I stared out the window, knowing she was right in regards to having next to no options. But I needed to do this right. "I need more information first. About them, about Anthony's death. Trent said something felt off about it."
"Off how?"
"He didn't specify. Just inconsistencies in the paperwork."
"Hmm." Ivy was quiet for a moment. "All the more reason to check them out before revealing yourself. If something sketchy happened..."
Exactly why I had to play it safe. If Anthony's death had been because of something other than a normal accident, then I was putting myself at risk as well. Especially if they knew I needed money and that was why I was getting close to them. I needed to keep my identity hidden if I did go ahead with this.
"I'll think about it," I promised. "Thanks for listening."
"Anytime. And Elena? Whatever you decide, I've got your back."
After we hung up, I pulled a throw over me, turning the TV on to break the suffocating silence around me. The idea of approaching my half-siblings under false pretenses made mystomach knot. I'd always prided myself on honesty, on facing problems head-on.
But my mother was dying. And somewhere in Ironstone, the children Anthony Cassaro had chosen over us were living lives of privilege we couldn't imagine.
I'd need to get close enough to understand who they were before revealing our connection. After all, they owed me nothing—legally or otherwise. Any help would have to come from goodwill, not obligation.
I swallowed the anger that quelled at their perfect lives. I needed to keep my head. This was for my mom, not some revenge on siblings who likely didn't know I existed.
But what if they had known? And opted to not really search for me, to keep the inheritance to themselves. I knew he'd made decent money, considering the amount on the check I'd seen once that he'd sent my mom for my tenth birthday that he couldn't make.
And if Anthony's death wasn't as straightforward as a car accident? Well, that was another question entirely.
I reached for the manila envelope I'd left on the coffee table. I pulled out the photos again, studying the faces of my half-siblings more carefully this time.
What kind of people were they? Would they help if they knew about me? Or would they see me as a threat to their perfect lives? Did they actually know about me and didn't care?
Only one way to find out.
I reached for my laptop and opened a new search.
Donati Enterprises, Ironstone.
If I was going to do this, I needed a plan. A way in that wouldn't immediately reveal my hand. Something that would let me observe Grayson and Meredith Cassaro up close before deciding whether to tell them who I really was.
For Mom's sake, I had to try.
3
JACKSON
The alarm buzzed at exactly 4:30 AM. I silenced it before the first beep finished, my body already conditioned to wake at this hour. Darkness still cloaked my apartment, the only light coming from the digital clock on my nightstand. Five hours of sleep. It was enough.
My feet hit the cold hardwood floor, and I moved through the motions that started every day. Twenty push-ups. Twenty sit-ups. A series of stretches that kept old injuries from flaring up. The routine never changed. Consistency was safety.
In the bathroom, I flicked on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness. The mirror reflected what it always did. My dark hair in need of a trim, stubble that needed to be shaved, and eyes that had seen too much. Military precision still guided my movements as I shaved, showered, and dressed in under fifteen minutes, tucking my dog tags into my shirt.
My apartment was sparse but functional. No photos on the walls, no mementos cluttering surfaces. Just the essentials. A bed. A couch. A TV I rarely watched. A kitchen with exactly enough dishes for one person. The less you owned, the less that could be taken from you.
I made coffee, strong and black, while checking my phone. A text from Meredith confirmed our usual pickup time. Another from Roman about a meeting at the office. Nothing unusual there.
Breakfast was protein-heavy and consumed while standing at my kitchen counter, reviewing security updates for the day on my tablet. The Donati family business required constant vigilance, and as one of Leo's most trusted men, I never let my guard down.
By 5:30 AM, I was behind the wheel of the sleek black Audi, the engine purring as I navigated the awakening streets of Ironstone. The city was still waking up, streetlights casting pools of yellow on mostly empty sidewalks save for a few early risers like myself. This was my favorite time of day—before the chaos, before the noise. Just me and the road.
I pulled up before the mansion at the edge of the city that Meredith and Leo lived at exactly 6:45 AM. The guard nodded as I rolled down the window, recognizing both me and the car.
