All Chapters of Mistaken Identity : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Avery's POVAsher pulled the car up to the curb outside the small café, the engine humming quietly as he shifted into park. Avery sat still, her eyes fixed on the building while her hands trembled slightly in her lap.It wasn’t fear holding her back, at least not the kind that made you run. From the moment she’d received the DNA results from Asher, she had made up her mind: she would chase the truth, no matter how painful or complicated it turned out to be. Regardless of what she found out.No, she wasn’t scared. She was anxious; uneasy about what she was going to uncover. Every time one mystery from her past unraveled, it seemed to drag up something deeper, darker, more tangled. The closer she got to the truth, the more it felt like she was walking into a storm without knowing what waited on the other side.And as much as she wanted the answers, as much as she needed them to piece her life back together, it was hard to face the weight of it all. Not just for herself—but for her boys

Avery’s POV "That night. The night you disappeared." Kelvin continued, drawing her attention back, "you said you were exhausted, but you stayed for hours just to talk to me. You always made time for me."Avery forced a small smile, though her mind was still spinning."What about... my family?" she asked cautiously.Kelvin's face sobered. "You didn’t have much. Your grandfather raised you. He passed away a few years before..." He paused, his throat working like the words physically pained him. "Before you disappeared."No parents. No siblings. Only a grandfather.Avery swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. The quiet hum of the café around her faded into the background as something inside her shifted, like the foundations of her identity were cracking under the weight of the truth.She'd always known she was missing something. But hearing it, confirming it like this... it still hit harder than she expected.She looked at Kelvin, really looked at him. There was something familiar abo

Avery’s POVThe scent of simmering garlic filled the air as Avery moved around the kitchen, her hands busy but her mind far from calm. It had taken her a lot to calm down and begin to process the information Kelvin had told her. At least Asher had been there with her.She was chopping vegetables for lunch, but each slice of the knife seemed to mirror the tangle of thoughts she couldn’t sort through. Asher sat at the kitchen island, watching her with quiet patience, giving her space but also staying close, just in case she needed to talk. She had not told him about what she and Kelvin had discussed.Not because she didn't want to, or didn't trust him, but because she had no idea where to start from. There was a lot to tell him and still a lot that she was yet to process.“I told you he would wait,” she murmured after a while, not turning to face him. It was not the reply to what Asher had said earlier, but he didn't point it out.Asher raised an eyebrow. “Kelvin?” she muttered.She n

Avery’s POVThey pulled up to the quiet street just past two in the afternoon. Avery and Asher would have arrived much earlier if not for the unexpected delay at the boys’ school.That morning, Avery had received a call requesting her presence for a meeting with the principal. The reason wasn’t entirely clear, just that it was “important” and “best discussed in person.”She’d immediately felt a prickle of unease, wondering if something had happened with Neal or Noel. Avery was more concerned about Neal, since he was the most likely to get into trouble at school.She’d gone straight to the school, heart pounding with a dozen scenarios playing out in her head. But when she arrived, the receptionist informed her that the principal was out in a meeting and would be “with her shortly.”That shortly turned into nearly two hours of sitting in the waiting area, scrolling absently through her phone, nerves stretched tight. She watched the clock tick past every half hour, thoughts growing more

Avery’s POVAsher’s voice grounded her. “Did you know anyone else from her life back then? Friends, coworkers?” he asked.Gloria scoffed, the sadness in her tone replaced with something more bitter. “That good-for-nothing boyfriend of hers. Kelvin,” she muttered.Avery blinked, startled. “You know Kelvin?” she stuttered.She had not expected that Gloria would know who Kelvin was. That meant Kelvin knew where she used to live with her grandfather. Why had he not said anything? From what she could tell, Gloria didn’t like him.Gloria rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. The fool came by once after you vanished, all frantic. Claimed he didn’t know where you were. But you were never really happy with him, not toward the end. He was seeing that woman. Rachel, I think? She worked with you at Storm Capitals,” she told them.Avery felt her stomach twist, nausea rising. “I wasn’t happy with him? And Kelvin was cheating?” she spat in shock.The word rang in her ears like a distant echo. Cheating.