Page 116 of Secret Heir

I stand at the foot of the bed, watching them, and my heart is cracking open. This is my family. This is everything that matters.

And Alexander tried to destroy it.

Maksim looks at me over Daniel’s head, and his eyes are soft despite the pain.

“Are you okay, moya? The baby?”

“We’re fine. We’re all fine.” I move closer and take his free hand. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t told you about Alexander⁠—”

“Stop.” His grip tightens on my hand and he fixes me with a piercing look. “This is Alexander’s fault, not yours. You were trying to protect our family and I was trying to protect you. We’re all alive. That’s what matters.”

“Len isn’t alive.” My voice breaks and I turn my head to swallow back tears. “He’s dead because⁠—”

“Because Alexander planted a bomb. Because Alexander is a traitor and a murderer.” Maksim’s voice is fierce despite the pain medication making his words slightly slurred. “Not because of you. Never because of you.”

Daniel has fallen asleep against Maksim’s chest, exhausted from crying. Maksim holds him carefully, mindful of his broken ribs.

“I should move him,” I say. “You need to rest.”

“No. Let him stay.” Maksim’s eyes are already drifting closed. “Need to…need to feel him. Know he’s safe.”

I watch my son and the man I love fall asleep and I’ve never felt more protective or more terrified.

Because Alexander is still out there.

And he’s not going to stop until we’re all dead.

An hour later, I’m sitting in the chair beside Maksim’s bed when the door opens.

Nikolai enters. But his expression is different than before. It’s not filled with rage but carefully controlled. I stiffen. Something has changed.

“We need to talk,” he says shortly.

I glance at Maksim and Daniel, both still sleeping. “Not here.”

We step into the hallway. I close the door quietly behind me and turn to face Nikolai.

His jaw is tight, his hands clenched at his sides. When he speaks, his voice is light but I can hear the fury underneath.

“We found the maintenance worker who planted the bomb. He was hired through encrypted messages and paid through offshore accounts.”

I hold my breath, waiting.

“The accounts trace to Cyprus and Marseille. The same accounts Maksim showed me. The ones I dismissed.” His eyes meet mine, and there’s something like regret there. “The accounts are controlled by Alexander.”

The vindication feels hollow. A man is dead and Maksim nearly died, but at least Nikolai believes us now. Yay us.

“We went to bring Alexander in for questioning.” Nikolai continues, anger radiating off him. “He’s gone. Apartment empty, phone disconnected. He disappeared within an hour of the explosion.”

“Because he knew you’d trace the payment,” I say quietly.

Nikolai nods. “The maintenance worker said he was told to target the primary vehicle specifically and make sure the bomb killed everyone inside.” His expression darkens. “Only someone close to the family would know Maksim’s routines that well.”

He looks at me for the first time since dismissing my accusations weeks ago.

“Tell me again. Everything you witnessed eight years ago. Every detail. And don’t you dare leave anything out.”

So I do. I recount it all—the warehouse, the execution, overhearing the conversation about moving against Nikolai, the Corsican connection, the Cyprus accounts. This time, Nikolai listens without interrupting and dismissing me. This time, he doesn’t call me a liar.