Chapter 2: The Child She Was Forced to Abandon
Victoria brought the homeless boy back to her mansion.
His name was Ethan.
He was quiet.
Careful.
Almost afraid of everything around him.
The giant house.
The expensive furniture.
The people serving him food.
He had never experienced anything like it.
Alexander watched him from across the room.
For the first time in his life, he felt something he could not explain.
A connection.
Like he had known Ethan forever.
"Why do you look like me?" Alexander finally asked.
Ethan looked down.
"My mother said I had a brother."
Victoria felt her chest tighten.
"Your mother?"
Ethan nodded.
"She died last year."
He touched the locket.
"Before she died, she told me I had to find my family."
Victoria couldn't breathe.
Because eight years earlier, she had not lost her child.
She had been forced to give him away.
Her husband, Richard Sterling, had made the decision.
Their family empire was threatened.
A scandal involving twin children born through a complicated medical situation could destroy his political ambitions.
So Richard made a choice.
One child would remain.
The other would disappear.
Victoria had been told Ethan would be placed somewhere safe.
But she never knew what happened after.
She never knew he ended up on the streets.
That night, Victoria confronted Richard.
"You knew."
Richard stayed silent.
"You knew our son was alive."
His expression changed.
"Victoria, you need to understand something."
May you like
"What?"
"He was never supposed to come back."
