SECURED

ACCIDENT.

•ROMAN•

The evening was quiet, the kind of stillness I wasn’t used to in a house that always seemed to be buzzing with activity. I had wanted to spend some time with Ciya earlier, but she wasn’t feeling well. She had cramps, and I didn’t want to disturb her rest. It’s dinner time now, and the house felt strangely empty.

Ivian had to stay the night at the hospital, so he wouldn’t be coming back. Ray was tied up with some important work, so he wasn’t around either. Kirril, though, was on his way home for dinner, and I knew he’d be here soon. Ciya was still napping upstairs, and I wanted her to wake up to something comforting.

I told the maid she could leave early today. I wanted to cook for Ciya myself, something special. I knew how much she liked pasta, and I wasn’t bad at making it either. So I got to work in the kitchen, preparing pasta with a sauce I knew would hit the spot. I also made some cold chocolate milk—it would help with her cramps, and I knew it was something she’d appreciate.

As I was stirring the sauce, I heard her footsteps on the stairs. I glanced up to see her slowly making her way down. She didn’t look like herself, her face pale and tired, probably because of her period.

“Hey,” I said softly, giving her a smile. “You want some pasta?”

She nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, her voice a little softer than usual.

“Ray and Ivian won’t be here for dinner,” I told her as I served her a plate, “but Kirril’s on his way.”

She gave a small nod, sitting down at the table. I set the glass of cold milk beside her plate, hoping it’d help her feel better. It wasn’t much, but I wanted to do what I could to make her comfortable. It was the least I could do.

Suddenly, my phone rang, breaking the calm of the evening. It was Mike, one of our bodyguards. I answered quickly, balancing the plate of pasta in my hand.

"Yes?" I said, not expecting anything out of the ordinary.

"Sir, there's been an accident," Mike’s voice came through, tense. "Kirril, sir… he’s been in an accident."

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. My heart started pounding crazily, a cold sweat creeping up my neck. I froze for a moment, my mind racing, trying to process what I just heard.

I felt Ciya’s eyes on me, her gaze worried, sensing something was wrong. I could see the confusion and concern flicker across her face as she looked at me, waiting for an explanation.

My hand tightened around the phone, my knuckles white as I forced myself to speak. "How bad?" I asked, my voice barely steady.

"He’s conscious, but it looks serious. The ambulance is on its way to the hospital now," Mike replied, his voice strained.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “I’m coming,” I said quickly before hanging up. I stood there for a moment, my mind swirling, heart racing, but I couldn’t lose it now.

Ciya was still watching me, her worry deepening. "Roman, what's wrong? What happened?" she asked softly, her tiredness replaced by growing concern.

I took a deep breath and moved towards her, trying to keep my voice calm. “Kirril’s been in an accident, Ciya. He’s on his way to the hospital.”

Her eyes widened with shock, her hand trembling as she clutched the glass of milk I had given her. “Is… is he okay?”

“He’s conscious,” I reassured her, but even saying it didn’t stop the pounding in my chest. “But it sounds serious. I need to get to the hospital.”