The Similars (The Similars #1)(46)

“I think it’s the first time someone could say they saw a ghost and mean it literally.”

“I’ve never understood why there weren’t told…” Pippa says.

“The Wards had just lost their son.” I shrug. “Maybe whoever was supposed to inform them couldn’t bring themselves to do it.”

“Maybe,” Pippa says. But she doesn’t sound all that convinced. Then her eyes widen. I follow her gaze to the feeds, where there is a picture of a familiar-looking man projected with a headline below it: MEDIA MOGUL—GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Pippa shakes her head. “Tessa’s father, Damian Leroy. A jury found him guilty this morning on seven counts of securities fraud.”

I’m not surprised. We’d all seen this coming, what with the media coverage of the evidence presented at trial. Yet, as I stare up at the feeds, the headlines are shocking, nonetheless: DAMIAN LEROY: BILLIONAIRE CROOK and THE LEROY DYNASTY—THE MAKINGS OF A FRAUDULENT EMPIRE.

A slideshow of photos sweeps across the view space. Damian and his wife. Damian and their two children—Tessa and her little brother. I scan the cafeteria for Tessa, but I don’t see her.

Then another familiar face pops up in the view space. It’s Jaeger, looking as careworn as ever, but suited in a spiffy blazer. Next to him is a young anchorman I recognize from the feeds. Pippa stiffens at the sight of her DNA father.

“Jaeger Stanwick, thanks for being with us today,” says the anchorman. “You were the first to break the story of the FBI’s investigation of Damian Leroy’s financial reports.”

“It wasn’t a job I relished,” Jaeger says. “Damian and I were schoolmates back in the day. He’s an old friend.”

“And now, a convicted criminal,” the anchorman points out.

Jaeger sighs. “Facts are facts. It was my journalistic duty to expose his corruption.”

“Some say that your personal connection influenced your report.”

“People say a lot of things,” Jaeger responds darkly. “That doesn’t make them true.”

“Up next,” the anchorman says, “‘The Case for No Clones.’ Mr. Stanwick, you have a lot to say about that essay, I presume?”

“Only that it’s indefensible,” Jaeger replies.

“So you don’t believe the Similars are a danger to society?”

“Absolutely not.”

“More on that when we return. First, a word from our sponsor,” the anchorman says before the feeds cut out. I let out a heavy breath. Seeing Jaeger always makes me think of Pru.

“Jaeger didn’t look so good,” I tell Pippa.

She shakes her head. “No.” Then, “I wonder where Tessa is?”

“Hiding in her room?” I do feel sorry for Tessa. Even she doesn’t deserve a father with a prison sentence.

A burst of voices comes from across the room, and I spot Levi getting up abruptly from his table. He looks rattled, which is unusual for him. He’s always so impassive. Jane scoots back her chair to get up too, and she moves to fold Levi into her arms. Though Levi reacts stiffly, he allows her to hug him. Once Jane lets go, he takes a step back. I can’t quite tell what’s happening, but it’s clear he’s not happy. He picks up his tray of food, barely eaten, and walks out the door.

I don’t bother to bus my tray. I ask Pippa to take care of it for me and run after Levi. He’s walking toward the woods. I hurry to catch up to him.

“Levi!” I shout.

“Can I help you?” he asks distantly when I reach him at the edge of the brambles. It’s quiet as a morgue out here, and there’s not a soul in sight. A voice deep down warns me that I shouldn’t be out here alone with him. What if that report is right and the Similars are dangerous? I shut the voice out of my head as quickly as it came.

“What happened?” I ask. “What did they say?”

“Let’s see,” says Levi. “Once they got over the shock of meeting me, they called their family lawyer. They decided to name me a beneficiary in the family will, along with their twin daughters, Chloe and Lucy. They called them my little sisters,” he says, emphasizing the word like it’s terrible. “Here’s the best part. Their lawyer is planning to shift equity in the Ward family business, so that as soon as I sign some paperwork, I’ll be gifted a large grant of super voting shares of Ward, Inc. stock. It is stock Oliver would have held…if he’d lived.”

“I don’t understand,” I say. “They’re doing everything in their power to make you a part of their family. To be like a mom and dad to you. Why are you so upset?”

“A mom and dad? To me? Are you delusional?”

“No,” I say, trying not to sound too defensive. He’s in pain, I remind myself. “All I know is that if Jane Porter wanted to be my mother, it would be the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Levi storms into the woods. I follow. He’s walking fast, as though he’s trying to outrun it all, and I hurry to keep up, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Levi,” I cry out. “Wait!”

He wheels on me, his breath shallow, his cheeks red. Something in his eyes makes him look lost, as though he could breathe fire. A shiver runs up my spine.

“I would have thought you of all people would understand,” he seethes.