The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 6: Through the Looking Glass

Ryan couldn't focus on anything the next day. His mind was locked on the name: Whitmores. Seven brothers. A family that radiated power, wealth, and confidence. A family that, if Judith's story was true, didn't know he existed.

The volleyball court, his usual escape, felt distant as he half-heartedly worked through drills. His coach barked orders, but Ryan barely registered them. Every time he blinked, he saw their faces. His face, reflected back in theirs.

"Ryan!" Jake called, snapping him out of his haze. "You alive, man? You missed your block."

"Sorry," Ryan muttered, shaking his head as he forced himself to refocus. "I'll get the next one."

But he didn't. His head wasn't in the game, and everyone noticed. Even Jake, who usually didn't push, cornered him after practice.

"Alright, spill," Jake said, crossing his arms. "You've been weird for days, and now you're messing up on the court? This isn't you. What's going on?"

Ryan hesitated, his throat tightening. He trusted Jake, but the words felt too heavy to say out loud. Instead, he forced a grin. "Just stressed. School, you know?"

Jake didn't look convinced, but he let it go. "Fine. But get your act together before Saturday, okay? We need you."

Ryan nodded, but his heart wasn't in it.

The Research Deepens

That night, Ryan sat at his desk, staring at his laptop. He'd combed through dozens of articles and social media posts about the Whitmores, piecing together fragments of their lives. The father, Charles Whitmore, was a business tycoon, a man whose name carried weight in boardrooms across the country. The brothers were athletes, scholars, and socialites, their lives a cascade of achievements.

And then there was the mother: Eleanor Whitmore. Elegant, poised, and sharp-eyed, she was the thread that tied the family together.

Ryan stared at her photo, his stomach churning. She's the one who gave me up, he thought. She's the one who didn't want me.

But why? What could drive a mother to abandon her child while keeping the rest? The question gnawed at him, and he knew there was only one way to find out.

A Dangerous Gamble

Over the next few days, Ryan became bolder. He wasn't content to just read about the Whitmores anymore-he wanted to see them, to feel the truth with his own eyes. The Whitmore estate wasn't hard to find; their wealth practically screamed its location. A sprawling mansion set on acres of manicured land, surrounded by high gates and guarded by a security booth.

Ryan rode his bike there after school one evening, his heart pounding as he approached the gates. He stopped a safe distance away, hiding behind a row of hedges. From there, he could see the house's grand facade, glowing softly in the evening light.

For a moment, he just stared. This was where he was supposed to belong. This was his family's home. And yet, he was an outsider, a stranger lurking in the shadows.

He was about to leave when the gates swung open, and a sleek black SUV rolled out. Ryan froze, ducking lower as the car passed. Inside, he caught a glimpse of three of the brothers. They were laughing, their voices muffled by the glass, but the ease between them was unmistakable.

Ryan's breath caught. They looked so familiar-so much like him. But they were taller, broader, exuding a confidence he could only dream of.

They don't even know I exist, he thought bitterly, his fists clenching.

The Discovery

The next morning, Ryan's determination reached a boiling point. He couldn't just sit and watch from the sidelines anymore. He needed answers. His next step was clear: he had to learn more about Eleanor Whitmore.

Using the school library's computers, he dove into every article he could find about her. Most painted her as a philanthropist, a mother devoted to her family and her community. But buried deep in the archives, Ryan found something else-a scandal.

A brief article from fifteen years ago mentioned Eleanor disappearing from the public eye for several months. No explanation was given, but speculation ran wild. Some claimed she'd gone on a retreat; others hinted at personal issues. When she returned, she was tighter-lipped than ever, her focus solely on her family.

Ryan's mind raced. The timeline matched. If Eleanor had been pregnant with him, it would explain her sudden absence. But it didn't explain why she'd given him up.

"Why would she hide me?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

His gut told him there was more to the story-something deeper, darker, that no article could uncover.

A Chance Encounter

That weekend, Ryan returned to the Whitmore estate, this time determined to get closer. He brought a camera, telling himself it was just to document what he saw. But as he lingered near the gates, a strange feeling of longing pulled at him.

A jogger appeared in the distance, heading toward the estate. As the figure came closer, Ryan's heart nearly stopped. It was one of the brothers.

Tall, muscular, and effortlessly confident, the boy looked like he'd stepped out of a magazine. His dark hair was damp with sweat, and his stride was powerful, purposeful.

Ryan ducked behind the hedges, but not before the jogger glanced his way. Their eyes met for a brief, electric moment.

The jogger slowed, frowning as if trying to place Ryan's face. But Ryan quickly turned away, his heart racing. He didn't know if the brother recognized him, but something about the way he stared made Ryan's skin crawl-in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant.

The First Crack

Inside the Whitmore estate, the jogger-Logan, the fourth oldest-entered the house, his brow furrowed.

"You good?" asked Theo, the youngest of the older brothers, lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

Logan didn't answer right away. "I think I saw someone near the gates," he said finally.

"Probably a fan," Theo said with a shrug. "You know how people get. 'Oh, the Whitmores! They're so rich and mysterious.'" He smirked. "Somebody probably wants an autograph."

Logan frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe. But he looked... familiar."

"Like a friend?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Logan hesitated, shaking his head. "No. Not a friend. It was weird. It felt like I knew him, but I didn't."

Theo rolled his eyes. "You've probably seen him around town. Let it go, man."

But Logan couldn't shake the feeling. There was something about that boy-something that tugged at him in a way he couldn't explain.