Chapter 8: The Memory They Buried
Roman could not move.
The entire room disappeared.
There was only Sophie’s voice.
*You were there too, Daddy.*
The words made no sense.
He remembered the accident.
He remembered the explosion.
He remembered waking up in a hospital.
But he did not remember being at the estate that night.
Marcus noticed Roman’s confusion.
“Sir?””
Roman touched his forehead.
“I don’t remember.””
Adrian stepped back.
For the first time, confidence disappeared from his face.
“That child doesn’t know what she’s saying.””
Roman turned sharply.
“Don’t talk about her like that.””
Adrian raised his hands.
“I’m simply saying she’s young.””
But Sophie continued.
“He was angry.””
Roman looked at her.
“Who?””
She pointed.
“Adrian.””
The room went silent.
Adrian’s face changed.
Only for a second.
But everyone saw it.
Roman took Sophie upstairs.
He sat beside her bed.
“Sweetheart.””
She held her stuffed rabbit.
“Yes?””
“Tell me everything you remember.””
She looked scared.
“I don’t want to make you sad.””
“You won’t.””
She looked down.
“I remember rain.””
Roman waited.
“And Mommy was crying.””
His breathing slowed.
“Then?””
“Daddy was yelling.””
Roman froze.
“Me?””
Sophie nodded.
“You said you trusted the wrong people.””
A painful memory flashed.
A voice.
A hallway.
A door.
But nothing clear.
“What happened next?””
Sophie squeezed the rabbit.
“Adrian told me to hide.””
Roman looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because grown-ups were fighting.””
She whispered:
“Then I heard something break.””
Roman closed his eyes.
A headache suddenly hit him.
A memory.
A fragment.
A room.
His father’s office.
Adrian standing there.
Helena crying.
And Roman saying:
“You betrayed me.””
Downstairs, Isabella searched through the old records.
She found something.
A hospital report.
Roman’s accident had caused memory loss.
The doctors had documented it.
But someone had removed the information from his medical file.
She brought it to Roman.
“You lost part of your memory.””
Roman read the report.
“How much?””
“The doctors didn’t know.””
Marcus looked at the document.
“Someone altered your records.””
Roman stared.
“So someone knew I might remember.””
Isabella nodded.
“And they were prepared.””
That evening, Roman confronted Adrian alone.
No guards.
No witnesses.
Just the two of them.
“You knew I had memory loss.””
Adrian smiled faintly.
“So?””
Roman stepped closer.
“You used it.””
Adrian looked out the window.
“You were weak.””
Roman’s eyes narrowed.
“Say that again.””
“You came back damaged.””
The words were cold.
“And I made sure the world moved on.””
Roman stared.
“Why?””
Adrian turned.
“Because your family was never supposed to belong to you.””
Silence.
Roman finally understood.
This was not about money.
Not completely.
It was about control.
Adrian continued.
“Your father chose you.””
Roman said nothing.
“He built everything around you.””
A bitter smile appeared.
“I spent my entire life watching you inherit what I deserved.””
“You destroyed my life because you were jealous?””
Adrian laughed.
“You still think this is about jealousy.””
Roman stepped closer.
“Then what is it about?””
Adrian leaned forward.
“It’s about your father’s final secret.””
Roman froze.
“What secret?””
Adrian smiled.
“The one Helena killed to protect.””
Before Roman could respond, the lights in the mansion suddenly went out.
A scream echoed from upstairs.
Sophie.
Roman ran.
When he reached her room, the door was open.
The bed was empty.
On the pillow was a note.
Roman picked it up.
Only one sentence was written.
*Come alone if you want your daughter back.*
And beneath it was a signature.
May you like
The same handwriting as the letter from his father.
*Your loving wife.*
