Phoenix's Lies

Confusing Facts That Don't Add Up

River

The words are blunt and I can tell they catch Mads off guard when he stops again and turns to me, confusion in his eyes. "We found an agreement between her and Ivar that seems to be what she did to keep the auction company she shared with my dad from going under when she ran it into the ground a few years before we met. I told you, remember?"

"Yeah I do, but what does that have to do with you and Ivar? I don't get it, besides that what you're saying happened the same year you had your brief interaction with him. Why jump to that conclusion?"

"The deal went sour. Somewhere somehow it did and later she adds in a clause. Something about a non-disclosed 'asset' that she added to almost incentive Ivar not to drop her and cause the company to go bust. Though why she cares so much I don't know she and my dad ran that job together as well as my dad helping out with your dad's publishing house in a partnership Nix so we were still entitled to help since he was a joint leader."

"Ok but still I return to our earlier question. Why jump to the conclusion that you are this non-disclosed 'asset' R? Surely that could have been anything? Anyone?" Mads doesn't get it and I don't know how to make him understand since I barely do either, it's just a feeling. A feeling and some papers.

"You remember when you said that our group was part of a larger organisation? A chapter of a different mafia to the Russian one?" Mads nods eyes on me when he's finished with Nix. "Well, I found something else out. My father isn't who I thought he was. According to some documents I found in a safe my mother hid my biological father's name is Izan Escarra. Ever heard of him?"

Mads frowns. "Not off the top of my head but I can ask around with the others. See if any of them have. Have you spoken to your mom about it she might know." I snort and roll my eyes, imagining all too easily where that could go. "Ok, ok. I'll ask the others but I have to ask you two something. Have you seen someone like this recently at all?"

Showing me an image on his phone I shiver as I see it. A woman with blonde hair, green eyes and the edge of a tattoo on her left shoulder. Sharp, cold eyes. The same woman who passed in front of Nix's before we left. Sharing a look with the other person who'd been there I notice he's clocked what I have. "Yeah, we've seen her. She tried to talk to me the other day." I frown then not knowing that but he carries on "I ignored her and walked off. Then she walked past mine this morning after Riv and I came back from her's before we came here." He frowns and looks closer at the image. The same way Mads and I do. "Who is she?"

"Ivanova Morovoz-Castillo. Ivar's sister." Now Mads looks at me and I shake my head, the math not adding up. "Yeah, you missed two. Not that I knew how we missed her at the time. Allegedly she was kicked out and told to leave Russia. Something odd to do to the next bratva princess but there we are."

"How did you find out about her? I didn't know she existed." I jump off where I'd been sitting and walk over to stand with Mads and Nix. "How did she....wait did you say kicked out? As in exiled and disowned or just that she was asked to leave? Because they are two different things Mads. two different scenarios that could help us figure out how she's linked. Who she is."

"She's Ivar's kid sister. About nineteen years old from what I can find. Three years younger than Ivar. She's not much older than you. Can't figure out if it was disowned and exiled or just kicked out but whatever it was her parents didn't want her in Russia or around their little organisation. Which, as I pointed out, is odd since from what I can find asking friends she was supposed to be the next bratva princess and supposed heir to the bratva rather than Ivar. So why kick her out?"

"Why have her the most important piece, supposedly named as the one to take over, if her brother's leading it? And why bring her back now?" Nix chips in and both Mads and I look over at him. "Think about it. If she's supposed to be the heir to it and the princess asking why they cast her out is a good idea sure but what about the better question? Why bring her back now or ever? Is it just over the fact that she's supposed to be in charge or is it something more?"