Page 6 of Liars

Fuck that.

I didn’t want to be safe and comfortable. I wanted to be with family.

“What about school? Where does this Mr. Corvo live? Will I at least be able to finish my senior year at the academy?” Suddenly, staying with my friends was the most important thing. I could only handle so much change in my life. My entire world had already been tipped upside down.

“That’s something you’ll have to discuss with him. I can tell you that you won’t have to move far. Mr. Corvo resides in Elmwood,” Mrs. Morgan said.

Thank God for small wonders.

Mr. King cleared his throat, moving to the second point. “The next matter pertains to your father’s estate. Kaylor, you are the sole beneficiary of everything your parents owned, but there are stipulations to the inheritance.”

I wasn’t all that surprised, considering I was their only child. There was no messy business of dividing up possessions with siblings. I’d always wanted a brother, but my mother couldn’t have any more children. Secondary infertility, her doctor had called it. “What stipulations?”

“The estate will be placed in a trust until you turn twenty-one,” he explained. “You’ll have access to funds for your care and education, but the majority of the assets will remain locked until you graduate college and reach the age requirement. The trust will be managed by your custodian.”

My mind whirled.Twenty-one?That seemed so far away, especially with the idea of someone else controlling the trust until then. “So…what? I’m supposed to live with this guy and wait until I’m twenty-one to actually get anything?”

Mr. King nodded, flecks of pity in his gaze. “That’s correct. Your father wanted to ensure you had a stable future. He trusted that Mr. Corvo would guide you through this difficult time and that you would honor his wishes regarding your education and the trust.”

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening, unable to decide if I wanted to scream or cry. Most likely both. “This is insane. Why didn’t he tell me about any of this? Why didn’t they ask me what I wanted?” They were questions neither Decker nor Kathrine could answer, and the two people who could provide clarity were dead. I assumed my parents thought this part of the will was necessary but wouldn’t be enacted. Yet, here I was. They hadn’t planned to die.

Mrs. Morgan leaned closer, her voice softening. “It’s a lot to take in. I doubt your parents ever thought this day would come.”

I didn’t respond. My mind swirled in a storm of anger, confusion, and grief. I felt betrayed by the very people I’d loved and trusted most—my parents. “And there’s no other option?”

“This is the choice your parents thought was best. Give it a chance,” the social worker said.

“Like I have a choice,” I retorted, my voice trembling.

Mrs. Morgan and Mr. King exchanged a glance before rising from their seats. “We’ll give you some time. But we’ll need to talk again.” Mr. King left a copy of the will on my rolling table.

As the door clicked shut behind them, I closed my eyes, my thoughts churning. My future was locked away in a trust I had no control over. I felt adrift, untethered from the life I’d known.

What the fuck is happening?

Godfather? Godfather!

I had a godfather.

Donovan Corvo.

Who was he? Why hadn’t my father ever mentioned him? Why him?

Nothing about this arrangement sat well in my gut. My instincts were telling me this was wrong. They were telling me to run.

What would actually happen to me if I didn’t go with this Donovan Corvo?

I could stay with Carson or Kenny. Either would be happy to have me. Their parents were closer to family than my supposed godfather.

When my friends got back, they would know what I should do.

We’d cyberstalk this Donovan Corvo and find out just what sort of guy he was. Kenny was a certified computer hacker. Okay, hacker might have been a stretch, but she did stream games for fun. Close enough. It would have to do in this situation. She knew more about computers than Carson and I combined, which wasn’t saying a lot. I spent more time on my phone than I did on my laptop. That device was strictly for school as far as I was concerned.

My friends didn’t let me down. Not in their outrage on my behalf. Not in their desire to help even if that meant breaking a few laws. And definitely not in their support.

They stayed until visiting hours were over, searching, digging, and uncovering any dirt on Donovan Corvo. There wasn’t a whole lot. The man had no social media presence, but we did find a few photos. It was difficult to tell from the images if they were older or more recent, seeing as I had no idea how old he was, but if he’d been an old friend of my father’s, then he had to be at least close to my dad’s age.

Donovan had raven hair and light-green eyes, strong features—a face of a man who got shit done and expected little talkback. He did not look all that kind. The few pictures I saw depicted him as a hard man with frown lines and firm lips. Not a single smile.

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