Tom took another long sip from the second bottle of wine before continuing. "Look, Stella, what I'm about to tell you is something Zoe has kept buried for a long time. I probably shouldn't even know about it, but my brother Lucas overheard parts of it from our father."
I leaned in, my curiosity piqued despite my confusion. "Your father? What does he have to do with any of this?"
Tom shook his head slowly. "My dad and Zoe went to the same college, though they didn't really know each other then. It wasn't until years later, after we were hired at Omni-Tech, that they reconnected at some alumni event."
He paused to take another swig of the deep red wine. I resisted the urge to stop him, realizing I may need the alcohol's loosening effects to get the full story.
"Go on," I urged gently.
T
