How Far We Came [Jackson J. Genrette] (Outer Banks AU)

The Next Day,
The Chateau felt like stepping into another world. 
My Merćedes mom got me for my sixteenth birthday and looked absurdly out of place next to John B's beaten-up van, much like how we felt walking into this Pogue sanctuary.
"You sure about this?" Rafe asked quietly, his hand brushing against mine.
"No," I admitted. "But we need to know."
John B's surprise at seeing not one but two Figure Eight kids in his living room was evident. "Didn't expect to see either of you here."
"Trust me, we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to be," Rafe replied, his Figure Eight polish a stark contrast to the Chateau's worn furniture.
Kiara and Pope kept their distance, watching us with barely concealed suspicion. We weren't enemies, exactly, but our worlds rarely collided like this. 
Topper stood awkwardly by the door, completing our little Kook invasion.
"Show them what you found," I told him, my voice carrying the authority that came from generations of Figure Eight privilege–Genrette running through my veins, even if one of those names was never spoken aloud.
Topper pulled out a stack of papers. "I was in Ward's office when I found these. They're about more than just the Royal Merchant."
"Meaning what?" Pope asked skeptically.
"Names," Topper said. "Dr. Larissa Genrette. Chandler Groff. Big John. All connected somehow."
I watched their faces as they processed this. They knew my mom as the polished Figure Eight doctor, the Genrette heiress who'd made her fortune on top of her family's wealth. They had no idea about her connection to the Groffs, or why she'd erased that part of our history.
"Your mom's involved in this?" Kiara asked, surprise evident. "Dr. Genrette?"
"The Genrettes have been on Figure Eight longer than the Camerons," Rafe explained, his tone carrying that hint of old money knowledge.
"And the Groffs?" John B asked, making me tense.
"not much is known," Topper supplied, watching me carefully. 
I felt their eyes on me, curious but not daring to ask. 
"What exactly are you hoping to find?" Pope asked.
"Answers," I replied. "About what happened that summer. About why Ward's so interested in my mom's old records?"
"And why he's been watching JJ," Sarah added, stepping inside. None of us had heard her arrive.
Topper shifted uncomfortably. "Sarah..."
"Don't," she cut him off. "You're only here because you got scared Ward would find out you've been helping him spy on me."
The tension in the room ratcheted up several notches.
"Look," I interrupted, "this isn't about Kook versus Pogue. Something bigger is happening, and for whatever reason, we're all involved."
"Big John's notes mention both your mom's family," John B said slowly. "Says something about 'old blood washing away sins.'"
"The genrette estate borders the marsh," Rafe added. "Where Dad's been spending a lot of time lately."
"Ward's boat," Topper said. "The HMS Issue. That's where he keeps everything he doesn't want found. I've seen him there late at night, going through old files."
"Ever since JJ started asking about his heritage," Sarah clarified, making me wince. She knew enough to be dangerous–about both sides of my family tree.
My phone buzzed–Mom again:
*Ward's asking questions at the hospital. About that summer. About your father. Be careful, darling.*
"We move tonight," Sarah decided. "We'll move during Midsummer's at our house," Sarah decided.
"I can handle security," Topper offered.
I looked around at this strange gathering–Kooks and Pogues, bound together by whatever secrets lay in Ward's files.
"Nobody talks about this," I said, my tone carrying authority. "Especially not about my family."
"For the truth," John B agreed, though his version of truth might be very different from mine.
As Rafe and I left the Chateau, I heard Pope mutter to Kiara,
"Since when does JJ Genrette care about anything beyond Figure Eight?"
If they only knew. But that was the thing about old money–every fortune had its shadows. Mine just happened to have the Groff name attached to them.
Rafe squeezed my hand as we got back into his car. "You okay?"
"I will be," I replied. "Once we know everything."
Tomorrow, we'd find out exactly what Ward Cameron knew about the summer the Genrette heiress erased the Groff name from her son's future.