I was protecting you from a woman who knew too much.”
Roman stood.
Lauren did not stop him this time.
He did not touch Helena.
He simply looked down at her.
“You never protected me.”
Then he walked out.
May you like
One question remained.
What exactly had Marco needed protection from?
