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let's see if anyone still reads this story! It's been a year since I updated, I've been so busy with life so I apologize to anyone who's missed the story. I got a lot of comments and messages asking for an update so I wanted to give that to y'all because I really appreciate the support :) I think I include a good amount of context in this chapter to remind anyone reading of what's happened so far (cuz if you're like me then you totally forgot and i don't want y'all to have to read the entire story to remember lol) Hope you all enjoy!


April, 1944

I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, without Robert at my side—he was at a resistance meeting. Of course I have to kill him, I thought, about the news I'd learned a month ago: Robert was really a member of the Polish resistance, and his mission was to kill Marco—which he could only do with my help.

How could I not kill Marco? He was the commander of one of largest concentration camps ever; thousands died and experienced excruciating torture under his watch. But part of me also knew that if I killed Marco, the regime would just put someone even worse in his place, someone who would restore the order that would, if we were lucky, vanish after his death. But these were the Nazis—despite their animosity, I knew they weren't stupid. They worked meticulously, and with hundreds of officers still operating the camp, Marco's death couldn't possibly mean complete liberation—but it would be a huge symbol of the power of the Resistance. Part of me also knew that my feelings for Marco were undeniably strong—I was falling for him, which had become more evident to me than ever when I saw him again a month ago.

But I can't still be falling for him. I lived with Robert, and Robert was the heroic mastermind that was doing all he could to try and liberate thousands of us; even his factory was a safe haven for the prisoners. Then again, the lifestyle Robert experienced—a big fancy house, tailored suits, and imported foods, all despite the war—came from the fact that he was married to a woman who proudly supported the Nazis, appearing in propaganda films and becoming grossly rich off of them.

I sat up and gazed at the clock on my night table. 12:00 AM. It was the end of April. Robert usually got back around 1:30, often waking me up despite trying desperately not to. I drew in a breath and turned on the lamp, allowing it to dimly light the bedroom I shared with Robert before I gazed around.

The first few months in which I'd lived with Robert, life felt like a twisted fantasy. It was hard for me not to worry about my family and the fear I kept of being discovered for my accidental murder of Herr Hummels, but with Robert by my side to comfort me and ease me out of my anxiety, I learned to adjust to my new life. But then the new year came around, with Robert constantly leaving for almost days at a time to work at his factory and with the resistance, and it'd been that way for months now. I loved Robert undoubtedly, and would never ask him to do more than what he was already doing for me—but I still felt like I possessed a constant sense of longing, a desire for something more.

I stared at the telephone on the night table. The phone book next to it had plenty of important numbers; mostly those who were important to Robert. Veronika was first on the primary list—she'd been filming a movie for the Reich in Italy all year, visiting Poland only twice a month, which was why I was able to normally sleep in this bedroom. Then were Resistance contacts, business contacts for Robert, and third to last, Marco Reus.

I swallowed and stared at the number. It'd been a month since I'd seen or heard from Marco, something which was perhaps my fault. I was too afraid to talk to him for a series of reasons—my main one was that now that I knew I had to aid in his assassination, I didn't want to risk compromising myself or the mission. Still, I impulsively decided to dial the number, figuring that the chances of Marco answering at this hour were incredibly low.

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