The love we lied about
“How do you know that name.”
“Because it just surfaced in Evelyn’s financial records. A trust fund, small, quiet, set up under a shell company eight years ago. The beneficiary is a woman by that name.” A pause. “I need you to tell me who she is to you, Cole. Right now. This connects to something bigger than either of us realized.”
Cole’s hand found mine under the blanket, gripping tight enough that I felt the tremor running through him.
“She’s my sister,” he said quietly. “Half-sister. Different fathers, same mother, who wasn’t around for either of us long enough to matter. Marissa was younger. More vulnerable. When things happened in that foster system, they happened to her worse than they