Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Past
Two weeks passed.
The Blackwell estate, once cold and austere, transformed into a place filled with warmth and life. Roman recovered at an astonishing speed, his powerful constitution aided by his desire to be up and walking alongside Evangeline.
Evangeline moved into the guest suite on the second floor. At first, she intended to leave as soon as Roman was fully healed, but Sophie refused to let her go. The little girl clung to Evangeline, blossoming under her gentle care, learning how to laugh again after years of living in a guarded fortress.
Every morning, Evangeline studied her medical textbooks in the sunroom, while Roman worked quietly at his grand mahogany desk nearby, reviewing corporate documents and security reports.
The shift between them was subtle, yet magnetic.
When Roman spoke to his lieutenants, his voice was cold steel, capable of commanding men to war. But the second he turned to Evangeline, his tone softened, his dark eyes lighting up with an undeniable warmth that made Evangeline’s heart beat wildly in her chest.
One rainy evening, Evangeline was sitting in the estate’s massive library, reading a chapter on trauma care by the light of the fireplace.
The heavy oak doors creaked open, and Roman walked in, wearing a dark gray sweater and trousers, his bandages finally removed. He carried two mugs of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.
"Sophie is sound asleep," Roman said, stepping over to the sofa and handing her a mug. "She made me promise that you would read her a story tomorrow morning before your online nursing lecture."
"I promised her I would," Evangeline smiled, taking the mug. "Thank you, Roman."
He sat beside her on the deep leather sofa. The proximity of his large, muscular frame sent a wave of heat through her body.
"You look peaceful tonight," Roman observed, his eyes trailing over her soft profile in the firelight.
"I am," she admitted quietly, staring into the flames. "For the first time in two years, I don't wake up sweating about rent or hospital collections. I can actually focus on becoming a nurse. It feels... surreal."
"It’s what you deserve," Roman said firmly.
He leaned back, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. "Evangeline... there is something I need to tell you. About the night I was attacked."
Evangeline turned to face him, her heart picking up speed. "What is it?"
"The knife that Moretti used," Roman said, his jaw tightening slightly. "It wasn't just a political hit within the syndicate. Moretti was working with an outside investor—a man named Victor Vance."
Evangeline’s mug froze halfway to her lips. The color drained from her face.
"Victor Vance?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "The CEO of Vance Pharmaceutical Group?"
"You know him?" Roman asked, his eyes narrowing sharply.
"He... he owned the medical research company that provided Grace’s experimental trial drugs," Evangeline choked out, memories of her worst nightmares flooding back. "When Grace was sick, Vance Group promised a compassionate care program for low-income families. But three weeks into her treatment, they tripled the cost of the trial drug. They knew we couldn't pay it. When I begged him in his office to let Grace finish the trial, he had security throw me out onto the street."
She looked at Roman, tears of ancient, unresolved grief spilling over her lashes. "He let my sister die to keep his corporate profit margin clean."
Roman stood up slowly.
The warmth in his eyes vanished entirely, replaced by an ancient, apocalyptic rage that made the temperature in the room seem to drop tenfold. The syndicate boss—the absolute apex predator of the underworld—had fully reawakened.
"Victor Vance," Roman repeated, the name sounding like a death sentence on his lips.
"Roman, no," Evangeline gasped, standing up and grabbing his arm. "He’s a powerful man! He has politicians and police chiefs in his pocket—"
"Evangeline," Roman interrupted softly, turning to look down at her. He reached up, cupping her face in his large, warm hands, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears. "You saved my life. You brought my child back from terror. And now, you tell me the man who murdered your sister is allied with the man who tried to kill me."
May you like
His stormy gray eyes locked onto hers with absolute, terrifying devotion.
"He thought he was safe behind his corporate title and police bribes," Roman growled softly. "He does not know that he has angered the man who owns the shadows he walks in. By tomorrow night, Victor Vance will pay for every tear you shed in that hospital corridor."
