Gruber Property…
The atmosphere in the Gruber family dining room was almost routine. The soft lights reflected the discreet luxury. Roman Gruber, seated at the head of the table, maintained his firm posture. Beside him, Owen, always calm, and Liam, Roman's second husband, watched everything with indifference. Theo, Mason's half-brother, felt the absence of his brother but didn't know how to feel about it.
Dinner was about to begin when the sound of the doorbell interrupted the tranquility. The butler soon brought a police officer into the room.
*Officer*: "Mr. Gruber, I apologize for the interruption, but I have information about Mason Gruber."
The mention of Mason's name immediately made the room tense. Everyone stopped eating. Roman watched the officer in silence, waiting.
*Liam*: "Finally. He couldn't hide long enough."
Owen gave Liam a reproachful look before asking the officer:
*Owen*: "Where is my brother?"
*Officer*: "Mason is staying at the Kadman Mansion. He's well and distanced himself voluntarily."
Roman frowned.
*Roman*: "The Kadman Mansion? Why would he be there?"
The officer hesitated.
*Officer*: "Mason mentioned that, for personal reasons, he doesn't want to see the family right now. He's of legal age and is just… distancing himself."
The discomfort in the room increased. Roman seemed bothered by the fact that Mason was staying at the powerful Kadman Mansion.
*Roman*: "He doesn't want to see us…"
*Owen*: "The Kadman Mansion? That's not an ordinary place."
*Officer*: "He didn't provide many details, sir. But he's fine."
Liam smirked cynically: "Finally, he's learned to stay away from the family."
*Owen*: "Shut up, Liam."
Theo, silently, didn't know how to feel. Part of him wanted to understand his brother, while another remained confused.
The officer, sensing the tension, made a brief bow.
*Officer*: "With this information, the missing person case is closed. Excuse me, gentlemen."
The door closed, and the heavy silence returned. The name "Kadman Mansion" echoed in Roman's thoughts, while Owen pondered over his distant brother. Liam, satisfied with the chaos he had provoked, leaned back in his chair.
As the silence settled again in the dining room, *Liam's* mind boiled. He remained quiet, but inside, his hatred for *Mason* grew with each passing second.
Mason, the demon who almost took his son's life, *Theo*, was now staying at the imposing, Kadman Mansion — a place of absolute prestige, where only the most powerful were received.
Liam clenched his fists under the table, rage burning like fire in his veins. He had attended several events with the Kadman family but was never invited to anything beyond those superficial social gatherings. *How had Mason managed to enter that inner circle? *
He wondered, unable to control the resentment building within him. Mason, who had caused so much suffering to his family, was now being treated as a special guest, while he, **Liam**, who had always played by the rules of power, had never come close to that kind of invitation.
The thought of Mason enjoying the luxury and prestige of the Kadman Mansion disgusted him. Each memory of what Mason had done to *Theo* intensified his frustration. *He tried to kill my son*, Liam thought, his resentment flowing like poison. *And now he's being welcomed with open arms while hiding from us. *
Liam's hatred for Mason was nearly unbearable. He wanted revenge. He wanted to see Mason suffer, to be unmasked for what he truly was — a plague, a threat that needed to be eliminated. His mind formed plans, each darker than the last, as he leaned back in his chair with a bitter smile.
*He won't escape this. No matter where Mason is hiding now, not even the Kadman will be able to protect him from what's coming*, Liam thought, confident that he would do whatever it took to destroy that demon once and for all.
--- Next day...
The heavy silence hung over the breakfast room of the imposing Campbell Mansion, where the walls were painted in soft shades of blue and white, harmonizing with the elegant yet cold decor. The table, large enough to seat many people, seemed too spacious with only four occupants: Sarah Campbell, her son Callum, and Mallet, the grandfather of Callum and Aster. Despite everyone's presence, the silence between them was disconcerting, as if the words were suspended in the air, waiting to be broken.
Sarah, always impeccable in her posture, lightly stirred the porcelain cup in her hands, though her mind was far away. Her gaze fixed on the coffee in front of her masked the whirlwind of thoughts haunting her. *The tragedy of the Phillips family* — that persistent thought consumed her ever since she learned the truth about Aster. An emotional chasm had formed within her.
Aster, a young man marked by pain and neglect. He was a Phillips. *Poor Clarice*. From the beginning, Callum was never meant for her, Sarah thought with a coldness masked by a suppressed sigh. It was like the breath of a dragon, ruthless and inevitable. Nothing could be worse… It wasn't just the truth that troubled Sarah but the recognition that, despite Aster sharing the same blood as Clarice, she couldn't, and wasn't ready, to see him in the same way.
