The moment Catherine Waverly saw the girl’s necklace, her entire world stopped. One second, she was lifting her wine glass. The next, she was staring, frozen, silent, at the gold pendant hanging just below Jader’s collarbone.
A delicate charm, shaped like a crescent moon and etched with a single initial, L. Sixteen-year-old Chase Waverly beamed beside her, proudly introducing the girl he had brought home. «Mom, Dad, this is Jader.» Jader offered a soft smile, her voice steady despite the tension clinging to the room. «It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Waverly.»
Catherine didn’t answer. Her gaze didn’t move from the necklace. Robert Waverly, seated at the head of the table, cleared his throat.
«And how did you two meet?» «At the Lincoln Shelter,» Chase replied quickly. «She teaches coding to younger kids. That’s where I volunteer.»
«Amazing,» Robert murmured, forcing a smile. Catherine finally blinked and set her glass down, untouched. «Excuse me,» she said, rising slowly.
Her voice had gone cold, almost brittle. «I’ll be back in a moment.» She turned and walked out of the room stiffly, one hand reaching up, not for composure, but for her own necklace, hidden beneath her blouse.
Something was very, very wrong. Catherine Waverly didn’t stop until she reached the master suite. She shut the door, locked it, and opened the antique jewelry box on her dresser with trembling hands.
Buried beneath pearls and diamonds was a necklace nearly identical to the one Jader wore. A gold crescent moon. Etched with the same single letter, L. She hadn’t seen that symbol in almost two decades.
In the dining room, the atmosphere had thinned, but only just. Jader sipped water quietly while Chase rambled to fill the silence. «She’s into AI and robotics too, Mom. I mean, she’s applying to Columbia.»
Robert raised an eyebrow. «Impressive.» Jader nodded.
«I’ve always loved solving puzzles.» Robert gave a small, polite smile, but his eyes flickered again to her necklace. «That’s a beautiful piece.»
«Family heirloom.» Jader looked down. «Actually, no.»
«I don’t know where it came from.» «You don’t?» «I grew up in foster care.»
«The necklace was the only thing found with me as a baby.» The room went still. Robert exchanged a glance with the empty doorway where Catherine had disappeared.
Jader didn’t notice. She was still staring down at the gold charm, completely unaware it had just opened a door no one in that house ever wanted to walk through again. Catherine stood at the bathroom sink, running cold water over her wrists, her breath shaky and uneven…