Chapter 309
Chapter 177: Whatever Happens Next
Savannah
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I sat still across his lap, straddling him on the black leather chair, his arms locked around my waist as though I might
disappear if he let go. We hadn’t even recovered from the mess Cole dropped earlier, and Roman was already losing his
patience.
“Who is it, Cole?” he barked into the speakerphone, voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Fucking spit it out already p>
His chest rose hard against mine. I laid a hand over his heart, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him. “Breathe,” I
whispered.
He took a breath, but his jaw remained tense.
Cole’s voice crackled through the line. “It’s a woman, sir. A woman we’ve identified as Lydia Skye. Apparently, Rubio has
been living with her in Italy since he arrived p>
Roman’s brows drew together. “Lydia Skye p>
The name tasted unfamiliar. I rolled it over in my mind, searching for a memory, a face–nothing.
“Does the name ring a bell, my love?” he asked, tone soft but heavy with expectation.
I shook my head. “Never heard it p>
Roman’s attention snapped back to the phone. “Cole, why wasn’t this woman in the first report? You said Rubio was living alone. ”
“My apologies, Mr. Blackwood,” Cole replied. “It appears Mr. Rubio had actually been occupying her residence in her
absence. ”
“In her absence? ” Roman pressed. “As in– she’d been away? ”
“Yes, sir. Miss Skye was only seen for the first time yesterday. Until then, we assumed the property belonged to Rubio p>
I frowned, shifting slightly on Roman’s lap. “That’s suspicious as hell. Why would he be living in some random woman’s house? Is he trying to get arrested for trespassing or what? ”
Cole hesitated. “That’s where this next part comes in p>
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Chapter 309
Roman’s grip tightened slightly at my waist. “Which is p>
“Lydia Skye didn’t always go by that name,” Cole said carefully.
I leaned closer toward the phone, heartbeat quickening. “Then who the hell is she p>
“She used to go by Paula Rubio. That’s her birth name p>
The world stilled.
Roman blinked once. “Rubio p>
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Cole’s voice carried a grim weight. “Yes, sir. Lydia Skye is actually Paula Rubio. She dyed her hair brown, changed her
name, and relocated to Italy under a new identity p>
My head spun. I pressed a palm to Roman’s chest to steady myself. “Wait–Paula Rubio? As in Zane’s… what? Sister? Wife?
Cousin? Aunt? What the hell are they to each other p>
Cole cleared his throat. “From our findings, they’re estranged siblings p>
Roman’s jaw flexed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me p>
My pulse thundered in my ears. “Zane has a sister p>
Cole confirmed it, and the sound of it–sister–sent a sharp chill crawling down my spine.
I stared at the dark edge of Roman’s desk, my mind rifling through all the old memories. Chloe never mentioned a sister.
Never mentioned family. She told me how Zane used to wear leather jackets even in summer, how he could charm and ruin her entire day in the same breath, but not once did she say a damn thing about his family.
I used to believe he’d just fallen out of the sky.
I whispered, half to myself, “She never said anything about that. Chloe never said he had a sister. He lived alone in L.A. Maybe she did too–maybe they even used to live together p>
Cole’s voice came low and certain. “That’s the thing, ma’am. Paula Rubio has no clean record. I believe that’s why she killed her old name and rebuilt herself p>
Roman’s hand moved up my back in slow, steady strokes, grounding me. “Something’s off, ” he murmured.
I dropped my forehead to his shoulder, inhaling the familiar warmth of him. “Something’s definitely wrong here, Roman p>
“Keep going, Cole,” he said, voice rougher now.
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Cole’s tone darkened. “After the death of Zane Rubio’s father, Paula–now Lydia–disappeared. She left L.A., changed her
identity, and started over. Prior to that, she’d been in and out of juvie for several crimes–burglary, arson, extortion, petty
theft, substance abuse. The record’s long. This girl is bad news p>
Bile rose in my throat. “Jesus, ” I muttered.
“My goodness,” Roman hissed. “And this is the same woman Rubio was hiding with p>
“Yes, sir. But from what we’ve gathered, the siblings recently had a falling out. Mr. Rubio was staying at her residence
without permission. When she returned, they argued loudly. It was intense. He was thrown out that same night p>
Roman’s attention sharpened like a blade. “What was the fight about p>
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.