All the Truths (Lies & Truths Duet, #2)

by Rina Kent

I never thought I would miss them, but then again, the whole robotic act was just that: an act. I never once thought they weren’t important, but I was a professional at making them believe they weren’t.

Our relationship has been wrong and refused to be right ever since. We just keep missing each other, over and over again. Then he told me those words, the ones that shattered the remains of my heart into tiny, bloody pieces, impossible to collect or to touch. There has been a constant ache in my chest since I finally realized the painful truth: we live in parallel lines. Our worlds are never meant to cross. We were never meant to be.

I’m turning the page and you chose not to be part of it. I know you’re blocking any feelings you have for me and I understand. I probably should’ve done the same. I’m sorry and goodbye.

Tonight, I’m leaving everything behind and reuniting with the one person who always loved me unconditionally. The one who gave me their life.

I trusted him. I was falling for him. I ignored all the signs and my instinct and went to him. I considered him my savior when he’s been my Grim Reaper all along.

“All I know is that Arianna was acting weird right before her suicide.” “Weird how?” “She clung to you more. Asher distanced himself from you more than usual. You were miserable and appeared to have a million thoughts going on in your head.” “You said I drove her to suicide—how?” “Those are Asher’s words, not mine. Apparently, Arianna said you were to blame before she jumped.”

“I was to blame how?” “No idea, but Asher believes it as if it’s his religion. He fought with Alex about it right after Arianna’s death. He demanded his father sever all ties with you, but he wasn’t having it and told him to stop being irrational.”

He was the only one on the roof when Arianna committed suicide, so there are no other witnesses. I think he’s only using his sister’s death to inflict pain on you. Since he couldn’t get rid of you before, that opportunity was golden for him.”

“I think he’s after your life, Reina. Those attacks were only a preparation for the grand finale. Next time, he’ll force you to jump off a roof like Arianna did.”

Since I was ten, I’ve known Alexander is a useless father. If I wanted my baby sister and me to have a good life after Mom, I needed to step up. So I did just that; I became her mother, father, brother, and best friend. I became Ari’s world, and she was mine. Until she left me and joined Mom.

Ari had told me she was sorry. She hadn’t wanted to leave me, but she couldn’t stay in this world. A world in which Reina existed. After that, I decided to leave, because I didn’t want to be in such a world either. I didn’t want to see her fucking breathing when my only family lay six feet under.

Back then, Reina knew exactly what I thought about her, and I wanted her to suffer until the day she dies. I wanted the guilt to eat her from the inside out, until she’s old and gray and still living in Blackwood. And she accepted her punishment. Our punishment. But she broke the rules that night. She wanted to escape. Fuck that. Fuck my patience for seeing her decimated little by little. I’m done watching, done trying to stay away. Reina will pay, and she’ll do it my way. She’ll do it while hanging off the edge of a rooftop, bound and tied and begging for help that won’t come. “Her grave will be next to yours and mine, Ari.”

My sister was my purpose in life. The day she died, I died with her. The thing that rose from the ashes was a demon thirsty for blood. Reina’s blood.

It’s like the ocean’s pull when it’s drowning you, or the sirens’ song when they’re luring you to nothingness. Reina has that effect on people. She lures then traps. She manipulates then strikes. She’s the devil dressed as an angel.

She’s not supposed to get into my head, let alone mess with it. My plan was simple: torture then kill her. Make her suffer then finish her miserable life. Make her mine one final time then toss her aside.

What do you want from me? Aside from your pussy? I roll my eyes. Yes, aside from that. Everything you have to offer, my slut. How about my dark thoughts?

The gloomy cloud? My lips fall open as I stare at the words. How do you know about that? I know everything about you. Are you like in my brain or something? I wish. That way, I’d know everything firsthand.

“Are you okay, Captain? Do you need anything? I just want you to know we’re here for you, okay? Come out whenever you’re ready.” “Yeah, campus is so boring without you or whatever,” Naomi grumbles.

“You guys are different now. You make me want to film your life.” “No, we’re not.” “Uh-huh.” Naomi throws the pants at my head and Lucy catches them. “Is that why he called us and asked us to check on you?” My eyes widen as I face them. “He…he did that?”

If temptation had a name, it’d be Reina.

She has the same deep blue eyes, the same full lips with the teardrop at the upper lip, the same tiny nose that fits the shape of her face. Reina. She’s finally here. We finally found our way back to each other after nine years. She stares at the engagement ring on her finger. It glints under the cottage’s soft light as she grins. I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you here for me or for that engagement ring?” “The ring. Definitely the ring.”

Dad knew why I had to do this. Why do you think he kept it a secret? Besides, I have someone who’ll help me, but you have nothing, okay? You don’t know these people as much as I do. They’ll murder you and bury your remains at a new construction site. They’re dangerous people.”

We were separated for nine years. For most of those nine years, I thought Reina was dead. I searched for her all around and even made deals with a lot of ‘criminals’.

Rai. Oh my God. My name is not Reina—it’s Rai.

“They’re after Mom’s daughter,” Reina says. “I don’t think they know about me. They only know about you.” “No.” “I lived well with Daddy, Rai.” Tears glisten down her cheeks. “We didn’t have to run like you and Mom. We didn’t have to eat leftovers or sleep on the streets. I want you to have that. I want you to have my life.” “Reina…” I choke. “You’re Reina now. I’ll be Rai.”

“You’re Rei,” she whispers. “It’s our secret. I’ll live as you and you’ll live as me.” Her bottom lip trembles. “Take care of Daddy. Tell him you love him every day on my behalf.” I open my mouth to say something, but she pushes me. “Now, run. Don’t look back. Never look back.”

