THE BILLIONAIRE'S STAND-IN BRIDE
I said, “learning that the people closest to us don’t always show us the whole truth, even when they love us. My mother did the same thing, in her own way. She hid an entire life from me to keep me safe. That doesn’t make what Helena did the same as what my mother did. But I understand now how much a person can carry silently, for reasons that feel justified to them even when they aren’t justified to anyone else.”
Romanov’s grip on my hand tightened slightly. “The betrayal belongs to her,” he said slowly, like he was testing the shape of the sentence for the first time. “Not to me. Not because I failed to see it.”
“Exactly,” I said. “You didn’t build the trust she broke. She’s the one who ch