The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 5: Chasing Shadows

The week crawled by with agonizing slowness. Between volleyball practice, homework, and maintaining his usual facade of sarcasm and cheerfulness, Ryan's mind was consumed by questions. His notebook was filling up rapidly now, each page scrawled with potential leads, questions, and half-formed theories.

He kept coming back to one nagging thought: Why had Haven Adoption Services shut down? If the agency was legitimate, why did it vanish without a trace? And what about his biological parents? Did they know he existed?

The Call Back

Finally, the week was up, and Ryan found himself sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring at his phone. His parents were downstairs watching a movie, their laughter trickling faintly up through the floorboards. Normally, the sound would've comforted him, but now it only reminded him of the secret he was hiding.

He dialed the number from the coffee shop and waited, his heart pounding.

"Hello?" the cheerful voice from last week answered.

"Hi, it's Ryan," he said quickly. "We talked last week about Haven Adoption Services?"

"Of course, honey," she said warmly. "I've been looking through some old files and reaching out to a few people. I don't have much, but I found something that might help."

Ryan sat up straighter. "What is it?"

"One of the old caseworkers, a woman named Judith Harper, handled a lot of the private cases back then. She retired a few years ago, but I managed to get her number. If anyone remembers your adoption, it'd be her."

Ryan scribbled the name and number in his notebook, his pulse racing. "Thank you," he said, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Good luck, sweetheart," she said. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Judith Harper

Ryan didn't waste any time. He dialed Judith's number immediately, barely pausing to catch his breath. After a few rings, an elderly voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Harper," Ryan began, trying to sound composed. "My name is Ryan Carter. I was adopted through Haven Adoption Services in 2009, and I was told you might know something about it."

There was a pause. Ryan could hear her breathing, as though she were sifting through years of memories.

"Haven," she said finally, her voice slow and deliberate. "I haven't heard that name in a long time. What exactly are you trying to find, young man?"

"My biological family," Ryan said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "I don't know anything about them. I didn't even know I was adopted until recently."

Judith sighed. "That's a heavy thing to learn," she said softly. "I'll tell you what I can, but you have to understand-some of those cases were complicated. Private adoptions often came with... unique circumstances."

Ryan's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"

Judith hesitated. "Haven handled a lot of discreet cases-arrangements where the families didn't want too many details on record. Yours might be one of those. Let me see what I can find in my notes. Call me back tomorrow, alright?"

Ryan bit his lip, frustration bubbling up. "Alright," he said, though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

A Night of Restless Thoughts

That night, Ryan lay awake, his mind racing. Unique circumstances. What did that even mean? He tried to piece together a narrative, but every possibility only raised more questions. Why would his biological parents give him up? Why had Haven shut down? And why had his adoptive parents never told him the truth?

He thought about Mike and Lily, their endless affection, their unwavering support. He loved them, he did-but a seed of resentment was beginning to grow. They'd kept this from him for his entire life. Didn't he deserve to know where he came from?

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered into the dark, his voice trembling.

The room was silent, the only answer the faint rustle of wind outside his window.

The Revelation

The next day after school, Ryan called Judith back, clutching his phone like it was a lifeline.

"I looked into it," Judith said as soon as she picked up. "Your case wasn't in the standard files-it was part of a private adoption. But I remember it now. It was... unusual."

"Unusual how?" Ryan asked, his throat tight.

"The family who gave you up-they were very wealthy," Judith said. "Prominent. They insisted on absolute discretion. The mother came to us directly, asking that the adoption remain private. She didn't want her husband or other children to know."

Ryan's breath caught. "Other children?" he echoed.

"Yes," Judith said gently. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you have siblings. A lot of them, if I remember correctly."

Ryan's mind reeled. Siblings? He'd always been an only child. The idea of having brothers or sisters-people who shared his blood-felt surreal.

"Do you know who they are? Where they are?" he asked, his voice urgent.

Judith hesitated. "I can't give you their information," she said. "That would be against confidentiality laws. But I can tell you this: their family was prominent enough that a little digging might lead you to them. They lived in a big estate not far from here, if I'm remembering correctly."

Ryan's pulse quickened. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Be careful, Ryan," Judith said softly. "Not everyone wants to be found."

A New Lead

Armed with this new information, Ryan dove into research that night. He scoured local archives, real estate records, and social media, piecing together a profile of the wealthy families in the area. Slowly, a name began to emerge-a family that fit Judith's description.

The Whitmores.

The Whitmores were a well-known family, famous for their sprawling estate and thriving business empire. Photos of them at charity galas and public events flooded Ryan's screen.

His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the images. The father was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and a sharp jawline. The seven brothers-seven-were all strikingly similar, their features like a stronger, more grown-up version of Ryan's own. Dark hair. Brown eyes. The resemblance was uncanny.

Ryan swallowed hard, his fingers trembling as he clicked through the photos. They looked happy, confident, larger-than-life. And yet, somewhere in that perfect picture, there was a space where he should've been.

They don't know I exist, he thought, his chest tightening. But why? Why would their mother hide him from them?

The answers were out there, tantalizingly close. Ryan wasn't sure he was ready for what he might uncover, but one thing was certain-he couldn't turn back now.