“Do you remember your name and where you came from?” Rai Sokolov. Daughter of Mia Sokolov. I’ve been on the run since the day I was born, homeschooled my entire life, and had no friends until Mom brought my long-lost twin sister to meet me a month ago. Then, they were both taken away. My mom and my sister. The only one I have left is my dad. If I want to be with him, I have to forget my life and embrace another one. A tear falls down my cheek as I whisper, “Reina. My name is Reina Ellis.”

I made it a habit to stand outside her house, just to see her laugh with her father. I even took a picture as proof that she does smile and laugh—just not with me. Shaking my head, I forge ahead. Thankfully, that idiot and his irrational fixation on Reina died with Ari.

“I got the other one, Boss.” He motions at Reina. “What are we going to do about that one?” “Use her as bait. There’ll be only one Pakhan.” Russian accents. Are they the mafia? What do they have to do with Reina?

She looks so fragile right now, so soft, like the girl I saw for the first time after she disappeared when we were twelve. It was the first time I decided I liked that girl, the first time I thought about kissing a girl.

I had never felt the need to come closer to her like when she returned. There was something changed about her. Something more exotic, raw, and…broken.

I lean my head over and suck her bottom lip into my mouth like I did at twelve when she was sleeping in our guest house. A shudder goes through her as I brush my lips against hers one last time. “You’ll never escape me, my ugly monster.”

This must be why I didn’t feel comfortable with the name Reina Ellis when I woke up in the hospital with wiped memories. I lived as Rai Sokolov for twelve years. That name resonated with me better, but I had to erase it. I had to become Reina to survive. Just like that, I took her life and threw her into mine.

She took Reina and me and planned to leave the country. We had forged passports and forged identities and papers. But that day, they found us and everything blew up. They killed Mom and took Reina.

So when Reina gave me her life, I took it. I didn’t ask her to run with me to Dad, because I knew they’d never stop until they got Mia Sokolov’s daughter.

Their moms name was Mia, so original Reina, now Rai named her daughter after her mom 😭

I thought Dad would try to find Reina and bring her back. He must’ve realized he got the wrong twin. And in some way, maybe Dad searched for her. It can’t be a coincidence that he was involved in all that dangerous business with the mafia. Then they took him, too.

No, not Reina. Rai. I was always Rai. Reina was temporary. Her life was never mine to confiscate. Maybe that’s why I’ve been that cold and aloof with her personality. I didn’t want people to get close because I didn’t want to form any attachments. I was an imposter and knew that one day, the real Reina would return to her life.

“That’s the thing, Ash. I was never Reina.” “What?” “My name is Rai Sokolov and I’m Reina’s twin sister. I switched places with her when we were twelve. After Mom kidnapped her, we took each other’s identity. She went with the Russian mafia that chased me and I came to live with Dad.”

Me Are you there? His reply is immediate. Cloud003 For you, always.

My villain and my savior. My damnation and my salvation. The only person I ever told my secret.

“Ash…? What are you doing?” “I just started my dinner.” I can feel his smirk without seeing it. “I’m going to tongue-fuck you until you can no longer move, prom queen.”

He really needs to stop saying things like that if all he ever plans to do is hurt me. He needs to stop touching me, calling me his, and looking at me with those intense eyes that seem ready to strip me bare and devour me all over again. My brain is starting to disregard the danger and focus on those small gestures, on what his body is saying instead of what his mind is planning.

“Your mother was the bratva’s Pakhan’s daughter. Mia Sokolov, daughter of Nikolai Sokolov and cousin of Ivan Sokolov.”

She ran away from home and he just took her in. Of course, her father and cousin didn’t stop searching for her. She sullied the family’s name by running away. When they found out about her relationship with Gareth, they ordered their henchmen to kill your father.”

Your parents agreed that each would get a twin before they parted ways. Of course, Nikolai and Ivan weren’t having it. They only agreed to let Gareth keep one of the twins if he allowed the bratva a share in his business, and he agreed.”

“Mia took her and ran, but Nikolai wanted the girl as his heir. Considering that Mia was the only offspring he had, her daughter needed to be brought up as the bratva’s princess.”

“After she disappeared without a trace, he began to pester Gareth about taking the other twin, which, of course, he refused. However, Nikolai’s intentions must’ve reached Mia because she kidnapped her other daughter from school. She planned to take you both out of the country and away from her father’s organization.” “But they found us first.”

“Why would my grandfather order his only daughter killed?” “That’s the problem—he didn’t. Nikolai would’ve never hurt Mia no matter how much he threatened to. She must’ve resisted, and her death was an accident—or at least that’s what I thought.”

From what we learned, Ivan, Nikolai’s nephew and Mia’s cousin, didn’t like the fact that the Pakhan was handing his business to a girl. Well, and her future husband, but that’s beside the point. Since Mia ran away, he’s been plotting to take Nikolai down, eradicate all his descendants, and take over.” “You…you think he killed Mom on purpose?” “I’m almost sure he did. She was in his way and he needed her gone, so he disguised it as if she killed herself.”

“He was happy to get you back.” My head jerks up. “He…was?” “Of course. He lived in guilt for letting you and your mother go all those years ago. He searched for you as diligently as Nikolai, but your mom was a professional at running.” I smile a little before it falls off. “But he lost Reina.” “Not really.” Alex leans forward in his chair. “Nikolai let him see her now and again when they gathered for business. Gareth also made sure she was living well, and she was. She loved Nikolai and he treated her well, like his princess.”