Celeste's voice was steady, but her eyes held the weight of years of secrets.
"A long time ago," she began, "your father and I worked for Collaway. Alongside Rina."
Rea felt the world tilt again, but she forced herself to stay still.
"You worked for him?" she repeated, her voice almost a whisper.
Celeste nodded. "Not by choice."
Andrew leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "Back then, Collaway wasn't just running his business—he was eliminating anyone who got in his way. We were part of his inner circle, working on encryption, security, financial laundering. We saw everything. We knew too much."
Aster's jaw clenched. "And my mother?"
Celeste hesitated. "Rina was one of us. She was my best friend, Aster. She was strong, brilliant—but she got caught in something she couldn't escape."
Rea felt her stomach twist.
Aster's voice was cold. "You mean when she was raped."
Celeste flinched.
Andrew closed his eyes briefly. "Yes."
Rea's breath hitched. She had already known this, but hearing it again—seeing the way Aster's hands curled into fists—made it feel heavier.
Celeste swallowed hard. "Collaway used her, but she never gave him what he wanted. Even when he tried to break her, she never told him where we were."
Aster's fingers twitched, but he stayed silent.
Rea looked down at the necklace resting against her skin. "Why does he want this so badly?"
Andrew exhaled. "Because it holds everything that could ruin him. It's not just files, Rea. It's proof of his connections—bank transactions, confidential deals, evidence of his crimes. The encryption is layered, nearly impossible to break, except…"
"Except Rina is the only one who can decrypt it," Aster finished, voice tight.
Celeste nodded.
Aster let out a hollow laugh, running a hand through his hair. "And let me guess—this whole time, you weren't just running. You were trying to find her."
"Yes," Andrew admitted. "We thought she was dead for years, but then… we got intel that she was still alive. That she's still inside the compound."
Rea's pulse pounded in her ears.
"You knew she was alive, and you didn't tell Aster?" she whispered, horror lacing her voice.
Celeste looked away. "We didn't have proof."
Aster's face was unreadable, but his breathing was sharp, controlled. Too controlled.
Rea turned to him, but his gaze was distant. Detached.
"So what's the plan?" Aster finally asked, voice eerily calm.
Celeste hesitated. "We need to get to Rina before Collaway realizes what we're after."
Aster scoffed. "Right. And you expect me to just trust you after everything?"
Andrew met his eyes. "We need your help, Aster."
Aster let out a bitter chuckle. "You need me now? After all these years of ignoring me? After you let me think she was dead?"
Celeste looked pained. "We were trying to protect you."
"Yeah?" Aster's voice was sharp. "Well, you failed."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Rea spoke.
"What do you need us to do?"
Andrew hesitated. "Rea—"
"No," she interrupted. "I'm not sitting on the sidelines. If this necklace is the key to everything, then I need to be involved."
Celeste's lips pressed together. "It's dangerous."
"Everything about this is dangerous," Rea shot back. "So tell me—what's next?"
Andrew and Celeste exchanged a glance.
Then, at last, Andrew exhaled.
"We find Rina."