After three years, the four of us gathered around the same table. But the laughter and warmth of the past were gone. During the meal, I mentioned wanting to move back to my own home.
Lucas was the first to object. "No, it’s not safe there."
"Yes, Helena, your place has been uninhabited for years. It’s unlivable now." Dad agreed.
Only Mom was in favor. "Helena is twenty-three years old now. It’s normal for her to want to live on her own." She looked at me with undisguised disdain. "With so many houses under our family’s name, you can choose any to live in."
"No need." I said calmly, "You didn’t mean to cause the accident back then. The Specter has taken care of me for ten years, that’s enough."
Everyone at the table froze. Even Lucas looked at me in surprise.
"Helena... you know?" Dad asked guiltily.
"Yes, I know everything." Not only did I know that the car that lost control years ago belonged to the Specter, but I also understood why Lucas had been so good to me all these years. Why he indulged me no matter how much I acted out.