Cassie nodded slowly, expectation softening her expression. There was a calm resolve in her eyes now, the kind that came from deciding not to run anymore.
"I'll share my secret too," she said quietly. "That way, if I ever tell on you, you can use mine against me."
It sounded almost lighthearted but the words carried weight.
Franklin didn't smile. Instead, he went silent, his jaw tightening, his gaze drifting somewhere far past her. Cassie felt it instantly.
Whatever he was about to say sat heavy on his chest, pressing down on old wounds that never quite healed.
"Tristan isn't my biological son," he said at last.
Cassie stilled.
"His mother is deceased," Franklin continued, his voice low. "And his biological father is in prison."
The words landed softly, but the me
