The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 10: Chasing the Truth

Ryan didn't sleep that night. He sat in his dimly lit room, his notebook spread open on the bed. Pages filled with scribbled notes stared back at him, each word a reminder of the tangled web he'd stumbled into.

"She lied," he murmured to himself. The memory of Eleanor's cold dismissal replayed in his mind, her denial cutting deeper than he wanted to admit. He'd seen it, though-the flicker of recognition, the moment her mask slipped.

She knows who I am. She has to.

But if that was true, why was she pretending otherwise?

The Whitmore Brothers' Growing Suspicion

The next morning at the Whitmore estate, Logan, Ethan, and Theo sat in the sprawling library, their tension palpable. They hadn't told their father or the other brothers about the encounter yet, but the weight of the secret hung between them.

"We need to talk to Mom," Logan said finally, pacing back and forth.

Ethan frowned. "You really think she's just going to come out and tell us? You saw how she brushed him off last night."

"Exactly," Theo added, leaning back in his chair. "She's hiding something. Why else would she act like that?"

Logan paused, his jaw tight. "If she won't tell us, we'll figure it out ourselves. That kid isn't just some random stranger. He looks like us."

Ethan nodded slowly. "And if he's connected to us..."

"Then we deserve to know," Logan finished.

Ryan Digs Deeper

Ryan's mind spun as he tried to piece together the fragments of the story. Eleanor's denial only fueled his determination. If she wouldn't admit the truth, he'd find another way to uncover it.

Pulling out his laptop, Ryan started searching for anything that might give him leverage. He scoured old news articles, family profiles, and public records. Every piece of information about the Whitmores was polished, picture-perfect-charity events, business accolades, family milestones.

But then he found something buried deep in an old gossip blog. It was a single paragraph, almost forgotten amid the flood of headlines about the family's success.

"Eleanor Whitmore's mysterious retreat from public life fifteen years ago continues to spark speculation. While the family insists it was for health reasons, whispers of a scandal persist. Could there be more to the story?"

Ryan leaned back, his heart pounding. The timeline matched what Judith had told him. Fifteen years ago, Eleanor had disappeared-around the time he would have been born.

What happened back then?

He jotted down the blog's source, filing it away for later. If there was a scandal, it might explain why Eleanor had given him up. But how could he uncover it?

A Shared Encounter

The next day, Ryan avoided school and biked back to the Whitmore estate. He didn't know what he was hoping to accomplish-he only knew he couldn't stop now.

This time, he approached cautiously, staying just outside the gates. The mansion loomed in the distance, its grandeur mocking him.

"You again."

Ryan spun around, his heart jumping. Logan stood a few feet away, his arms crossed. This time, his expression wasn't hostile-just curious, guarded.

Ryan swallowed hard, trying to hide his nerves. "I didn't mean to bother anyone."

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Logan said, stepping closer. "Who are you?"

Ryan hesitated, his mind racing. Should he tell the truth? The Whitmore brothers seemed persistent, and lying would only push them further.

"My name's Ryan," he said finally.

Logan studied him, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Okay, Ryan. Why do you keep showing up here?"

Ryan took a deep breath. "Because I think... I think I'm connected to your family."

Logan's expression didn't change, but the tension in his shoulders told Ryan he'd hit a nerve.

"What kind of connection?" Logan asked, his voice quieter now.

"I don't know," Ryan admitted. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. Your mother... she knows something about me."

Logan's jaw tightened. "You're saying my mom lied to us?"

Ryan met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I'm saying she's not telling you everything."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Logan nodded, his expression unreadable. "Stay here," he said, turning and walking back toward the estate.

Confrontation at the Estate

Inside the mansion, Logan found Theo and Ethan in the lounge.

"He's back," Logan said flatly.

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Persistent little guy, isn't he?"

Logan ignored the comment. "He says Mom knows him."

Ethan sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"

"He says there's a connection. That she's lying to us."

Theo frowned, his usual smirk gone. "Did he say what kind of connection?"

"No," Logan admitted. "But I believe him."

Ethan and Theo exchanged a glance, their unease growing.

"Then we need to ask her," Ethan said firmly.

Eleanor's Reaction

That evening, the three brothers confronted Eleanor in her study. She sat behind her desk, perfectly composed as always, but her sharp eyes narrowed as they entered.

"This is unexpected," she said, closing the folder she'd been reading.

"We need to talk," Logan said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Eleanor folded her hands neatly on the desk. "About what?"

"About the boy who's been hanging around the estate," Ethan said.

Eleanor's expression didn't waver, but the room seemed to grow colder. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Cut the act, Mom," Theo said, stepping forward. "He told us you know him."

Eleanor's jaw tightened ever so slightly. "I don't have time for baseless accusations."

"It's not baseless," Logan said. "He looks like us."

Eleanor rose from her chair, her movements slow and deliberate. "This conversation is over."

"No, it's not," Ethan said, his voice rising. "We deserve the truth, Mom. Who is he? Why does he look like us?"

Eleanor's composure cracked for the briefest moment. Her eyes darted away, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"I don't owe you an explanation," she said finally.

The brothers stared at her, stunned. She had never shut them down like this before.

Eleanor moved toward the door, her voice cold. "Drop this. Now."

As she left, the brothers exchanged uneasy glances.

"She's hiding something," Theo said quietly.

"Yeah," Logan replied, his jaw clenched. "And we're going to find out what."