I feel a chill run down my spine as i stand frozen in place, Michael's words hanging heavy in the air. I've always known from the beginning that there are parts of him he keeps hidden, but i didn't expect any of this. My mind race with questions as i search his face, trying to gauge the gravity of what he is about to say.
"What is it?" I ask quietly, my voice trembling just slightly. "What haven't you told me?"
Michael paces around for a moment, his hands running through his hair in a way that betrays his tension. For someone who always seems in control, seeing him like this, on the edge, makes my own anxiety spike. He isn't the calm, collected man i have grown used to anymore—tonight, he seems like a different version of himself.
"There's something about my family you don't know," he says finally, stopping in front of me. His eyes, normally so guarded, now is holding a flicker of vulnerability. "I wasn't always who you see now."
