Page 58 of Secret Heir

Each word is a nail in my coffin and my stomach roils.

“This is your life now, Aria. Until you decide to trust me with the truth.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “What were you planning to do? Scale the wall and then what? Walk to the nearest town? Hitchhike? You don’t have money or a car. You don’t have anything.”

“I would have figured it out,” I say weakly.

“And Daniel? Were you planning to come back for him? Or were you going to call the police, and tell them some story about being held prisoner?” He shakes his head. “They would have called me. I would have shown them our son, told them you’re unstable and you kidnapped him eight years ago and I finally got him back. Who do you think they would have believed?”

The scenario is so plausible it makes my stomach turn.

“So what now?” I ask again, my whole body starting to tremble from fear and self-loathing. “You keep me locked in here forever?”

“Until you give me a reason not to.” He stands. “Eat your breakfast and get some sleep. We’ll talk more later.”

He’s leaving me alone again. If only he could understand. “Maksim⁠—”

“I’m done, Aria.” He strides toward the door. “I’m done playing games. I’m done with your secrets and your lies and your constant attempts to run. Either you trust me with the truth, or this is your life. Those are your options.”

He leaves, and I hear the lock engage.

I sink onto the bed and stare at the ceiling.

He’s right. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep running and hiding and letting fear control every decision.

But I also can’t tell him the truth. Because the truth is that Alexander Morozov—the man who saved Nikolai’s life and has access to this house and to Daniel—is a traitor and a murderer. And I don’t know if Maksim was part of it too.

I’m trapped. Completely, utterly trapped.

And Alexander Morozov is still out there, with full access to this house, to Maksim, to my son.

The next morning, I discover the full extent of my new prison. The balcony doors have sensors—blinking red lights that promise alarms if I try to open them. The connecting door to Daniel’s room is still unlocked, but the main door to the hallway only opens when another guard unlocks it from the outside.

When I’m allowed out I see guards everywhere. They follow me to the library and stand outside when I visit the yard with Daniel. They watch from a distance when we play in the sitting room.

I’m being monitored every second of every day.

And through it all, Alexander keeps visiting. Keeps appearing in hallways, in doorways, his cold blue eyes tracking me like I’m prey.

Waiting for me to make a mistake.

Waiting to see what I’ll do next.

I don’t know how long I can keep this secret. I don’t know how long before Alexander decides I’m too much of a risk. I don’t know how to protect Daniel when I can barely protect myself.

All I know is that I’m running out of time.

And I have no idea what to do next.

8

MAKSIM

Nikolai arrives on a Tuesday afternoon, his black Mercedes pulling up to the front entrance precisely at three. My brother is nothing if not punctual.

I meet him at the door, and we embrace in the same way I embraced Alexander—a brief, firm hand clasp and shoulder bump.

“Maksim.” His voice is cool and controlled. Everything about Nikolai is controlled. “It’s been too long.”

“Only two weeks.” I step back to let him in. “Hardly an eternity.”