Chapter 138

Layla

My eyes widened at her sudden inquiry.

At first, I didn’t answer and soon the panic set in. I didn’t know what was worse, the fact that I couldn’t answer that question right away or the way it made me look guilty for taking so long to answer it.

“...N-No...” Oh God. Why wasn’t I able to answer that question with more confidence?

Eva reached out to rest her hand on my arm. “It’s alright, Layla. You don’t need to fully commit to any answer. Stasia has a tendency to place people on the spot,” she said tightly.

Stasia stuck out her middle finger at her sister which ended up easing the mood in the room significantly. The three of us broke out into a fit of excessive giggling.

As soon as I caught my breath, I decided it was time to finally voice my thoughts on the whole matter.

“It’s complicated,” I started. “If I had to describe our relationship in one word it would be that. He and I had first fallen in love, practically, the first time we saw each other. Yes, he’s hurt me in more ways than anyone ever has. When he showed up back in my life, it was as if those feelings I’d long buried had resurfaced and the two of us were given another chance.”

Neither of them said anything after I paused. My heart rate was gradually picking up as though I was a teenager about to read a page out of my secret diary.

“But I learned very quickly that being with Aldo comes with a price. And it’s that you are never, one-hundred percent safe at all times. You will always have a target on your back and you won’t be able to trust anyone,” I confessed.

Stasia let out a slow breath. “It’s a hard life to live.”

“Not everyone is cut out for it,” Eva said. “Did Aldo give you a choice? Did he give you a chance to back out or did he refuse to let you and Eli go?”

I nodded. “There were numerous times in which he gave me the choice to walk away. But I couldn’t. As Eli’s father, I wanted him to be involved in his life and I still felt that intense pull to him. Ultimately, I’m the one who decided to stay.”

“But by staying you’ve placed yourself in a very difficult situation. You are a doctor at heart, yet you’ve had to likely take a person’s life—even if it was in self-defense.”

Stasia leaned her head to the side. “Living in our world has forced you to have to become someone else. Someone stronger. Colder.”

“Darker,” Eva added. “It’s not your fault.”

I fought back the tears that wanted to fall from my eyes. All I could envision was the petrified look on Eli’s face and the bottomless void of rage that threatened to consume me.

“I...I couldn’t control it,” I whispered.

“Of course, you couldn’t. That sort of malice doesn’t come naturally to you. You were brought up in a normal, loving home with parents who cared for you.”

“And I take it that you two didn’t?” I asked lightly.

Stasia and Eva shared a knowing look with themselves.

“You’d be correct.”

“Our parents cared more about control and maninting the Morozov family line than actually raising their children,” Stasia explained. “There wasn’t room for weakness. You had to do what you were told or face the consequences.”

Consequence? What kind of parents would hold that sort of mentality over their own child?

“Eva, before you said that you and I have a lot in common...What exactly did you mean by that?” I asked, daringly.

The corner of her mouth pulled into a small smile. “When I was younger, I had fallen in love with an outsider. He was a good, honest person. He had the ability to make me smile even during the hardest of times.”

“Did he know about who you really were?”

She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth for fear that he would turn me away. I was careless about many things and often fantasized about what my life would be like if I had just walked away from my family and the Morozov name.” Her gaze drifted off. “I fell pregnant with his child.”

My heart skipped several beats. “What happened?”

“I had broken things off with him. It was hard, knowing I was tearing out my own heart. But I knew that I couldn’t risk his safety.”

“But why not walk away from the Morozov family?” I prompted.

“Too many enemies. I knew I’d be forever looking over my shoulder, anticipating some kind of an attack.”

My nerves grew strained. “And the baby?”

“Word had gotten back to our Stepfather, Gavriil. He was not pleased by the fact that I was pregnant with some unknown man’s child. So, he did what he thought was ‘best for the family’,” Eva said grimly.

“Gavriil slipped a deadly sedative into Eva’s tea one night which led to a horrible miscarriage,” Stasia stated.

My mouth fell open. “Oh my God,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

I couldn’t imagine losing Eli. Even all those years back when I’d collapsed and the Doctor told me that I was putting myself risk if I were to continue my pregnancy. I refused to let him go even if it meant raising him without his father.

I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my last attachment to Aldo, the same way Eva couldn’t bear to lose the last link to the man she loved.

What Gavriil did was beyond evil. It was monstrous and vile.

“I was broken and slipped into a very dark place. The only feeling I could process was rage. I wanted my revenge the way any man needs to breathe air. And I was determined to get it.”

“Where’s Gavriil now?”

“Dead,” Stasia answered. “Where he can no longer hurt another living being again.”

I wasn’t going to mention how pleased Stasia looked when she’d said that. If I’d learned anything in the short time of getting to know the two of them, it wasn’t safe to assume.

“Layla, what you experienced was a short-lived bout of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Think of it as an alter ego you unknowingly created. Those who suffer worse from it, tend to have triggers that can enact it. In your case, I’m going to take an educated guess that it was due to frequent high levels of stress.”

“How do I control it?” I questioned. “My life has become nothing but high levels of stress just from the constant threats. What should I do?”

“It’s going to take time. Above all else. Time is what you need. Stasia and I are going to have a word with Aldo for a little while. In the meantime, I want you to consider what is the most important facet of your life and from there you’ll need to consider your options,” Eva informed me.

I nodded my head even though I had no idea how to go about compiling such a list. Both Eva and Stasia slipped from the room, leaving me with my thoughts.