Dirty secrets from the past, 108.

The atmosphere at the Kadman Mansion was dense, with a palpable tension that seemed to weigh heavily in the air. The heavy curtains muffled the exterior sounds, creating an almost sepulchral silence, broken only by the whisper of the wind against the windows. General Hunter observed Damián with a mixture of perplexity and concern. Damián spoke of La-Heri as if referring to another person, creating an abyss between himself and Benjamin, as if they were strangers.

"In a clear demonstration—he truly no longer sees himself as La-Heri," Hunter thought, trying to understand the depth of this disconnection.

Aster stood frozen, shock etched on his face. "Frances? How... how was your connection to the Phillips family revealed, like a tale of lost children?" His voice was almost a whisper, reverberating in the silent room.

Beatrice had fainted, and the urgency of the situation demanded immediate attention. Moments later, the muffled sound of quick footsteps echoed down the hallway as a doctor was called. He arrived promptly, the sound of his bag opening and closing bringing a sense of urgency to the room as he began to examine Beatrice, trying to stabilize her.

At that moment, Jared Phillips, who had been urgently summoned, entered the room. His face reflected a mixture of concern and determination. He looked around, perceiving the tension and gravity of the situation. "What is happening here?" he asked, addressing Malcolm, his voice resonating with a demand for explanation.

Sarah Campbell, still stunned, searched for words. "Frances was mentioned. How could Beatrice know about him? We need answers." Her voice trembled, revealing the turmoil inside her.

Jared frowned, clearly confused, and stopped in a moment of shock. "Frances? Did you say, Frances?" He paused for a moment, the shock evident on his face. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, he approached the doctor, observing Beatrice's condition. "Will she be okay?" The concern in his voice was palpable.

The doctor nodded, still near Beatrice. "She experienced a strong emotional shock but will recover. We need to keep her calm."

General Hunter stepped forward, his expression serious. "Mr. Jared, we need to understand what is happening here. It seems someone knows something important about Frances, a child kidnapped many years ago. Do you know anything that could help us?" His voice was firm but carried a tone of urgency.

Jared took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts and understand the complexity of the situation. "Frances has always been a well-guarded secret within my family. Few people knew about him. He was the son of the great love of my life, who died. Frances was born outside of my marriage, but he was my son. I was ready to bring him home, but a relative of Cameron's came forward with documents and lawyers, claiming my parental rights and his stay at the boarding school were illegal. They took him away, and days later, the director of the institution disappeared. I searched for my son all these years but only found closed doors. Some people even called demanding ransom money, promising to deliver Frances, but I never saw him again."

The room fell into absolute silence; each of Jared's words seemed to increase the weight of the tension. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed deafening in the silence.

Callum Campbell was the first to break the silence. "So... Frances is... your son?" His voice was filled with pure incredulity.

Sarah Campbell, beside Callum, brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "This explains so much... But how could something so nebulous happen?" Her voice was a shocked whisper, echoing the general incredulity.

Aster, still processing the information, looked at Jared, his mind whirling with implications. "He came to that world knowing Jared was his biological father... However, the feeling at the moment wasn't panic; it was pure discomfort..." The mix of shock and doubt reflected his internal confusion.

General Hunter sensed the need for a crucial verification. "Mr. Phillips, this is Frances," he said, pointing to Aster. "I suggest we conduct a genetic test to confirm, but all indications are that he is your son."

Jared approached Aster, the surprise finally breaking his facade. "I can't believe it, my son. I searched for Frances for so long. I always believed that one day I could find him. Jared continued, pausing between words, with the recent discovery. How can this young man be my son?"

General Hunter intervened, realizing the need to keep the situation under control. "There are many unanswered questions, and we need clarity."

Then, the entire narrative was recounted for Jared... A shocking, horrifying story...

Malcolm Kadman, who had been silent until then, stepped forward, his voice filled with contained anger. "So, all this time, someone with ulterior motives regarding the Phillips family made two children grow up outside the family circle? With this kind of crime, undiscovered, who are these criminals?"

Elizabeth Kadman, beside Malcolm, looked pale. "This is a cruel game. How could they play with the lives of two children like this?" Her voice was a thread of sound, almost inaudible.

Adam, visibly skeptical, looked at Damián with a mix of compassion and solidarity. "Damián, we will find the truth. No matter what happens, we are here for you."

Damián, who knew all parts of the story, and not just the extent being shown, felt a mix of surprise and discomfort. "I survived. I don't need a father now or to find the way to a home that was never mine..." His voice was low but filled with a cold resolve.

Jared, trying to process everything, turned to General Hunter. "General, we need to find out exactly what this someone knows and why they did what they did. Every detail can change the course of this investigation."

General Hunter nodded, aware of the gravity of the situation. "Mr. Jared, we need to dig deep into this investigation. The disappearance of La-Heri, the kidnapping of Frances, and now the attempted attack on Clarice, Taylor, and Oliver Phillips... all seem to be interconnected somehow."

"Damián, you need to come with me. We need to clarify this whole situation, and the safest place for you now is with your family. You will come home."

Damián, eyes fixed on the General, shook his head slowly, his voice firm and decided. "No, General. Benjamin abandoned his own son. I don't want to see him because my father is dead."

Hunter remained silent for a moment, respecting the evident pain in Damián's words. He knew that forcing him was not an option, yet...

"I understand, Damián," said Hunter, his voice soft. "But please, consider Benjamin's situation. This isn't just about you now. Many lives are intertwined in this story."

Damián remained resolute, his expression determined. "I will stay here."

For Damián, who grew up in the dark, the night chills, his incoherence, his hatred, his glass clothing, a home? He no longer seeks...

The being who needed to appear and be loved no longer existed...

