Chapter 128 The past returns

Chapter 128 The past returns
Gryan's Pov 

I was going through some paperwork when Evelyn walked into my office and slammed the door behind her. I looked up and saw the expression on her face and I knew something was very wrong.

"We need to talk," she said.

"Okay," I said and put down my pen. "What's going on?"

"Isabella Moretti," Evelyn said. "Ring a bell?"

My blood went cold because I hadn't heard that name in five years and the fact that Evelyn was saying it now meant something bad had happened.

"Where did you hear that name?" I asked.

"She came to see me today," Evelyn said. "At a café downtown and she told me some very interesting things about you and your past in Italy."

I stood up because this was worse than I thought.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"That you two were together," Evelyn said. "That you had a relationship for almost two years and then you left without any explanation and she also mentioned something about you killing her brother."

"Evelyn," I started but she held up her hand.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Were you with her?"

I wanted to lie, but I knew that would only make things worse, so I nodded.

"Yes," I said. "We were together but it was a long time ago."

"And you never thought to mention this to me?" Evelyn asked. "Your wife?"

"It didn't seem relevant," I said.

"Didn't seem relevant?" Evelyn repeated and her voice got louder. "You had a serious relationship with the daughter of a rival mafia family and you didn't think that was worth mentioning?"

"It was before I joined the Junkies," I said. "Before I even knew what this world was really like and I was just working private security and trying to make a living."

"And Marco Bellini?" Evelyn asked. "Did you kill him?"

I closed my eyes because this was the part I never wanted to talk about.

"Yes," I said quietly. "I killed him."

"Why?" Evelyn asked.

"Because he was going to kill me," I said. "It was self-defense, and he worked for a rival security company, and things got ugly between us, and it was either him or me."

"And you didn't know he was Isabella's brother?" Evelyn asked.

"Not until after," I said. "I met her a few months later, and by the time I found out the truth, I was already in love with her, and I didn't know what to do."

"So you ran," Evelyn said.

"No," I said. "I was recruited by the Junkies, and they needed me to leave Italy immediately, and I couldn't tell Isabella anything because of security protocols, and I had to disappear."

"Security protocols," Evelyn repeated. "That's your excuse for ghosting someone you claimed to love?"

"It wasn't an excuse," I said. "It was the truth, and I had no choice, and if I told her anything, it would have put both of us in danger."

"But you could have contacted her after," Evelyn said.

"I thought about it," I said. "But by then, too much time had passed, and I figured she'd moved on, and I was trying to build a new life here."

"A new life built on secrets," Evelyn said. "What else haven't you told me about your past Gyran?"

"Nothing," I said. "I've told you everything important."

"Everything important?" Evelyn asked. "You just admitted you killed someone and had a whole relationship you never mentioned and you expect me to believe there's nothing else?"

"Evelyn, please," I said, and I walked toward her. "I know I should have told you about Isabella, but it was in the past, and I didn't think she'd ever come back into my life."

"But she did come back," Evelyn said. "And now she's working with the FBI and she knows things about you that could destroy us."

"I know," I said.

"Do you?" Evelyn asked. "Because from where I'm standing it looks like you've been lying to me our entire marriage."

"I never lied to you," I said.

"Lying by omission is still lying," Evelyn said. "And you kept a huge part of your past from me and how am I supposed to trust you now?"

"Because I love you," I said. "And everything I did was to protect you."

"Protect me?" Evelyn asked and her voice broke. "You don't protect someone by keeping secrets from them and you protect them by being honest."

"You're right," I said. "I should have told you and I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough," Evelyn said and she grabbed her purse. "I need time to think about all of this."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To Braydon's," Evelyn said. "I'm staying there tonight."

"Evelyn wait," I said as she was already walking out the door.

I heard her car start and then the sound of tires on gravel as she drove away and I just stood there in the empty office feeling like everything was falling apart.

I sat back down at my desk and put my head in my hands because this was exactly what I was afraid of, and my past was coming back to haunt me and destroying the life I'd built here.

My phone rang and I saw it was Braydon.

"She just got here," Braydon said. "What happened?"

"Isabella Moretti showed up," I said. "And told Evelyn everything about our past."

"The Isabella from Italy?" Braydon asked.

"Yeah," I said. "And apparently she's working with the FBI now."

Braydon was quiet for a moment.

"This is bad," he said. "If she's giving them information they could use that against us."

"I know," I said. "But right now I'm more worried about Evelyn."

"She's really upset," Braydon said. "I can tell she's hurt."

"I messed up," I said. "I should have told her about Isabella a long time ago."

"Yeah you should have," Braydon said. "But what's done is done and now you need to figure out how to fix this."

"How?" I asked.

"Give her time," Braydon said. "Let her process everything and then talk to her when she's ready."

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" I asked.

"She will," Braydon said. "She loves you and you just need to be patient."

We hung up and I sat alone thinking about how my secrets were destroying my marriage and how I might lose the only person who ever really mattered to me.