Secret Passion by Shannon Meg

Author:Shannon, Meg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Liliana

I looked all over the house, finally finding David in the living room. He sat slouched on an armchair, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. The amber liquid shimmered as if it held secrets only he could decipher. I hesitated before disturbing him. If he was drinking this early in the afternoon, he was not having a good day.

“David?” My voice wavered as I approached him. “Are you all right?”

“Three days, Liliana,” he growled, swirling his drink. “Three days stuck in this Romano fortress, and I’m ready to die of boredom.”

I frowned at the bottle of whiskey on the side table. It was half-empty, and I could feel the weight of my concern grow heavier with each second. “It’s three in the afternoon. You shouldn’t be drinking like this.”

“Ah, there it is - the ever-protective little sister.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but I knew him well enough to detect a hint of affection beneath the bitterness. “I don’t need your concern. I just need to get out of here.”

“Where would you go?” I asked, knowing he wouldn’t be safe anywhere else.

“Find a new apartment, maybe. Or back to Papa’s house. At least there I can come and go as I please.” He downed the remaining whiskey in one swift motion, his throat working to swallow the burn.

“David...” I paused, unsure how to continue. “You may not want to return to Papa after you hear what I have to say.”

He set down the empty glass with a sharp clink, blue eyes narrowing as they met mine. “What are you talking about?”

“Father was with Mother shortly before her death,” I said slowly, feeling the familiar sting of tears behind my eyes. “He... he might have been involved.”

“Involved?” David scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s impossible. You know how much he loved her.”

“Did he, though?” I countered, my voice rising in spite of my attempts to keep it steady. “Or was it all just a facade?”

“Enough, Liliana,” David warned, his eyes darkening with anger. “Don’t you dare tarnish our father’s good name with this baseless accusation.”

“Baseless?” I clenched my fists, feeling the truth burning within me like a firestorm. “I have evidence, David. Irrefutable evidence. And I know, deep down, you can feel it too. The cracks in Father’s story, the inconsistencies that never added up. The way he never told us the whole story.”

He stared at me, silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he leaned forward and held out his hand. “Show me.”

“Fine,” I said, producing the stack of photographs and documents I had discovered in my search for answers. “Here.”

David took them from me, his eyes scanning each piece of evidence as if trying to find some flaw in my argument. But with each passing second, his disbelief gradually faded, replaced by a simmering anger that I could see bubbling beneath the surface.

“Damn it,” he said under his breath, slamming the last photograph onto the coffee table. “How... How could he?”

“I don’t know,” I said, feeling a mix of relief and dread at seeing David’s reaction.

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