earth2maria
Seventeen-year-old Ada Reed has been raising her little brother for as long as she can remember. In a house ruled by secrets, excuses, and their mother's addiction, Ada learned early how to lie convincingly, stay quiet when it mattered, and hold everything together-no matter the cost.
But when her brother Dallas is suspended from school after protecting their mother in a way no kid ever should, Ada's carefully built world starts to crack. The police get involved. Questions are asked. And every answer threatens to expose the truth she's been hiding to keep Dallas out of the system.
Then their mother comes home in the middle of a psychotic break-armed, paranoid, and convinced everyone is against her. With neighbors watching and sirens closing in, Ada is forced into a role she never asked for: standing between a dangerous parent and the authorities, hoping she can keep everyone alive.
As foster care looms fast, Ada must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the one person who still needs her-even if it means putting herself directly in harm's way.
A raw, emotional crime-drama in The Rookie universe, this story explores family loyalty, survival, and what it really means to be brave when there are no good choices-only consequences.