𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘬𝘪

𝟕

𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

"You will be assigned a new IP address if you choose to continue down the list. Remember— visual confirmation is always required for payment." Slamming her finger onto the stop button, Aurelia rested her head into her hands and exhaled. They had been listening to the tape for the past ten minutes, over and over again. Trying to pick apart each word, hoping for anything that could lead them to the Benefactor.

"You ever made a wire transfer?" Stiles asked, looking around the room.

"Never had enough money." Scott shrugged.

Lia sat up straighter, her back still pressed against Stiles' chest. "I have, only once. Some of the inheritance to Isaac. But then again it wasn't really me doing it, it was the guy at the bank."

"So, you didn't understand a word of that, either?" Stiles confirmed, disappointment flooding him when Lia admitted that she didn't. Lia hated not knowing things, being that she was the one that held the highest IQ, when she didn't know something, she felt useless.

Lia hated feeling useless.

"I don't understand any of this. Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?" Scott snapped, gesturing to the pile of cash on the floor.

Roman now laid across the sofa, his eyes fixed on the ceiling in thought. "Someone wants us dead, dude— badly."

Silence covered the room yet again, Aurelia felt her eyes growing heavy as the night grew later. But she would find it surprising if she was able to sleep, given everything that was going on in their lives.

Aurelia pulled away from Stiles as she watched Scott move the money back into the bag. "Whoa, whoa— what are you doing?"

Briefly looking to the Phoenix, Scott grew confused. "It's late. We've got the PSATs in the morning?"

"Yeah, you might! But, I meant the money." She corrected reaching for his hand, stopping him from moving anymore of the cash.

"Five hundred thousand dollars, Scott. You know how much money that is? It's half a million dollars, Scott. What are you gonna do, just slide it under Lia's sofa?" Stiles snapped, rising to his feet and beginning to pace.

"I have to talk to Derek. The money's his—"

"You mean his and Peter's—" Stiles interjected.

"And Lia, Isaac, and Malia's." Roman voiced, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. In truth the Werewolf wasn't technically incorrect. The money belonged to the Hale family and although the three supernatural's had not been raised with them, genetically they were Hales.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked, climbing to his feet also. Leaving just Aurelia sat cross legged on the floor, her neck growing stiff as she looked up at them both.

Apprehensively, Stiles continued. "I mean, maybe we should proceed with caution. I mean, of course we have to tell Derek. I'm just saying, some of that money's Peter's, right?" Stiles explained, seating himself onto the sofa. "Peter. Homicidal killer, remember? You want to give five hundred thousand dollars to him?"

Aurelia tilted her head. She hated hearing that her father was a murderer. But she couldn't be angry, Stiles wasn't incorrect in his statement. Peter had not been a good guy to them, Aurelia could hope that he would change, but part of her knew to never trust him. "So, we should give Derek his money back, but not Peter?" Aurelia voiced, placing a hand on his leg, giving him the room to continue what he was saying. "Stiles, what are you trying to say?" Lia laughed lightly, giving him the option to continue.