‘Roman?’
A soft voice. He turned, startled.
‘Is everything okay?’
Violet. Standing at the kitchen counter with two plates. She’d retrieved some of the things from the fridge.
‘I have to...’ He’d forgotten everything in the adrenalin rush. The only way to cope was to concentrate on one thing. To compartmentalise.
‘Alex found Eloise,’ he said.
He had to go to Eloise. See her. But he’d been wrong. So wrong. Nausea swirled in his gut, burning up his chest. She’d been out there lost in the wilderness foryears. And what had he done? He’d stopped looking for her. He’d given up.
‘What?’ Violet put the plates down and pressed her hands on the counter.
‘Alex found her,’ he repeated flatly. ‘She’s alive. Apparently, it’s her.’
‘He’s sure?’
‘DNA-test sure.’ He clenched the phone, trying to stop the sickness spilling out.
Violet’s eyes widened. ‘How...?’
‘He had authorisation. I left it to him to deal with the occasional people who...’ He shook his head. ‘Turned out this one wasn’t a fraud. She’s real.’
‘Oh...’ Violet breathed. ‘Roman, that’s just amazing.’
He stared at her. She’d lit up as though it was the best thing. And it was. But at the same time a crevasse opened up inside him. Horror and guilt and fear spewed up. He was a volcano of regret. ‘I have to go.’
He had so many questions. Was Eloise okay? Had she been hurt? How had she survived all these years?
‘Of course you do.’ Violet nodded. ‘Right away.’
He phoned his pilot, immediately feeling both awful and unapologetic. It was Christmas freaking Day and the guy was in the midst of his own family celebrations. Roman would have flown himself but his hands were shaking and, besides, the helicopter was back in town with the pilot an hour away. He’d expected to be here a few more days with Violet. Violet, at whom he couldn’t look. He didn’t want her to witness him shaking like this. Not again. Not after...
‘It’s going to be okay.’
Her voice sounded behind him, calm and quiet. He couldn’t let himself look at her. Because she didn’t know that. No one could know that.
‘My pilot will be here in an hour,’ he said tersely.
‘Good. That’s good.’
It gave him time to...to...he didn’t know what. He couldn’t bear to think about all the ramifications. Who had Eloise been with all this time? How had she managed? She had to know she would never have to struggle again.
‘I need to get the paperwork sorted,’ he muttered.
‘The paperwork?’
‘For the trust. Her trust.’ He finally glanced back at Violet.
She looked worried and he couldn’t cope with the concern in her huge eyes.
‘Her inheritance,’ he explained shortly. ‘Her rights regarding the company. She needs to understand it’s all here for her.’ He’d focus on that. He’d not allowed the lawyers to break it up. It didn’t matter if the world had declared her dead, he’d kept her share safe. He’d never wanted to touch it. Instead, he’d grown it. Now he needed to get it to her and make sure she understood she’d get her full inheritance—the properties, the shares. Hell, she could have more if she needed it. He’d give her everything. ‘She needs to know all that’s in place.’
But it wasn’t worth anything, really. How could it ever heal the years in which she’d been isolated and alone? He’d not protected her. He’d not found her. He’d effectively abandoned her.
‘Maybe she just needs to see you,’ Violet said. ‘Knowyou’rehere for her.’