CHAPTER 4: The Other Son

"Enzo..." Adriana's voice trembled. "Did I hear him correctly?"

She slowly turned toward Enzo, searching his face for any sign that this was all some cruel misunderstanding.

"He... called Dad 'Father.'" Her breathing became shallow. "Who is he?" A painful thought crossed her mind. "Is he my brother?"

Silence answered her.

Inside the memorial chapel, conversations faded into whispers. Everyone nearby seemed to sense the tension unfolding before them. Curious eyes turned toward Adriana, silently waiting for what would happen next.

The longer Enzo remained silent, the heavier the air became. Adriana felt her chest tighten.

"Lorenzo…” This time, her voice was firmer. "Answer me. Tell me the truth. Who is that man? And why did he call my father... his father?"

Enzo closed his eyes for a brief moment before letting out a long, defeated sigh. There was no point hiding it anymore.

Slowly, he nodded. His voice was barely above a whisper. "He is your brother, Miss Adriana. He is also Don Alejandro's son."

The world seemed to stop.Adriana stared at him without blinking. Then her knees gave out. She collapsed onto the nearest chair, clutching her chest as though her heart had forgotten how to beat.

"I..." She laughed bitterly. "I didn't even know that I had a brother." Her eyes slowly drifted toward the young man standing a few meters away from them. “No one… no one ever told me I had a freaking brother."

Enzo cautiously stepped closer. "He is your younger brother, