Daniel & Ivan (Love Syndrome)

CHAPTER - 8 (50%)

"Father, mother, brother Ivan, what's going on here?" asked Danil.

"Your brother wouldn't let you go downstairs until after your punishment was over. So we decided to go upstairs and eat with you in your room," Anna replied, smiling slightly.

Danil looked at Ivan, his heart racing. He bit his lip to hold back a smile. He didn’t know whose idea this had been, but if it meant he could see Ivan, he was happy.

"That's great," Danil replied, before the four of them sat down at the table. The waitress arranged everything carefully.

The balcony of Danil's room was quite spacious, with a decorative garden and a space to sit and relax. They sat on opposite sides of the table, with Danil occupying Ivan's right side.

"You're bored, aren't you? Just stay in the room," Edik asked. Danil gave Ivan a discreet look.

"Yes, I am. But what can I do?" Danil replied, while Ivan remained silent.

"Let's eat. After all, we're all together for dinner," Anna said.

The four of them began to eat together. Danil felt a mixture of comforting warmth and a pang of sadness in his heart at being reunited with them. It reminded him that he was not a true Balenkov by blood.

His eyes filled with melancholy, something Ivan noticed immediately.

"Isn't the food good?" Ivan asked in a calm voice. Danil raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised that Ivan had spoken to him first.

"It's delicious. I was just thinking about a few things," Danil replied. Ivan stared at him for a moment, but said nothing more.

Edik began talking to Ivan, while Danil listened silently, occasionally interacting with Anna.

"Has Uncle Pavel already told you that Aunt Raíza took those two maids to work with her?" Ivan asked his parents, making Danil look at him, surprised that he wasn't aware of that.

"He called me to tell me," Edik replied. Danil frowned immediately, sensing that this was not good news.

"I put someone on watch in case anything went wrong," Ivan stated directly.

"Raiza never saw me as a real nephew. It's funny, isn't it? It seems like she sees her brother Ivan as her only nephew," Danil commented, observing everyone's reactions. Anna was slightly surprised, Edik frowned, and Ivan kept his expression neutral, although his eyes showed a brief sparkle.

"Maybe it's because you always get into trouble," Ivan replied calmly. Danil chuckled softly, realizing that Ivan was just changing the subject.

"Well, maybe," Danil replied, not quite knowing how to feel. He didn't understand why his parents and Ivan didn't tell him directly that he wasn't a biological son. After all, I was already old enough to deal with the truth.

At the same time, Danil wondered how he would have reacted if he had never suspected anything. Would he have accepted the news immediately if his parents had told him so directly?

"Are you going to Finland tomorrow morning?" Edik changed the subject, something Danil clearly noticed.

"Yes, I'll travel to check out the casino there," Ivan replied.

"Bring me some 'Fazer' chocolates," Danil asked, eager for a gift.

"I'm not going to have fun," Ivan replied matter-of-factly.

"Then ask someone on your team to buy it. It's not that difficult," Danil replied.

"I promise nothing," Ivan replied dryly. Danil made a sullen face and continued eating in silence.