They’re united. A team.
Even now.
Suddenly, I feel like an outsider looking in. There was a short time after that day on the bridge when I’d finally gotten the help I needed, that I felt like one of them. A Hudson. But now, it’s all gone.
I hate it.
“Miles and Char were our best friends,” Daniel agrees, giving me a soft smile. “Before you were born, they asked us if we’d like to be your godparents, and we agreed.”
“Happily,” Evelyn tacks on, grinning through her tears. “They tried for a baby for years. They were so excited when Char found out she was pregnant.” She suddenly stands and reaches across the table, gripping my hand firmly. “No matter what happens, you need to know you were wanted, Isabella. You were wanted more than anything and cherished above all else. I know nothing makes sense, but don’t forget that. Your parents loved you so much.”
A small sob bursts from me, and I quickly let her go to cover it. Understanding fills her features as she falls back into her seat.
“I don’t mean to be inconsiderate.” Hunter grunts, adjusting the tight collar of his borrowed shirt. “But if you’re her godparents, why did Madeline raise her? And when she was in the hospital, why the hell wasn’t it either of you who took her in instead of that fucking—”
“Hunt,” I interrupt sharply, shaking my head. “Leave it.”
“Ella—”
“No.” I slash a hand through the air. “I don't want to get into it right now.”
I meet his gaze, showing him exactly how close I am to shattering. If we have to rehash how bad things were, I’ll break.
His shoulders drop and he winces in pain, rubbing at his hidden bandages. The reminder of what he did for me, stepping in front of a bullet, saving me, is the push I need to focus. Everything else can wait.
“We didn’t want to leave you,” Evelyn says, drawing me back to the room. “I swear. But when the Circle fell apart, we had no other choice. There were only a few of us left. We had no home, no money, no resources, and we were on the run. We went underground to pick up the fallen pieces. To mourn our losses and heal the wounded. We thought you were safest in that hospital. Hidden. The plan was always to come get you, go away with you until the threat was eliminated, but then…”
She trails off, turning toward Madeline. The look she gives her is closed off, probably difficult to decipher for some. But I know Evelyn. Have lived with her for the better part of my life. It’s in the glossiness of her blue eyes. The slight pinch between her brows and tension in her jaw.
Evelyn is sad.
Devastated, even.
Silence fills the room once more, but this time, it’s weighted. Everyone’s attention is fixated on who I can only assume is their leader of some sort. Most of the people around the table have expressions matching Evelyn’s.
Madeline shifts, looking uncomfortable as hell.
“But then,” she drawls, averting her gaze. “I was taken.”
Taken? Who the hell would take her?
Evelyn’s words replay through my mind, but everything is fuzzy, like I’m moving through tar.
The Circle.
Why does that sound so familiar? Flashes of the last night I remember seeing Char and Miles alive flow through my mind. Something about them feels familiar, almost like déjà vu. Like I’d heard the story before seeing it for myself.
My brows furrow.
“A gardener had been working outside when the explosion happened,” Madeline continues. Her gaze is distant, her mind clearly somewhere far away. “He saw you get hurt, heard the screams and chaos inside the house, and knew he had to get you to safety. But Jonah was a part of the family. His association to Charlotte wasn’t a secret. If anyone had seen him with you, they could discover your connection to us. You’d have been in danger.”
This time, it’s me who scoffs, surprising everyone including myself. “More danger than I’d been in at that hospital, broken and alone? I was a child, Madeline.”
I expect her to snap back at me, but instead, she gives me a sad look and nods. “You have no idea how much worse things could have been.”
“Who the hell is the Circle?” Hunter asks, clearly growing impatient. I don’t blame him.
“The Inner Circle was once made up of ten families. Beyond them, there were over a hundred others who kept everything running. Employees, like Jonah and their families, children. People who’d been loyal to Charlotte, whether because they genuinely loved and supported her, or because of a debt owed to her late father.” Her gaze slides around the room as her arms open, gesturing to those surrounding us. “This is the new Circle. Everyone around you has a job, a specialty they bring to the table. But more than that, they’re a family.”
