The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 9: Into the Lion's Den

The Whitmore gala buzzed with life as the evening wore on, but Ryan's mind was in chaos. He lurked near the edge of the ballroom, doing his best to stay invisible. The encounter with Logan, Ethan, and Theo had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.

They'd seen him. They'd questioned him. And worse, Theo had looked at him like he knew something-something Ryan wasn't ready to face.

Across the room, Eleanor Whitmore descended from the stage, her speech met with polite applause. She moved gracefully through the crowd, pausing to greet donors and exchange pleasantries. To Ryan, she was a puzzle wrapped in silk and diamonds. He couldn't reconcile the poised, charitable woman before him with the mother who had chosen to abandon him.

"What are you hiding?" he thought, his hands clenching at his sides.

He took a deep breath. Now or never. If he didn't confront her tonight, he might never get another chance.

Meanwhile, the Brothers Plot

In a quieter corner of the ballroom, Logan, Ethan, and Theo regrouped. Their eyes scanned the crowd, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"I swear he was here a minute ago," Logan muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"He's slippery, I'll give him that," Theo said, sipping his drink.

Ethan crossed his arms, his jaw tight. "I don't care how slippery he is. We need to figure out who he is and why he's been hanging around."

"Let's start with Mom," Logan said suddenly.

Theo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Logan gestured toward Eleanor, who was engaged in conversation with a group of well-dressed donors. "She's the only one who could clear this up. If he's some charity case or distant relative, she'd know."

Ethan hesitated, his gaze flickering to their mother. "And if she doesn't know?"

Logan's expression hardened. "Then we've got an even bigger mystery."

The Confrontation

Ryan watched Eleanor as she moved toward a quieter part of the hall, her entourage of donors thinning out. This was his moment. He ducked behind a pillar, trailing her until she stopped near a corner table to sip champagne.

Summoning every ounce of courage, Ryan stepped forward.

"Mrs. Whitmore?" he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest.

Eleanor turned, her polite smile faltering as she took in the sight of him. Her eyes scanned his face, and for a moment, Ryan thought he saw something flicker there-recognition, maybe?

"Yes?" she said, her tone measured.

Ryan swallowed hard. "I-" The words caught in his throat. He'd planned this moment in his head a dozen times, but now that he was here, the weight of it threatened to crush him.

"I'm..." he began again, his voice quieter now. "I think you might know who I am."

Eleanor's smile didn't falter, but her posture stiffened. She tilted her head, her gaze sharpening. "I'm sorry, young man. Should I?"

Ryan hesitated. Her calm demeanor made him second-guess himself, but the way her grip tightened on her champagne glass told a different story.

"You don't recognize me?" he asked, his voice rising slightly.

Eleanor shook her head, her expression carefully neutral. "I'm afraid I don't."

Ryan's frustration bubbled over. "You're lying."

Eleanor's smile vanished. She glanced around, ensuring no one was paying attention, and then leaned in. "I don't know who you are, or what you're accusing me of," she said quietly, her tone icy. "But I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself."

Ryan stepped back, his chest heaving. Her denial cut deeper than he expected. For a moment, he'd hoped-hoped she might see him, acknowledge him, give him the answers he craved.

But she'd brushed him off, cold and indifferent.

As he turned to leave, Logan and Theo appeared, cutting off his escape.

"You again," Logan said, his voice firm.

Ryan froze, his mind racing. He looked past them to see Eleanor watching, her expression unreadable.

The Pieces Start to Fall

Logan grabbed Ryan by the arm, not hard enough to hurt but enough to stop him. "You're going to tell us who you are," he said, his voice low.

Ryan jerked his arm away, glaring up at him. "Let me go."

"Not until we get some answers," Theo said, stepping closer. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by genuine curiosity.

Eleanor approached then, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She placed a hand on Logan's arm, stopping him.

"Logan," she said, her voice calm but firm. "That's enough."

Logan frowned but stepped back, his gaze flickering between Ryan and Eleanor.

"Do you know him?" Logan asked.

Eleanor hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough for Ryan to see the crack in her composure.

"No," she said finally. "I don't."

The words were like a knife to Ryan's chest. He stared at her, searching her face for any sign of the truth. But she'd already turned away, her attention back on the gala as if nothing had happened.

Ryan's Escape

Ryan didn't wait for the brothers to press him further. The moment Eleanor walked away, he bolted, weaving through the crowd until he was out the door. The cool night air hit him like a slap, but it did little to clear his mind.

He hopped on his bike and pedaled furiously, the wind stinging his face. His chest ached, not from the exertion but from the crushing weight of Eleanor's rejection.

She lied, he thought bitterly. She knows who I am. I saw it in her eyes.

But why would she deny it? Why would she pretend he didn't exist?

By the time he reached his room, his hands were shaking. He grabbed his notebook, flipping to a blank page and scrawling one sentence across the top:

Eleanor Whitmore is hiding something.

The Brothers' Suspicion

Back at the mansion, Logan and Theo watched Ryan disappear into the night.

"He's not just some random kid," Logan said firmly.

"Agreed," Theo replied. "And Mom's lying. Did you see the way she looked at him? She knows something."

Ethan joined them, his expression grim. "So what do we do?"

Logan's jaw tightened. "We find out the truth. Whatever it takes."

The brothers exchanged a glance, their unspoken agreement clear. The mystery boy wasn't going away, and neither were their questions.

One way or another, they were going to get answers-and when they did, their family might never be the same.