Aster and Rea didn't wait until morning. The moment they had a plan—if it could even be called that—they stormed into the living room, where Rea's parents sat, deep in whispered conversation. The second the door slammed behind them, Andrew and Celeste went silent.
"We need to talk," Aster said.
Celeste's eyes narrowed. "It's late."
"We don't care," Rea shot back. "We want the truth. About Jaxon."
Andrew sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything," Aster said coldly. "Why he's always with Collaway. Why he hates me so much. Why no one ever told me anything."
Celeste and Andrew exchanged a look.
Then, after a long pause, Celeste said, "Sit down."
Rea and Aster didn't argue.
Celeste inhaled deeply. "Jaxon's hatred isn't as simple as you think, Aster. And to understand it, you need to know what happened years ago—when he was still a kid. When Collaway took him and his mother."
Aster stilled. "Took them?"
Celeste nodded. "Kidnapped them."
Rea's breath caught. "What?"
Andrew leaned forward, his voice low. "This isn't a pretty story. If you want to hear it, you better be prepared for the truth."
Aster's jaw tightened. "I think I can handle it."
Celeste hesitated—then, finally, she spoke.
And the past came rushing back.
---
Flashback: The Night Everything Changed
Gunshots.
Screaming.
Rina Westwood ran. Jaxon—only five years old—was in her arms, his tiny hands clutching her shirt, his face buried in her shoulder. She had one goal—get out, get out, get out—but there was nowhere to run.
The compound had already been surrounded.
Collaway's men swarmed the estate, masked figures moving through the shadows, taking out guards with silent precision. It was a siege—brutal, fast, and unstoppable.
She didn't stop running.
Until she was cornered.
Collaway himself stepped forward, slow, calculated, his gun hanging loosely at his side. "Going somewhere, Rina?"
Rina turned, her back hitting the cold stone wall of the hallway. There was no way out.
Jaxon whimpered. "Mommy—"
"Shh, baby," she whispered, pressing his face further into her shoulder, trying to shield him.
Collaway tilted his head. "Now, now. No need to be scared. I missed you, Rina."
Her grip on Jaxon tightened. "Go to hell."
Collaway smirked. "Not yet."
Then, before she could move—
A sharp blow struck the back of her head.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
The last thing she heard before everything faded was Jaxon's terrified scream.
---
Present Day
Rea's fingers dug into the armrest of the couch. "He kidnapped them?"
Celeste nodded grimly. "And kept them locked away for years."
Aster felt like his blood had turned to ice. "Why?"
Andrew's voice was quiet. "Because Rina was never his enemy. She was his prize."
Silence.
Rea's hands curled into fists. "What happened to Jaxon?"
Celeste's gaze darkened. "Collaway raised him as his own. He was kept isolated, brainwashed, fed lies about Westwood and the world outside. And when he grew old enough—Collaway trained him."
Aster clenched his jaw. "Trained him to what?"
Andrew's next words were sharp. "To kill."
The room went deadly silent.
Aster's pulse pounded in his ears.
Collaway raised Jaxon to be a weapon.
And Jaxon had believed him.
He had lived under Collaway's rule, fought for him, become his loyal soldier—
Until something changed.
Until now.
"Why is he suddenly turning against Collaway?" Rea asked.
Celeste exhaled. "Because he's been planning this for years. Jaxon never wanted to be under Collaway's control. He hates him. Always has. And now?" She met their eyes. "He's recruiting an army to burn him to the ground."
Aster narrowed his eyes. "And you just know this?"
Celeste hesitated. "We have… connections. And let's just say—Jaxon isn't hiding what he's doing anymore."
Rea swallowed. "Then why does he still act like he's on Collaway's side?"
Andrew's expression was grim. "Because he has to. Until he's strong enough to make his move, he can't afford for Collaway to suspect him. If Collaway figures it out too soon—"
"He'll kill him," Aster finished.
Andrew nodded. "Exactly."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, after a moment, Aster muttered, "There's still something that doesn't make sense."
Rea turned to him. "What?"
Aster's jaw was tight. "Why the hell does Jaxon hate me so much?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Celeste's face. Andrew let out a slow breath.
Rea frowned. "Mom? Dad?"
Celeste finally met Aster's gaze.
And then—she said the words that shattered everything.
"Because Jaxon believes you got the life he was supposed to have."
Aster stilled.
Celeste continued, "Jaxon was supposed to be the son Collaway raised. The one given everything. But instead, Collaway had you. And even though he didn't raise you, he never killed you either. He let you live. He let you be free."
Aster's throat tightened. "He didn't let me do anything. I didn't even know who he was."
"That doesn't matter to Jaxon," Celeste said softly. "All he sees is that you weren't locked in that compound. You weren't trained from childhood to be a killer. You weren't forced to become a weapon. He was. And every time he looks at you, it reminds him of that."
Aster exhaled shakily.
Rea was staring at her mother, her hands trembling. "So Jaxon… he doesn't hate Aster because of who he is. He hates him because of who he wasn't."
Celeste nodded.
Aster let out a slow, shuddering breath. His mind was spiraling, his chest aching. He felt like the floor beneath him had collapsed.
Jaxon had been raised in hell.
Aster had been spared.
And that, more than anything else, was why Jaxon wanted him to suffer.
Rea finally spoke. "Then that means…" She looked at Aster. "…Jaxon isn't just our enemy."
Aster met her eyes.
"He's our biggest wildcard."