What was she supposed to defend now? Her personal loyalty had always been with Clarice Phillips. The tragedy of the kidnapping, the abandonment, and the suffering that destroyed lives. But now… *Aster was also a Phillips*.
And there he was, sitting at the table. A young man carrying the weight of treacherous days, like a metal she once deemed worthless and hesitated to accept, now valuable but uncomfortable to recognize. There was no preciousness in that value. Human greed was always for gold… but what was the worth of a simple fool's gold?
Sarah didn't know what to feel. There was an abyss between her and Aster, and it was the truth itself that created it — a truth that haunted, neglect that condemned, and the stupidity of a kidnapping that had destroyed so many lives.
She looked at Callum, who, despite his usual proud posture, seemed small and distant. As if destiny itself had failed. Callum was never meant for Clarice… and now, the weight of it all lay on the table, silent, alongside the bitter coffee that no one seemed to want to drink.
The heavy silence was interrupted by the soft sound of a cup being placed on its saucer. Mallet Campbell, his features marked by age and wisdom, looked at Aster with a mix of compassion and pragmatism. The feeling that something greater hovered over the family was palpable, but Mallet, as always, sought a way to bring light to difficult situations. Observing the young man in front of him, he saw the innocence and the burden of recent revelations in Aster's expression.
*Mallet*: "Aster, my boy…" — his voice, somewhat hoarse with age but still full of conviction, was warm. "I know all of this must feel like a blow. Life is like that, it deals us a handful of cards we never asked to play."
Aster diverted his gaze from his cup, his expression more serious than it should have been for someone his age. The weight of being revealed as a Phillips filled the air around him, as if the name carried an invisible responsibility.
*Aster*: "It's like winning the lottery, only the prize is more complicated than it seems…" — he let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I'm not even sure it's worth it."
Before Mallet could respond, Callum, who had been sitting beside Aster, gently placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a gesture of affection but also of protection, as if he wanted to ensure Aster knew he wasn't alone, even amid all this confusion. Callum's touch was not just physical, but emotional; he was there, as he always had been, even though the revelation that Aster was his ex-fiancée's brother made everything more tragic and personal.
*Callum*: "I know it's a lot, but you don't have to carry this burden alone, Aster…" — he said, with a firm but gentle tone, his eyes fixed on the profile of his beloved. "You have me. We'll deal with this together."
Aster relaxed slightly at Callum's touch, though the storm of thoughts and emotions still remained. He knew Callum would always be by his side, but there was still a barrier Aster needed to cross alone.
Mallet smiled slightly, his wise eyes catching the mix of resentment and uncertainty in Aster. He crossed his arms over the table, like someone preparing to share a lesson learned over time.
*Mallet*: "I understand what you're saying. But sometimes the value of the prize isn't in what it is now, but in what it can become. The Phillips name… it carries a burden, true. But it also offers something many search for their whole lives: a place, a sense of belonging. Now, you may not feel that… and maybe you never will. But don't be too quick to throw away what life has placed in your hands."
Aster listened, but his face remained rigid, as if the words were a distant echo. What was he supposed to do with this "prize"? The feeling of having received something he didn't ask for, and perhaps didn't want, still dominated his mind.
*Aster*: "Yeah… maybe." — he stood up, adjusting his jacket as if he needed a physical escape from the heavy atmosphere. "I'm going to the gallery today. I have things to take care of."
*Callum*: "I'm coming with you," — Callum said promptly, rising as well, his tone firmer this time. He knew Aster shouldn't face the day alone, and he didn't intend to leave him. "Work can wait."
Aster looked at him, a little surprised, but Callum only smiled softly, a smile that conveyed far more than words could express. It was the commitment of someone who would not let the love of his life face the burden alone, no matter how difficult it was.
Before they could leave, Mallet spoke again, his voice soft but carrying a paternal urgency.
*Mallet*: "Remember, Aster… the Phillips may not feel like your family now, but from where I stand, family isn't just who raises or educates you. Family is who you choose to accept as your own. If they're your blood, that already means something… It's up to you what to do with that."
Aster hesitated for a second, feeling the weight of the words. He turned, now with a short smile, but one filled with irony.
*Aster*: "I'll think about it, Mallet… who knows." — And with a final nod, he left the room, Callum following close behind.
Mallet watched them leave, with the wisdom of someone who had seen many generations battle their own demons. He knew Aster was facing something greater than a simple change in identity. And the sense that difficult times were ahead was inescapable, but Mallet also knew that, in the end, overcoming always began with acceptance — and, fortunately, Aster wouldn't face it alone.