Chapter 40

Andre rubbed his nose. "You never miss a detail, do you? That man used to have quite the reputation in Edevor's financial world. He was tangled up with the Garden of Eden a while back, though I never dealt with him myself."

Suspicion glimmered in her eyes as Alexia asked,"Then why did he target me just now?"

With an easy shrug, he replied, "Chances are-he just wanted a bit of company. You know how men can be."

Alexia's stare grew colder. "Does this have anything to do with my identity as Luna?"

"No need to panic. Your cover is Tier 1 classified." He lifted both hands, all reassurance. "After everything we've survived together, you're still wary of us?"

Deciding not to argue further, Alexia fished a slim chip from her bag and passed it over. "This is what you asked for."

The chip vanished into Andre's pocket as his eyes brightened. "You pulled it out on your own? And the crown?"

"I'm holding onto that."

A heavy sigh escaped him, all for dramatic effect."Are you telling me you couldn't part with the crown?The one Waylon paid a fortune for?"

Alexia didn't flinch. "The Garden of Eden never owned the crown. All you people wanted was the chip inside. It's simple-finish the work, and I take my share."

Andre's disbelief was plain. "You used to be more generous,you know."

She lifted her glass, letting the whiskey linger on her tongue. "This time, I owe someone more than I can pay back.I had to use Waylon's help to wrap this up.

Her C..That was a one-time thing. Don't ask me to repeat it."

"You're actually covering for him now? You two couldn't stand each other before, and suddenly you're friends?" Andre's face was the picture of heartbreak. He had once suggested Alexia get closer to Waylon, but he never thought it would actually work.

Alexia's warning glance was sharp enough to cut glass."The Garden of Eden has no claim on Waylon.He's got nothing to do with us, and that's how it's going to stay."

He blew out a breath, sounding exasperated."Why not use him for our benefit? You think he's too delicate? Be honest, you took this job to fix things with him, didn't you?"

She hesitated for a second before responding in an even voice, "If that's how you see it, I'm not going to change your mind."

In Andre's imagination, a tiny version of himself sobbed into a tiny handkerchief.

There was a swveet ache to all of it. That was the taste lingering in the air.

After all this time, the old Alexia was finally back. But now, her fierce devotion seemed pointed at the wrong cause.

Andre pouted, but only for a moment, before changing the subject. "Let's drop it. Did you remember what I mentioned about your history?There's new information."

His hand disappeared into his bag, and he pulled out a folder, passing it over.

As Alexia turned each page, her eyes grew sharper and more alert.

Noticing her reaction, Andre let out a weary sigh."Marilee's had the Styx Virus since she was born-a variant so uncommon that most doctors have never even heard of it. Years ago, Brookline had access to the top medical care, so they tucked her away there,keeping her existence under wraps. Security was tight. Secrecy was everything-after all, the Styx Virus carries a filthy reputation. If the truth ever broke out, the Jenkins family's reputation would have been ruined overnight. Until a cure came along,hiding her was their only option."

He paused, giving her a moment to absorb it all, then continued, "And the real reason they brought you in?Both you and Marilee share a blood type that's nearly impossible to find. No blood banks carry it, not here or anywhere else. Looking back, haven't you spent your childhood in hospital rooms, rolling up your sleeves? Every single drop was for Marilee."

A quiet confession slipped from Alexia. "They always said my blood went to one of my mother's distant relatives. Some girl who was supposed to be just my age."

Andre let out a snort, his tone laced with sarcasm."Typical. Grown-ups have a habit of feeding kids convenient lies."

Shadow crossed her expression. "If all I was meant to be was a donor, they could've just told the truth and adopted me. Why bother pretending I was really their

child?"

"Simple. Other families were interested in you back then. The Williams couple-they were right there in the running. Tell me, if the Jenkins couple hadn't gone out of their way to act like your real parents,would you have picked them?"

The truth was plain-she would not have.

She'd always favored the Williams couple. Without the perfect web of lies the Jenkins couple spun-creating an entire history and identity for her-there was no way she would have picked them.

Alexia's tone was sharp as a blade. "After the Styx Virus was cured, Marlee recovered and started her career in the showbiz, becoming a sensation soon...That was all orchestrated by them too? They've been long planning her comeback?"

Andre nodded. "Absolutely. Nothing draws the spotlight like a carefully crafted celebrity. When you can control the narrative, you control everything. The minute Marilee's fairytale return goes public, nobody will remember you were ever part of the picture."