"You—" Gray sputtered, completely at a loss. "Why are you telling me this?"

Mandy smiled softly. "Oh, I don't know. Clearing the air, I guess? You were unfinished business for a very long time. Tell me, what have you been up to the past thirty-eight years? I want the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

That sounded like a lawyer's line. Gray hadn't gone to trial for Lacy's murder, but he knew enough about the legal world to recognize the words as part of a witness's oath. Had she been arrested and gone to trial, or was this a coincidence?

"I went to MIT," he began uneasily. He'd never told anyone the whole truth about his life. The basics should suffice, right?

"I graduated in 2006 and moved back to Manhattan. I worked for Apple, helping develop some of their technology. When apps became popular, I developed a couple of my own, and they were successful. I became a millionaire from the second one and decided to start my own app-making company."

All of that was fairly innocent, but he omitted the stalking of the Hales as he plotted their downfall. He left out his underhanded actions to gain power, and how he'd changed his mind, deciding to let Aaron overthrow their father instead, once he understood Aaron's plans.

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "That seems pretty innocuous. How did you end up in prison, then?"

Gray choked on his drink. How on earth did she know he'd been to prison? Unless… had she overheard his conversation with Aaron at the restaurant? If so, how much had she heard?

"How…" he coughed. "How do you know about that?"

She shrugged. "I happened to overhear you talking to your friend. Interestingly enough, that's something we have in common. I spent nine years in prison because my abusive ex-husband attacked my child, and I stabbed him in the eye. Makes me real popular with the men, let me tell you."

Her eyes gleamed mischievously, and he was stunned. The surprises never stopped with this woman. She'd been to prison? She'd stabbed someone in the eye? She had a child? That was a lot of information from a single sentence!

All Gray could manage was, "You have a kid?"

"Yep. She's twenty-seven, married, and has an adorable two-year-old son. I got pregnant by a loser of a foster brother when I was sixteen and was kicked out. Britt and I lived in a women's shelter for a while, but that's not important," Mandy said, waving her hand dismissively.

If that wasn't important, what was? What kind of life had his former foster sister lived?

It suddenly struck him that Mandy might be the only person who could truly understand his story. She'd stabbed someone without regret (or so it seemed) to protect her family. There was a good chance she wouldn't judge him for what happened with Lacy.

Could he finally be himself, and truly talk to someone? Even Aaron didn't know everything. He clearly didn't trust Aaron, so why bother telling someone uninterested?

No one alive knew the full story. Telling someone who might understand might be liberating. He had nothing left to lose.

Gray laughed. "Alright, you got me. What I told you is the tip of the iceberg. You want the real story? It's not pretty."

Mandy shrugged. "Who needs pretty? I want to know what you actually went through."

A tiny piece of the stone wall around his heart chipped away at her words. So he told her everything.

His days hacking into his biological family's systems to get revenge for his mother's murder. Trying to fill the void in his life with money and women, believing it was what someone of his father's status would do. How he'd hated his brother until he realized they were on the same side.

Getting involved with Lacy Knighton to learn more about Aaron, only to discover she was a threat to the only family he had left. Caring enough to act on it. Murdering Lacy. Getting caught and going to prison.

He finished by telling her about rebuilding his empire from the inside, Aaron's lackluster prison visits, and the loneliness and jealousy he'd felt since his release, seeing his brother's happiness over the past twenty-five years.

"Pathetic, huh?" Gray asked ruefully. "Pretty sure my sob story is even worse than yours."

"So you have family, but he only tolerates you because you went to prison for him, and he doesn't want you near his perfect little family. Geez, Mikey. Your life sucks," Mandy said with a slight laugh.

Her expression turned serious, and she gripped his arm. The touch was somehow both rough and comforting. Gray couldn't remember the last time a touch had felt comforting.

"I'm sorry you went through all that. It must have been terribly lonely. It must still be terribly lonely."

Half a smile appeared on his face. She was trying to comfort him, despite her own nightmare. "What about you? Your life hasn't been all that great either. But at least you have a family that wants you."

Mandy's eyes clouded. Her hand moved from his arm to his, clasping his hands in hers, meeting his gaze earnestly.

"You don't have to be alone, you know. Even if your brother doesn't care, I do. I always have."

Gray's heart skipped a beat. Did he really not have to be alone? Mandy hadn't recoiled in horror. Her sympathy and kindness remained. She wasn't offering romantic love, but companionship. Or so he thought. What exactly was she offering?

Gray pulled his hands away. "You don't have to do that because you feel sorry for me. I don't need anyone's pity. My life is unfulfilling, but at least I have my money. I can go anywhere and do anything."

He was trying to comfort himself while simultaneously protecting his wounded pride. Mandy saw right through him.

"Uh-huh, but who will you do those things with? People aren't meant to be alone, Mikey."

It was strange being called Mikey again. It made him feel five years old. But it was also grounding. Someone remembered him from a time he'd long tried to forget.

The final paragraphs about the stolen work should be removed as they are unrelated to editing the passage and are promotional material.