CHAPTER 2 — The Secret Hidden Beneath the Blanket
Ethan couldn't breathe.
His little legs felt frozen.
His parents had told him Lily died months ago.
They even held a funeral.
He remembered standing beside a tiny white coffin while strangers cried around him.
But...
If Lily had died...
Who was the baby in front of him?
The woman suddenly looked up.
Her terrified eyes locked onto Ethan.
For one horrifying second, neither of them moved.
Then she clutched the baby tighter and backed away.
"You weren't supposed to see this," she whispered.
Ethan stepped forward.
"That's my sister."
The woman burst into tears.
"No..."
"You don't understand."
Before Ethan could ask another question, headlights flooded the alley.
A black luxury SUV screeched to a stop.
Three men in expensive suits jumped out.
"Take the baby!"
The woman screamed and ran.
One man grabbed her arm while another reached for the infant.
Without thinking, Ethan threw his backpack straight at the attacker.
The zipper burst open.
Children's toys, crayons, and hospital papers scattered across the ground.
The distraction lasted only seconds...
But it was enough.
The woman escaped deeper into the alley with the baby.
One suited man turned toward Ethan.
His expression changed the moment he looked closely at the boy's face.
He whispered to the others,
"...Wait."
"No..."
"It can't be."
He slowly pulled an old photograph from his wallet.
The picture showed a wealthy businessman...
Standing beside two small children.
One was a baby girl wearing a silver bracelet.
The other...
Was Ethan.
The man looked from the photo...
Back to the frightened boy...
Then lowered his voice.
"Don't touch him."
"If the Chairman finds out his grandson is still alive..."
"We're all dead."
Ethan's world collapsed.
Grandson?
Chairman?
His parents weren't really his parents?
And if Lily was alive...
Then whose funeral had they buried?
As the black SUV disappeared into the night...
Ethan realized the truth was far darker than he had ever imagined.
His entire childhood...
May you like
Had been built on a lie.
And someone powerful was willing to kill to keep that secret buried.
