Chapter Five
Alex
Coach Neill’s office remains a bright spot in a dark and dreary world. Rays of sun pour through the window and warm my legs, inspiring me to close my eyes as I tilt my head toward the light. This is the only place I can let my guard down. It’s nestled right next to the gym and the fencing studio in a part of the school where privacy is upheld whenever the coach is around.
“Evelyn might be my half sister,” I speak slowly to the fencing coach. I can feel her watching me, can sense the way her features shift. “I also found a notebook that seems to have belonged to my father.”
It’s only when I’m reaching for my backpack that I bother opening my eyes. The harsh light invades my vision, making my eyeballs ache. I show the notebook to Coach Neill, who leans forward with a pensive expression. “Where did you find this?”
“Right after an attempt on my life.”
The color drains from her face. “Alexandra, you never mentioned that!”
“I guess it slipped my mind.”
“How could it slip your mind that someone tried to kill you?”
With a sigh, I flatten the book on her desk and spread my fingers over the pages. “You can’t imagine the kind of secrets that are in here, Coach.”
“Alexandra, you need to start taking action if you don’t want to end up a dead pawn in someone else’s game.”
“I’m already a pawn.”
She huffs. “I said a dead one.”
“I’m not trying to downplay what you’ve said. I’m just stating facts here.”
“I realize you’re a pawn, dear Alexandra. But I don’t want you to end up at the bottom of the lake for your ignorance.”
I shake my head while tapping the notebook. “I can’t be ignorant when I have these.”
In the middle of explaining how I changed the passwords on various financial accounts so my mother can’t access them, a knock echoes at the door. Coach gives me a strange look, nods for me to put the notebook away, and then calls out, “Come in.”
Lev wanders into the office, looking particularly out of place. I stand up and clutch the book to my chest. “What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t see you in the lot with your driver, so I thought I would offer to take you home.”
“You want to drive me home today?”
Coach Neill stands and rounds her desk, standing as tall as her stature will allow. “You need to leave, Lev.”
I hold up a hand to my coach. “No, it’s okay. I trust him.”
The critical glare she gives Lev makes me feel like I can trust her too. She’s been one of the only other people in my corner this whole time. To have her support means the world feels a little less scary—and a lot brighter.
“You should probably look at this,” I say while inviting Lev to sit next to me. I uncurl the notebook away from my chest and flatten it so both Coach and Lev can see it. I shoot a questioning look at Coach Neill. “As long as you’re okay with this.”
She reluctantly nods and then perches in her chair as if preparing to fly at Lev at any given moment. Her new hawk-like appearance makes me chortle and I nudge Lev, pointing at the notebook while explaining how I got a hold of it. With a determined frown, he thumbs through the pages and pauses to show us a list.
To me, it’s just letters and numbers until Lev says, “Those are birth dates.”
Coach Neill squints while leaning over the desk. “The kid’s right. Those look like routing numbers right next to them, too.”
He nods. “And that looks like an amount for deposited funds.”
I blink at Lev and then turn to Coach Neill. “So, do you think these are…?”
“Felipe’s bastard children?” She nods slowly while giving me a mournful frown. “Sorry, dear Alexandra. I think so.”