I went to tell the most feared mob boss in the city that I was pregnant with twins, but I caught him with my sister instead.

"Evelyn," Marcus’s voice carried through the clear winter air, hoarse and strained.

He took three steps toward the barn door, but stopped when Sarah stepped out onto the porch holding a double-barreled shotgun aimed squarely at his chest.

"Stay right there, mister," Sarah warned, her voice cold as ice.

"I’m not here to hurt her!" Marcus roared, his hands rising slightly, though his eyes never left the barn window where Evelyn stood. "Evelyn, please! Come down! You don't understand what happened that night!"

Evelyn walked slowly down the wooden stairs of the barn, pushing the heavy door open, stepping out into the snow beside Sarah. She wore a heavy green sweater, her ash-blonde hair blowing in the cold wind.

"I saw what happened, Marcus," Evelyn said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. "I saw my sister on your desk."

Marcus took a ragged breath, his knuckles turning white. "Chloe came to my office because she found out my uncle was planning to hit your family’s business! She was having a panic attack, Evelyn! She fainted against the desk—I was holding her up!"

Evelyn let out a dry, bitter laugh. "And the pendant? The silver moon? I know she was your informant long before we married, Marcus. I read her letter."

Marcus went dead still.

"She was trying to protect you from me," Marcus whispered, his voice cracking. "And I was trying to protect you from my family. The night you left... my uncle’s men were watching the house. I couldn't explain it to you then because every room was bugged."

Evelyn stared at him, looking deep into the eyes of the man she had loved, searching for the truth beneath layers of deceit.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Marcus," she said softly, touching her stomach. "You brought violence and lies into my life. Whether you did it to protect me or control me, the result is the same."