FAZER LOGIN"Nothing, darling," my mom said weakly. "Aaron and I were just talking."Dad looked at her for a long moment.Then at me.He wasn't a fool.Never had been.His entire empire had been built because he noticed things other people missed."Aaron."His voice was calm.Controlled."What is happening?" He asked.I held his gaze.My jaw tightened.Part of me wanted to walk away.To let my mother deal with the consequences herself.Another part of me remembered every time Ethan had been introduced as the future heir.Every board meeting.Every family gathering.Every moment I had been made to feel second.I inhaled slowly.Then spoke."Dad."My voice sounded strangely distant.Like it belonged to someone else."There's something you need to know."The room went silent.My father's eyes narrowed."What is it?"I glanced briefly at the report still resting in my mother's trembling hands.Then looked back at him."Ethan isn't your son."Silence.Complete silence.The words settled heavily betwee
My mother sat by the window, reading through a few documents.The soft evening light illuminated her face.She looked up.Surprised."Aaron?"Something in my voice made her sit straighter.Her smile faded."Is something wrong?"I closed the door behind me.Slowly.The click echoed through the room.And suddenly the atmosphere changed.The warmth disappeared.Only tension remained."What do we need to talk about?"I stared at her.For the first time in years, I didn't know where to begin.How did you tell someone that their lies were finally catching up to them?How did you tell your own mother that you knew?I took a slow breath.Then spoke."Did you ever lie to Dad?"The question hung in the air.My mother blinked.Once.Twice.Then she laughed softly.Confused.Nervous."Aaron, what kind of question is that?"I didn't laugh.Didn't smile.Didn't move."Answer it."The smile disappeared completely."Aaron...""Answer Mom." I demanded.Her fingers tightened around the document she was
*Allison's POV* I hated public speaking.Not the normal kind.Not classroom presentations.Not answering questions in front of teachers.This was worse.Much worse.Because today, I wasn't just speaking.I was defending myself.I sat at my vanity staring at my reflection.My golden-brown hair fell in loose waves over my shoulders.My uniform hung on me perfectly.Simple.Elegant.Nothing dramatic.My stomach still twisted.The video was everywhere.Even though Aaron kept telling me not to read the comments, I had spent half the night doing exactly that.Big mistake.People were cruel.Especially when they thought they knew the whole story.My phone buzzed.I grabbed it immediately.Aaron.A smile tugged at my lips."Hey babe. I'll be picking you up soon." He texted."Okay. I'll be waiting." I replied with a red heart.Twenty-five minutes later, his black Mercedes pulled into our driveway.I stepped outside.The moment Aaron saw me, his eyes traveled over me briefly.Not in an inappro
*Liam's POV* The final bell rang through the school.Almost instantly, the hallways filled with noise.Students poured out of classrooms, their voices bouncing off the walls as they discussed only one thing.The video.The contest.The forum tomorrow.I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked through the crowd.Everywhere I looked, people were talking.Some believed Allison cheated.Some thought the video looked suspicious.Others simply enjoyed the drama.I exhaled heavily.The entire situation left a bitter taste in my mouth.My phone buzzed.I already knew who it was before checking.Paige.A text message."Meet me at my car."I stared at the screen.Then rolled my eyes.What now?For a second, I considered ignoring her.Honestly, that sounded like the best option.But after everything that had happened, I knew she wouldn't stop.She never stopped.With an annoyed sigh, I changed direction and headed toward the parking lot. *Paige’s POV* “Pull over here and wait outside,” I t
*The next day* The hallway buzzed with noise long before the first bell rang.Lockers slammed shut.Students laughed.Groups crowded every corner.Yet somehow, none of it registered.I stood against a row of lockers, my shoulders resting against the cold metal as I stared at my phone.The DNA report still hadn't left my mind.Not for a second.I typed a message."I have the results."A few seconds later, my uncle replied."And?"My jaw tightened.Even through text, the truth felt heavy."Ethan and Dad aren't related. Daniel Hale is his biological father."Three dots appeared immediately.Then disappeared.Then appeared again."We need to talk.Come see me after school." I uncle texted.I exhaled slowly."I'll be there."The conversation ended.For a moment, I stared at my reflection in the dark screen.Everything was changing.My family.My future.Everything.Yet somehow the school carried on like nothing had happened.Maybe that was the strange thing about life.Your entire world c
After we finished eating, I didn’t want the night to end in heavy silence.“Let’s get out of here,” I murmured, leaning closer. “Your place? Your mom’s out, right?”She nodded, cheeks flushing slightly. “Yeah. Come on.”***At her house, we ended up in her room.The soft lamp light cast a warm glow.I leaned back against the headboard while she sat facing me, legs tucked under her.Allison studied me for a moment, then spoke softly. “Aaron… about your mom and the contest. I’m scared. What if she doesn’t allow it? You know how she is about Paige and your family image. She might shut it down completely.”I reached out and took her hand, running my thumb over her knuckles. “She won’t.”“How can you be so sure?” she asked.I let out a slow breath. “Because I have the truth now. Ethan being my half-brother… Daniel Hale being his father. That changes everything. My mom has been hiding this for years. If she tries to force Paige on me or interfere with us, I can push back. Hard.”Allison’s e







