The boardroom had emptied, but the silence it left behind was deafening. Ethan stood near the window, staring at the city lights, his mind racing faster than the traffic below. Claudia's final words echoed relentlessly in his ears: *"There's one more name you haven't asked about. Yours."* The implication was clear. Everything they knew was about to change, yet somehow, he refused to let the cracks widen between him and Ava.
He felt her presence beside him before she spoke. Ava's hand found his, a quiet anchor in the storm. "We'll get through this," she whispered, her voice steady but laced with pain.
Ethan swallowed hard. "If Claudia's right… if I'm not Richard's son"
"You are," Ava interrupted firmly. "Blood isn't only about biology. It's about who stands by you. Who fights for you."
Her words gave him strength, but questions gnawed at him relentlessly. Who was the man Claudia spoke of? Could the man who fathered Ethan really be a friend to Richard? And more importantly, would the truth bring them closer or tear them apart?
Ava's grip tightened. "You *are* his son, Ethan. Whether biology agrees or not doesn't matter. Blood is more than DNA—it's about loyalty, love, and who stands beside you when the world is against you."
Her words settled on him like a balm, but the knot of doubt refused to loosen. He needed answers. Not just for himself, but for their future—and for their son, Revel.
Later that night, Ethan retreated to the solitude of his study, a quiet refuge filled with memories in the form of photographs and mementos. His hand trembled slightly as he picked up a faded photo of Richard Cole standing alongside an older man with silver hair and gentle eyes—Daniel Okoro. Richard's oldest friend, a man known for his unwavering loyalty and discretion.
His phone buzzed sharply, breaking his focus. A message from Ava glowed on the screen: *"We need to talk. This can't wait."* Before he could reply, his phone rang. It was Daniel.
"Ethan, it's time I told you the truth," Daniel's voice was calm but carried the weight of years. "You deserve to know everything."
Ethan's heart pounded as Daniel began to recount events from the past—events Ethan never knew or was allowed to forget. Daniel told him about a night, a single night before Richard's wedding, when fate and passion had woven a tangled web. The night Claudia had shared with another man, a man who was not Richard, but who had left behind a legacy Ethan carried unknowingly.
Daniel's tone was steady, but Ethan could hear the sorrow beneath. "That man… he's been a friend to Richard, a trusted ally. He never meant to hurt anyone. And you need to understand, Ethan, this doesn't change who you are. You're still Richard's son in every way that matters."
Tears welled in Ethan's eyes—not from devastation, but from relief. A part of him had feared this truth, yet Daniel's words were a lifeline, pulling him back from the edge of despair. The story made sense now, yet the questions piled higher.
Meanwhile, Ava had been working her own investigation into Claudia's past. Every secret uncovered was another chink in the armor of the woman who had tried to keep them apart for so long. Claudia's empire, built on lies and manipulation, was beginning to crumble, brick by brick.