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Aster sat on the floor of his room, his back against the bed, legs stretched out in front of him. Across from him, Rea mirrored his position, the dim glow of the bedside lamp casting shadows over her face. Between them was a mess—scribbled notes, old documents her parents had given them, and Aster's thoughts, which felt even more scattered than the papers.
None of this made sense.
Except it did.
And that was the worst part.
Aster ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "So Jaxon. We always knew he was a selfish bastard, but now we know why he disappears all the time."
Rea nodded, flipping through a paper she had taken from the pile. "Yeah. He was never just avoiding you—he was with Collaway. Meeting him, working for him. Hell, maybe even training under him."
Aster scoffed. "Figures."
But even as he said it, there was something unsettling about it. Jaxon hated him, sure. But had Jaxon always been Collaway's little puppet? Or was there more to it?
Rea hesitated, then added, "You said he never cared about your mom, right?"
Aster's jaw clenched. "Never."
Rea's voice softened. "What if it's because he knew? Maybe he always knew Rina didn't cheat. That she was forced."
Aster looked up at her sharply.
Rea continued, "If he had even an ounce of doubt, he could've tried to figure out the truth. But he didn't. Because the truth was too inconvenient for him."
Aster let out a bitter laugh. "Westwood never wanted answers. He just wanted an excuse to hate her."
Rea sighed. "Because it was easier."
Aster shook his head, staring blankly at the floor. "He let Collaway win. He let everyone believe she was the villain. Meanwhile, my mother was trapped, and no one even tried to find her."
Rea studied him carefully, then asked, "What about my parents? They knew, Aster. They knew everything, and they didn't tell you."
Aster exhaled through his nose. "Yeah. That part pisses me off."
"They kept it from you," Rea pressed. "Even when they started suspecting she was alive, they never told you. Why?"
Aster clenched his fists. "Because they thought they were protecting me."
Silence.
Aster let his head fall back against the bed, staring at the ceiling. "What I don't get is why they ran. If they had all this information, why not use it back then?"
Rea flipped through another file. "Maybe they tried."
Aster narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Rea hesitated. "They took something with them, Aster. The necklace. If this information is so dangerous, then maybe they weren't running to hide—maybe they were running to keep it out of Collaway's hands."
Aster let out a slow breath. That actually made sense.
But it didn't make it easier to accept.
Rea shifted, looking at him carefully. "Are you okay?"
Aster let out a humorless chuckle. "Am I okay?" He turned to her, a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Jones, I just found out my entire life has been a damn lie. That my mother never abandoned me. That my father never wanted the truth. That my brother has been in bed with the enemy this entire time."
Rea winced. "Yeah… that's a lot."
"No shit."
Rea bit her lip. "But we know the truth now. And that means we can do something about it."
Aster exhaled, looking at her. "What are you thinking?"
Rea sat up straighter. "We can't just sit around waiting for Collaway to make a move. If your mother is alive, we have to find her first."
Aster nodded slowly. "And that means getting inside the compound."
Rea met his eyes. "And to do that… we might need Jaxon."
Aster scoffed. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious," Rea insisted. "He knows things we don't. He's been working with Collaway for years. If we can find a way to use that—"
Aster shook his head. "Jaxon would rather watch me burn than help me."
Rea leaned forward. "Then we give him a reason to help."
Aster studied her carefully. "What kind of reason?"
Rea exhaled. "Jaxon hates you, yeah. But does he love Collaway? Does he want to be his puppet?"
Aster hesitated.
Because, as much as Jaxon despised him—he also knew Jaxon hated being controlled.
Rea leaned closer. "If Jaxon has even one reason to turn on Collaway, we need to find it. Because whether we like it or not—he might be the key to getting inside."
Aster ran a hand down his face. "This is a terrible idea."
Rea smirked. "That's usually when we do our best work."
Aster let out a breath. "Fine. But if Jaxon screws us over—"
Rea's expression turned serious. "Then we take him down, too."
Aster stared at her for a moment.
Then he smirked. "You really are crazy, Jones."
Rea grinned. "Took you long enough to figure that out."