Page 61 of Begin Again

Bennett shifts, his expression unreadable. Then, he says, “Can we talk about the other elephant in the room? All of these deaths circle something else too. Me.”

A chill snakes up my spine. I turn back to Theo, but his expression is carefully neutral.

Orion frowns. “What do you mean?”

Bennett continues, “I did the math and George was murdered a couple of months after I was conceived.” He lets the words sink in before continuing. “I did genetic testing, and I know for a fact that he’s my father.” His voice tightens. “Which means I had to have been conceived before their honeymoon.” A pause. Then, quietly, “Do you think Aubrey was pregnant? Do you think that’s why she got married at seventeen?”

The room is silent, thick with the weight of his words. My heart pounds as I glance between them, trying to process what he’s saying.

Theo and Morgan exchange a look, unspoken words passing between them. Finally, Theo exhales and shakes his head. “I don’t think so. From what I heard George was about to leave for the military and she was planning on going with him. I’ve heard you don’t have to stay in the barracks if you’re married. Maybe he got someone else pregnant and they felt betrayed when he married Aubrey?” He pauses, his brow furrowed. “Do you think the jilted lover could’ve poisoned him at the wedding or the day he died?”

The idea sends a ripple of unease through me. The thought of someone lurking in the background, watching, waiting, filled with enough anger to kill—it makes my skin crawl.

Bennett shakes his head. “It’s possible. But I think it’s more likely that Aubrey is my mother. That the wedding was rushed because she was pregnant.”

Theo looks skeptical. “I don’t know.” He hesitates, choosing his next words carefully. “Have you confronted her about it?”

Bennett drops his gaze, his fingers tightening into a fist against his knee. “I haven’t. Not yet. I don’t know if I can. Not until we figure this thing out. I mean…” He swallows hard. “If she’s guilty, I don’t want a relationship with her. But if she’s innocent…” His voice drops to a raw edge. “I don’t want to miss out on that, either.”

The conversation continues, but my mind fixates on one thought, a relentless whisper at the back of my brain: Someone is trying to destroy Aubrey. And we need to figure out who before it’s too late.

By the time the meeting wraps up, the tension is thick enough to suffocate. No one says it, but it’s written all over their faces—we’re standing on a knife’s edge, and one wrong move could send everything crashing down.

Morgan and Bennett say their goodbyes as Theo gathers his things to leave. I follow him to the door, my heart still racing from everything we’ve uncovered. My stomach twists, my mind replaying Bennett’s words, the endless questions swirling in my head.

“Hey,” he says softly, turning to face me. “You okay?”

I want to say yes, to brush it off like it’s nothing. But the weight of everything we’ve learned presses heavy on my chest. “Yeah,” I whisper, though my voice betrays me with a slight tremor.

He studies me, his gaze searching mine, and then, without a word, he takes a small step closer. His fingers brush against mine, the touch grounding, steadying.

“We’ll figure this out,” he murmurs. “I promise.”

The emotion in his voice makes me believe him, and for the first time all night, I feel a flicker of hope.

As he turns to leave, he pauses, his shoulders stiffening slightly. Then he spins back around, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat.

Before I can respond, his hand is on the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss that’s hard and fast, like he’s been holding back all night. My breath catches, and just as quickly, the kiss softens, his lips moving against mine in a way that’s deliberate, almost tender.

When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing heavily, and I can see the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Goodnight, Selene,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough.

“Goodnight,” I manage to whisper, my voice shaky, a smile on my lips.

His warmth lingers even after he steps away, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the uneasy feeling that things are about to get much worse before they get better.

As he walks away, I close the door behind him, my fingers brushing my lips, and one thought lingers in my mind.

This isn’t just about solving a mystery anymore.

17

Theo

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills my kitchen as I lean against the counter, arms crossed, watching the dark liquid drip into the pot. Normally, the morning ritual is grounding—steady in the chaos. But today, it does nothing to quiet the noise in my head.

Last night’s meeting won’t stop replaying in my mind. Cyanide. Poison. The possibility that Bennett is Aubrey’s son. The pieces are all floating there, but they haven’t settled into a picture I can make sense of yet.

---