False papers, which Damián discovered must have come from his true self... so peeled where there seemed to be nothing. Only papers that he consciously entered and exited... However, it was just to defend himself. He could not "birth" his pains again.

General Hunter sighed, realizing it would be difficult to change Damián's mind. "Alright, whatever your decision, you will always be your father's son."

The tension in the room remained, but Damián's words made it clear he was not willing to forgive or forget the past, adding a new layer of complexity to the unfolding investigation and relationships.

Shortly after... In the Phillips mansion, there were no dreams of happy endings. A devastating wind blew over its inhabitants, who seemed like larvae from a volcano.

As the doctor continued to attend to Beatrice, the tension in the room remained high, but now there was a new layer of hope and desperation. Jared's revelation had opened a door to answers but also brought decades of pain and mystery to light. Everyone was on the brink of a new phase in the investigation, where every detail could change the course of their lives.

Jared carefully carried Beatrice as he crossed the entrance hall of the house. Oliver, his eldest son, went from a look of calm to one of concern and curiosity upon seeing his mother's state.

"Dad, what happened? Why is Mom like this?" Oliver asked, helping Jared settle Beatrice onto the couch.

"She fainted after receiving some shocking news. I'll explain everything in the office," Jared replied, his voice tense. "But first, let's make sure your mother is comfortable."

After ensuring Beatrice was being well cared for, Jared headed to the office, with Oliver and Robert, Jared's father, following him.

## In the Office

Upon entering the office, Jared closed the door with a decisive gesture. The room was traditional, with dark wooden furniture, bookshelves filled with volumes, and a large mahogany desk dominating the center of the room. The heavy curtains were drawn, filtering the afternoon light and creating an atmosphere of introspection and seriousness.

Jared walked to the desk, loosened his tie, and took a crystal glass from the secret bar in the corner of the office. He poured a bit of whiskey, the amber liquid reflecting the soft light of the desk lamp. He raised the glass and took a deep sip, as if searching for courage. Then he offered the glass to Oliver, who accepted it with a questioning gesture.

"I have a revelation that could change everything—or at least many things—about our family and the recent events," Jared began, his voice laden with emotion as he sat behind the desk.

Oliver frowned, visibly unsettled. "Dad, what's going on? What happened to Mom?" he pressed.

Jared recounted the entire narrative of events, his voice occasionally trembling as he revealed the details.

Jared took a deep breath, trying to control his internal turmoil. "I had another child, out of wedlock. I'm not proud of how I acted, but I don't deny responsibility for my actions." He paused, looking at Oliver and Robert's faces, seeking a connection. "Today, we discovered that Frances, my missing son, might be closer than we imagined. Aster, the young omega Callum was involved with, could be Frances."

Oliver stood still, his expression shifting from confusion to increasing turmoil. He clenched his fists, tension evident in his body. "Are you saying that Aster is… Frances? A brother I never knew existed?" His voice trembled with anger, the words almost coming out as a growl.

"Yes," Jared confirmed, feeling the weight of the words. "And what's even more disturbing is that this reveals an even darker connection. The fact that Aster was involved with Clarice's former fiancé is a terrible coincidence. It's as if fate is mocking us. The link between Frances's disappearance and Clarice's former fiancé is a cruel and unknown enigma."

Oliver seemed stunned, but his outrage was palpable. He stepped forward, his eyes burning with fury. "This is unbearable! How can there be such a cruel coincidence? And now, you're saying that the omega who stole Clarice's happiness is actually our brother? It doesn't make sense! I can't believe this… Aster is part of our family." He looked at his grandfather Robert and his father Jared with an accusatory tone. "He's out for revenge, he's been scheming from the beginning, he's our enemy and wants to destroy us!"

Jared tried to calm Oliver, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Furthermore, Frances's kidnapping is related to the disappearance of La-Heri Williams, Benjamin Williams's son, the young man named Damián. The suspicion is that Clarice was attacked because someone is trying to hide the truth about these abductions."

Oliver looked at Jared, his expression now a mix of anger and disdain. "So, we're dealing with a web of lies and betrayals, and you want me to accept this? This Aster might be my brother, but what happened to Clarice and what's happening now is unacceptable!" he insisted, his voice rising. "He's orchestrated this, it's revenge!"

Robert, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke, his voice carrying an analytical tone. "I always found it strange and miraculous that two young dominant omegas with no known lineage existed; dominants come from pure lines, how could two orphans be dominant omegas and be together?"

Jared, reflecting on Robert's words, felt the weight of responsibility and sadness that came with the revelation. He leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Oliver and Robert. "Yes, we need to face this challenge together. The truth may be difficult, but it's what we have, he might be your brother."

Oliver, still in shock and indignant, couldn't hide his frustration. "I don't know how to handle this. I need time to process, and honestly, I don't know if I can accept it right now." He turned his face, trying to hide part of the storm of fury and frustration that overwhelmed him like a tempest.

Robert looked at Jared with a supportive gaze. "Let's face this calmly and logically. Our family needs to confront these obstacles, even if it's painful." He knew the logical issue was that he and Jared were Prime Alphas and that, despite Oliver and Clarice having excellent pheromone purity, they were not Prime. The child who inherited dominance from the Phillips was a bastard. Robert understood his grandson; it was like a right hook, knocking the opponent out.

Jared nodded, understanding Oliver's emotional turmoil. "Yes, we need to face this challenge together. The truth may be difficult, but it's what we have. He might be your brother."

When Oliver's voice thundered, "Oh, to hell with all of this, he'll never be my brother," his face twisted with rage, Oliver continued, "Have you considered what will happen when Clarice finds out about this, Dad? About what you did to my mother and to her? Be careful how you explain it or what you say…"