Chapter 5 - WHAT VADIM BELIEVED
They flew to Chicago the following afternoon.
Elara barely slept.
Vadim did not try to make conversation.
He worked across the aisle.
Read.
Made two quiet calls in Russian.
Ate the terrible airplane soup without complaint.
At some point, Elara realized he had arranged things so no one else sat in their section.
Not because he wanted privacy for himself.
Because she did.
“You do that a lot.”
Vadim looked up.
“What?”
“Fix things without announcing them.”
“I thought announcing kindness usually ruins it.”
That answer stayed with her.
She looked through the window.
Clouds.
Miles of white.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“When my father told you about all those men…”
Vadim’s expression remained neutral.
“What did you think of me?”
“That I did not know you.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is the truth.”
“You never wondered what kind of woman I was?”
“Of course.”
“And?”
Vadim closed the folder in his hands.
“I wondered why a woman who supposedly lived so recklessly agreed to an arranged marriage without negotiating anything for herself.”
Elara blinked.
“You noticed that?”
“It made no sense.”
“So why did you proceed?”
“Because your father said you wanted distance from Chicago.”
“He lied.”
“Yes.”
“He said I liked expensive things.”
“I have not seen you ask for anything.”
“He said I had caused trouble with married men.”
Vadim’s jaw tightened.
“That part I did not believe.”
“Why?”
“Taras told it too eagerly.”
Elara went quiet.
Vadim leaned back.
“I should have investigated further.”
“You’re admitting that?”
“Yes.”
“Men like you don’t usually admit mistakes.”
“What are men like me?”
She looked at him.
“Feared.”
“That is not a personality.”
“It becomes one if you let it.”
Something almost amused appeared in his eyes.
“My wife has known me four days and is already correcting me.”
“Your temporary wife.”
The amusement disappeared.
Not anger.
Something closer to disappointment.
He nodded.
“Fair.”
Elara looked away.
She had not meant it cruelly.
That bothered her.
After several minutes, Vadim spoke again.
“If you want the marriage ended, I will end it.”
She swallowed.
“And if I don’t know what I want?”
“Then nobody moves you until you do.”
Her throat tightened.
“Why are you being kind to me?”
He looked almost offended.
“You say that as though basic decency deserves investigation.”
“In my family, it usually does.”
Vadim stared at her for a long moment.
Then returned to his papers.
But his voice softened.
“Perhaps that is something else your father taught you incorrectly.”
The Fagan mansion looked exactly the same.
Twenty-three rooms.
Gray stone.
Iron gate.
The place where Elara had learned how to disappear.
Mrs. Ruiz opened the door.
She was sixty-three now.
Round face.
Silver braid.
The moment she saw Elara, she began crying.
“You found the coat.”
Elara stopped.
“You packed it.”
Mrs. Ruiz looked at Vadim cautiously.
“He knows.”
Elara answered.
“Some of it.”
Mrs. Ruiz pulled her inside and kissed her forehead.
“I should have done it years ago.”
“Why now?”
“Because your father told me you were going to Russia with one suitcase.”
Her mouth tightened.
“As if you were being removed from the house.”
Elara glanced at Vadim.
He said nothing.
Good.
“Why the coat?”
“Your mother told me never to throw it away.”
“You knew things were hidden inside?”
“No.”
Mrs. Ruiz shook her head.
“But I knew she wore it whenever she did something your father didn’t approve of.”
Despite everything, Elara smiled.
“That sounds like Mom.”
Her sisters arrived twenty minutes later.
Catherine in camel cashmere.
Juliet in navy silk.
Both kissed Elara.
Both inspected Vadim without making it obvious.
Then Catherine said, “Dad is furious.”
Elara removed her gloves.
“That feels healthy.”
Juliet nearly laughed.
Catherine looked at the old coat.
“Oh my God.”
“You remember it?”
“Of course.”
Juliet touched the sleeve.
“Dad locked all Mom’s clothes away.”
“Why?”
Neither sister answered.
Mrs. Ruiz did.
“Because your mother’s cedar box was still inside the dressing room.”
Elara turned.
“What cedar box?”
Catherine frowned.
“You don’t remember?”
“No.”
Juliet looked uncomfortable.
“Dad said Mom wanted him to keep it.”
Mrs. Ruiz made a sound.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“She wanted Elara to have it.”
The room changed.
“Where is it?”
Mrs. Ruiz pointed upstairs.
“Your father’s study.”
Elara walked there herself.
Vadim followed two steps behind.
She did not tell him to stop.
Taras was not in the room.
The cedar box sat on the highest bookshelf.
Visible.
Not hidden.
That somehow made it worse.
Elara pulled over a chair.
Vadim reached for the box.
She gave him a look.
He withdrew his hand.
“Witness.”
“Learning quickly.”
She climbed up and took it down.
Inside lay photographs.
A wedding veil.
A silver hairbrush.
And a slim bracelet.
Evelyn’s.
Three small charms hung from it.
A church.
A book.
A snowflake.
One loop was empty.
Elara opened the stack of photographs.
Most showed her mother young.
Laughing.
Pregnant.
Holding babies.
Then she found one from New York.
Elara at nine.
Evelyn kneeling beside her.
Galina behind them in the red scarf.
On Galina’s wrist was the silver bracelet.
With the key charm attached.
Elara turned at the sound of footsteps.
Taras Fagan stood in the doorway.
He looked older than he had six days ago.
Not weaker.
Just more human.
His eyes went directly to the bracelet.
Then to the silver key in Elara’s hand.
For the first time in her life, she saw her father look afraid of her.
“Where did you get that?”
“Mother’s coat.”
Taras closed his eyes.
“Mrs. Ruiz.”
“No.”
Elara stood.
“Me.”
She held up the key.
“You’re going to stop blaming women who aren’t here.”
Taras looked at Vadim.
“Get out.”
Elara stepped between them.
“No.”
Taras stared at her.
“This is my house.”
“And she was my mother.”
His face tightened.
Elara placed the key beside the bracelet.
“Tell me what it means.”
Taras did not answer.
“Tell me why Mom gave Galina Sokolova a key.”
Silence.
“Tell me why you chose me.”
His eyes changed.
That was the question.
Not the necklace.
Not the train tickets.
Not the debt.
That.
Elara took one step closer.
“Why me?”
Taras looked at the old photograph.
Then whispered something she never expected.
“Because your mother told me that if I ever lost everything…”
His voice broke.
May you like
“…you were the one I was supposed to send to Galina.”
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