Rea's breath felt tight in her chest. The words on the page blurred as a thousand thoughts crashed through her mind.
Aster was right. Her parents were hiding something. And whatever it was—it involved her.
She flipped through the letters with shaking hands. Some were dated nearly seventeen years ago, others more recent.
"She can't know. Not yet."
"If they come looking, we have to be ready."
"It's not safe for her outside of our care."
Rea swallowed.
Her hands trembled as she grabbed another letter. But before she could open it, Aster's fingers closed over hers.
"Hey." His voice was softer than usual. "Maybe we should slow down."
Rea looked up at him, startled. "You think now is the time for caution?"
Aster tilted his head. "You're shaking."
She hadn't even noticed.
Her grip on the letters loosened slightly, but she didn't let go. "Aster, these—these are about me."
"Yeah, I got that much." His gaze was unreadable. "Question is—what exactly were they keeping from you?"
Rea hesitated.
Her parents had always been strict, always careful. But this—this wasn't just caution. This was fear.
Aster's fingers brushed against the edge of the letter she was holding. "Want me to read it first?"
Rea shook her head quickly. "No."
She inhaled sharply and unfolded the paper.
The handwriting was familiar—her mother's.
"The Westwoods are watching again. I don't think they recognize her yet, but we can't take the risk. If something happens, take her and run."
Rea's blood ran cold.
Westwoods.
As in Aster's last name.
She stared at the letter, her mind refusing to process it.
Aster, meanwhile, had gone completely still.
He reached for another letter, flipping it open with a frown. His eyes scanned the page quickly, and then—
His expression darkened.
"What?" Rea whispered. "What does it say?"
Aster didn't answer right away. He looked at her, then back at the paper, like he wasn't sure if he should tell her.
Rea grabbed his wrist. "Aster."
He exhaled, handing her the letter. "Read it."
Her eyes flicked over the words, her breath catching.
"If their son gets too close to her, we'll have to intervene. The Westwoods have always been dangerous. We can't let history repeat itself."
Her grip tightened on the letter.
She lifted her gaze to Aster, heart pounding.
"What the hell does this mean?" she demanded.
Aster's jaw clenched. "I don't know."
But the look in his eyes told her something else.
He suspected.
And for the first time since meeting Aster Westwood, Rea realized—
She might not be the only one with secrets.
The silence between them was thick, suffocating. The words on the letters felt like they had a weight of their own, pressing against Rea's chest.
Aster's family. My parents. What the hell is going on?
Aster's hands curled into fists as he stared at the letters. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something unreadable.
Rea swallowed hard. "Aster… do you really not know what this is about?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then, finally, he said, "I don't know. But I have a feeling my brother does."
Rea stiffened. "Jaxon?"
Aster let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah. He never tells me anything, but he always knows something."
Rea glanced at the letters again, her mind racing. If their son gets too close to her, we'll have to intervene.
Her pulse pounded.
"They were trying to keep us apart," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aster ran a hand through his hair. "Looks that way."
Rea took a step back, the walls of her house suddenly feeling too close, too small.
Her parents left. Aster showed up. Now she was uncovering secrets she never even thought to question before.
Her fingers tightened around the letter. "Aster… what if us meeting wasn't a coincidence?"
He looked at her then, his blue eyes sharp, calculating. "You think someone planned this?"
"I don't know." She exhaled shakily. "But I do know my parents don't just disappear without a reason."
Aster leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. "Well, that makes two of us with messed-up families."
Rea frowned. "You mean Jaxon?"
Aster shook his head. "Not just Jaxon. My dad, too."
Rea hesitated. Aster never talked about his father—not really.
"What about him?" she asked carefully.
Aster's jaw clenched. "I never met him."
Rea's brows furrowed. "What?"
Aster exhaled. "He left before I was born."
Rea's stomach twisted. "And your mom?"
"She never talked about him. Not once. The only person who knows anything is Jaxon, and he sure as hell isn't telling me."
Rea bit her lip. "Do you think… do you think your dad has something to do with this?"
Aster's fingers twitched at his side. "I don't know."
Rea inhaled slowly. "Aster, I think we need to find out."
He let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "And how exactly do you plan to do that, Jones?"
Rea straightened her shoulders. "We go to the one person who might have answers."
Aster's smirk returned, but this time, it was colder. "You mean Jaxon?"
She nodded.
Aster ran a hand over his face, exhaling sharply. "Great. Just what I needed—more quality time with my loving brother."
Rea didn't smile. "If your family has anything to do with this… I need to know why."
Aster looked at her for a long moment. Then, finally, he pushed off the wall.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go pay Jaxon a visit."