Page 124 of Begin Again

Aubrey tilts her head, watching him like a predator savoring its final moments of control. “You think I’d make it easy? That I’d let you have that bond George loved so much?” Her voice is almost sweet, but it drips with malice. “No, I made sure you’d never know each other. I changed the records, gave different birth dates, and used different agencies. Even if you look, you’ll never find them. Which do you want more? A brother or a sister? Do you want to be the younger one? Or the older one? You’ll never know.”

Bennett’s breathing is slow, deliberate, but I see the tension in his jaw, the barely restrained fury in the way his hands clench into fists.

Aubrey leans in as much as the restraints allow, her voice dropping to a taunting whisper. “It was my final gift to your father. His children, forever strangers.”

Something inside me twists violently at the cruelty of it. Bennett doesn’t move, but I can feel the weight of what she’s done pressing down on him.

“You’re sick,” he finally says, his voice hollow. “And you’ll die alone, just like you deserve.”

Aubrey doesn’t answer, but I see it—the flicker of hurt in her eyes. A shadow of fear.

She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can, Orion steps forward, holding up a small device. “That’s enough, Bennett,” he says, his voice firm. “We already have everything we need.”

Aubrey’s head snaps toward him, her eyes wide with realization. “What are you talking about?”

Orion smirks, tapping the device in his hand. “You already confessed to everything, we just had a few things we needed to clarify that the others didn’t get a confession to.”

Aubrey’s face goes ghostly pale, her lips parting in a silent gasp. Possibly for the first time, true panic flashes in her eyes.

Bennett steps back, his expression grim as he watches the weight of her actions finally catch up to her. “It’s over, Aubrey,” he says softly. “You can’t talk your way out of this one.”

She lets out a guttural scream, thrashing against the restraints on the stretcher. But no amount of struggling can save her now.

The sirens wail in the distance, signaling the arrival of another ambulance to take her away. As the FBI agents wheel her toward the exit, Bennett turns to us, his expression weary but resolute.

“It’s done,” he says, his voice low. “She can’t hurt anyone else now.”

None of us speak as we watch Aubrey disappear into the shadows, her cries fading into the night.

For the first time in years, the air feels lighter. Shadow Grove can finally begin to heal.

32

Selene

The kitchen is warm, filled with the smell of sugar and browned butter. I slide a tray of cookies onto the counter, resisting the urge to steal one for myself. Theo’s still next to me, casually close, his arm brushing mine every so often as we move around the kitchen. It’s not intentional—at least, not entirely—but I don’t mind.

I can feel him watching me again.

I pretend not to notice, reaching for a stack of plates. “Are you going to actually help, or just look pretty?”

He leans in slightly, just enough for his voice to drop into that smooth, teasing tone. “Who says I can’t do both?”

I roll my eyes, but my lips twitch. “You don’t turn it off, do you?”

“Not when it works.”

He flashes a grin, and I shake my head, focusing on stacking the cookies. If I look at him too long, I might get caught up in how ridiculously charming he is. Again.

“Seriously though. What can I say? You’re distracting,” he answers, voice smooth and unbothered, as if getting caught ogling me is just part of his evening routine.

My lips twitch, but I keep my focus on the sauce, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. “Flatter me all you want, but if the snacks aren’t ready when everyone gets here, you’re the one explaining why.”

“Oh, I’ll just blame you.”

I roll my eyes at the grin in his voice, turning slightly just in time to catch him sneaking a cookie from the tray.

I smack his hand away with the spatula, laughing. “Not a chance, Hot Shot. If anyone’s going to ruin my perfect hosting streak, it’s definitely not me.”

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