Roger powered down his desktop and gathered his belongings, ready to leave for the day. Slinging his office bag over his shoulder, he stepped into the elevator, watching the doors slide shut.
By the ti he reached the parking lot, the familiar scent of asphalt mixed with the faint chill of the evening air. As he walked towards his car, a voice called out to him.
It was Sylvia.
He turned, his expression hardening as his gaze t hers. His jaw clenched before he spoke, irritation lacing his tone. "What do you want from ? I told you to stay away."
Sylvia’s eyes burned with frustration and betrayal. "Why didn’t Lucius tell about Tsar and Vladimir Romanov?" she demanded in a trembling voice. "They were the ones who killed my brother, weren’t they?"
Roger remained silent, his brows drawing together, but Sylvia pressed on as her fury mounted.
"You’re all the sa," she continued bitterly. "Matteo never told anything. He made believe he was safe, while he was out there keeping secrets from . And now you, Lucius, and everyone. You all wonder why I beca like this. It’s because all of you made a fool of !" Her voice cracked, her hands trembling at her sides. "Even if I’m dying, don’t bother. Pass that ssage to Lucius and the rest!"
She spun on her heel, storming toward her car, but Roger wasn’t finished.
"Sylvia, we’ve all tried to understand you!" he called after her, his voice louder this ti.
Before she could climb into the driver’s seat, he strode forward and forcefully pushed the door shut, blocking her escape.
Sylvia turned sharply, her tear-filled eyes eting his. "You’re all liars," she spat. "Do you know why I hate you the most, Roger? Because you claid to care about . You made believe it, only to turn around and lie to . And why? Because Matteo told you to? Because Lucius asked you to?" She let out a shaky breath, her voice laced with pain. "Did any of you ever stop to think about what I felt? What I deserved to know?"
Her lips curled in a bitter smile as she whispered, "Lucius betrayed first, and I will never forgive him for that. But you... you’re just the sa."
"Lucius never betrayed you. Don’t you understand what it ans to love soone?" His voice was sharp, edged with the hurt he had kept buried for too long.
"I loved you with everything I had, Sylvia. But you—you were the one who reminded of my place. You told not to dream too high, that I was nothing more than a servant to your brother." His chest rose and fell heavily as he took a step closer. "If anyone ever tried to understand you, it was ."
Sylvia let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "Is that what you tell yourself?" she asked bitterly. "Because the day before you confessed your so-called love for , I heard you telling my brother that you would never reveal anything to about the work you all do." Her eyes burned with accusation. "You made the choice to shut out, Roger. Just like the rest of them."
Roger let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don’t understand how was that even wrong?" His voice carried frustration, unable to grasp why Sylvia always held onto that one statent, using it to humiliate him ti and again.
Sylvia’s expression hardened. "Because I lost my family too, Roger." Her voice wavered this ti. "I beca an orphan, and my brother, he threw himself into chasing the ones who took them from us. And yet, even that was hidden from ." Her eyes burned with mories long buried, wounds that had never fully healed. "As I grew up, I heard every kind of rumor about Matteo—whispers, speculations, all from people who knew more about his life than I did."
She exhaled sharply, her gaze piercing through him. "He would send you to pick up, and you would lie for him, covering his tracks every single ti. And you stand here saying you understood ?" She let out a short, humorless laugh, filled with nothing but resentnt. "You never did, Roger. Not even once."
Roger’s gaze softened to hear that.
"And what bothers the most is that there was a ti I almost gave myself to you."
A tear slipped down her cheek, but she was quick to wipe it away, refusing to show weakness. Without another word, she grabbed the car handle and, she commanded, "Move."
Roger stepped back, letting Sylvia go. He no longer cared what she felt, at least, that’s what he told himself. He watched as her car disappeared. With a tired sigh, he turned and walked to his own vehicle.
Slipping inside, he leaned back against the headrest, closing his eyes for a mont. The tension in his head was relentless, a dull ache pressing against his temples. He lifted a hand and rubbed at them, exhaling slowly.
"I think Varya told her about the Romanovs," he muttered to himself. "I forgot to tell her not to bring them up in front of Sylvia."
A sharp knock against the window snapped him out of his thoughts. He lowered his hand and turned his head. Aiden stood outside as he motioned for Roger to unlock the door.
Without hesitation, Roger reached for the controls, unlocking the passenger side. Aiden wasted no ti slipping into the seat beside him.
Aiden settled into the seat, placing his office bag in the back before turning to Roger with a curious look. "What was that?" he asked. "You two were in love?"
Roger let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Don’t even ask . Loving her was a mistake," he declared.
Aiden sighed, leaning back. "She went through a lot, both as a child and as an adult. That’s why she turned out this way."
Roger scoffed. "Everyone suffered, Aiden. She’s not the only one. The difference is, she never learned how to cope with it." His voice was laced with exhaustion. "And honestly, I don’t even want to think about the past anymore. It just gives a headache."
Without waiting for a response, he started the engine as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward Aiden’s house first.
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