Even though Violet felt Thanksgiving had been a success, she felt listless. Michael Gray's fondness for her father and family during his visit had been odd; their relationship seemed almost sibling-like, despite their apparent lack of closeness. She knew her father had no siblings, unless her grandfather had an illegitimate child…but why wouldn't her father tell her?

Aaron Hale valued family above all else, yet he'd cast aside his snobby parents. He could easily do the same for a half-sibling, but it still seemed far-fetched. She wanted to ask but waited until everyone had left.

"Spit it out, Dad. Is Michael Gray related to you?" Violet demanded when she had him alone.

Her brothers were engrossed in VR games after consuming an improbable amount of pie; there was no risk of being overheard.

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Did your mother tell you that?"

"No, I figured it out. She did say you didn't want me to know, even though I'm an adult."

He sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "You're right. I'm afraid it'll affect you negatively. Can't you just leave the past in the past? It doesn't matter who he is."

It mattered to her. Her curiosity gnawed at her, and she was concerned he might be dangerous. His previous explanations had been too cryptic; she needed the truth to decide for herself.

"It matters to me. Please tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else," except Noah, if he ever answered her texts. But he kept secrets better than anyone, so he didn't count.

"Fine, but if you tell your brothers, I'll never trust you again," Aaron muttered, shame flooding his face, startling her. The situation with Gray must be worse than she'd imagined. Her father rarely showed shame, although he never discussed his birth family.

"He's my father's son by another woman. I didn't meet him until after I married your mother. You wouldn't understand…the world I left behind was terrible. I've never regretted leaving high society and my parents. But they do things differently there…or at least they did twenty-six years ago."

Aaron explained the importance of sons and his father's obsession with bloodline purity. Violet was horrified to learn he'd tried to make his illegitimate son disappear into the foster system after his "pure" heir was born.

Her father's expression grew increasingly miserable. She had no idea he'd had a psychotic stalker. This sounded like a mystery novel. Even more surprising: the suave man she found unsettling had murdered the stalker for his brother's sake.

"Do you see, Vi? I don't like him, but I'm the only person he actually likes. He killed Lacy Knighton and went to prison for me, his only remaining family. He'd never jeopardize our relationship, so even though I don't trust him, you guys are safe as long as I maintain the charade," Aaron finished.

Violet was surprised by his openness. Being related to two murderers was serious. No wonder he hadn't wanted to say anything.

"Why did you tell me so much? I only wanted to know who he was."

A wry smile appeared. "I know how you think. The second you found out he was related to me, you'd look it up online and find all the old gossip. It's better coming from me than the internet."

Violet respected that. He was right; she would have looked it up. Her father understood her need to know everything—they shared that affliction.

But wow…even in minimal detail, she could tell her father's life before her mother had been miserable. His family was a wreck. It made perfect sense he wanted nothing to do with them, even without their disapproval of his wife.

Violet felt an upsurge of affection. His life had been hard, but he was the best father and husband. He didn't let his past hold him back.

She hugged him. "I love you, Dad."

Aaron returned the hug. "I love you too."

With one mystery solved, Violet's thoughts turned to Jeremy and her lack of contact with Noah. She wondered if he'd met someone; if so, they could double date. If not…something was wrong. She texted him about her uncle.

'I figured out who Michael Gray is. It's a doozy.'

He replied instantly: 'Who is he?'

She should have appealed to his curiosity sooner. They shared that—a thirst for knowledge since childhood. Most of their conversations had philosophical significance.

She told him what her father had said. There were no secrets between them.

(The final paragraph about stolen content has been removed as it is not part of the text needing grammatical correction.)