Natalia’s POV
+25 BONUS
Andrei froze in the doorway. His eyes were locked on the journal in my hands, and his face had gone completely white, which told me everything I needed to know.
“What is that?” he asked.
“You tell me.” I held it up. “I found it in your study. Under all those papers.‘
Brow furrowing, he crossed the room and took it from me. He flipped through the pages, and his eyes widened with each one. “I don’t… This isn’t mine,” he said.
“It was in your study.”
“I know, but I didn’t write this.” He looked up at me. “Natalia, I swear to the Goddess, I’ve never seen this before. This is insane.”
I searched his face for any sign that he was lying. But all I saw was confusion and horror. Both emotions I
had felt when I first found it.
“You really didn’t write that?” I asked.
“Absolutely not.” He flipped through more pages and shook his head. “I haven’t used this journal in years. I kept it in the bottom drawer of my desk and forgot about it until, like, two days ago when I pulled out the entire contents of that drawer while I was looking for something.”
“Then who wrote all of that?” I asked.
“Natalia, I’m telling you, I really don’t know.”
We both stared at the journal. The red ink seemed to glow in the fading afternoon light that was coming in through the window. I shuddered and drew my cardigan tighter around myself.
“Maybe it was the twins,” Andrei said after a moment. “Playing some kind of prank?”
“Jane and Max wouldn’t write things like that. They’re six.”
“You’d be surprised what kids pick up.” He closed the journal. “Let’s ask them.”
We found the twins outside in the yard. They were throwing a ball back and forth, laughing and shouting. When they saw us coming, Jane dropped the ball and ran over.
“Mama! Daddy! Look what I can do!” She proceeded to do a cartwheel.
“Very impressive, princess,” I said. “Can we talk to you and your brother for a second?”
Max picked up the ball and jogged over. “What’s wrong?”
Andrei held up the journal. “Did either of you write in this?”
Jane shook her head immediately. “No. You said we’re not allowed to touch your stuff.”
“I know,” Andrei said. “But sometimes kids get curious. It’s okay if you did. We just need to know.”
1/2
Chapter 493
+25 BONUS
Max looked at the journal, then at us. “We didn’t touch it. I promise.”
I believed him. Max had never been good at lying. Whenever he tried, his ears turned red and he couldn’t look anyone in the eye. Right now, he was staring straight at Andrei without flinching. Jane was too busy wiping snot off her nose with her sleeve to seem guilty.
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks, guys. You can go back to playing.”
Jane grabbed Max’s hand and pulled him back toward their game. Andrei and I walked back to the house in
silence.
“So if it wasn’t them…” My voice trailed off.
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