I was terrified that the familial love Ethan and Tessa had given me would turn out to be a lie. I wasn’t sure if I could fully believe Alfred—after all, his was only one side of the story.

I knew I shouldn’t overthink or be so suspicious, but this concerned my parents’ deaths. I didn’t know what else to ask or how to probe, so I stayed quiet, letting the silence stretch between us.

"Missy, you might not know this, but Ethan has a secret fund," Alfred said ...