He looked down at her and smiled. Demetri shouldn't have doubted for she had always been like that, hardly ever being cross or angry for too long. He put his hand over hers and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I would tell you. I should have before but... I couldn't. Let us sit for it is not a short story," he said guiding her to one of the benches in the garden.
Demetri took Olivia's hands and looked at her. And then he started. He told her about school in Paris and meeting Alexandre, of falling in love and then grew sad and quieter when he came to speak about Petrov, Alex's disappearance, and how Demetri came to leave Paris for the last time. A tear rolled down his cheek. It should have been easier telling the story more often but it wasn't.
"And that's why I was so distant from you all, why I was so... mean. I didn't really want Christopher to give up his title, though yes of course it would have been nice. I just need to try and keep distance away from the three of you to protect you."
He sighed, hating what he's done to the family. "But now, the man, he's threatened you, or at least threatened me with you, and even Therese too, and I had to tell you, you had to be warned. He has me doing things I wouldn't normally do, but I use what he tells me to try and make it right."
He finally breathed, or so it felt and looked at his sister and searched her face.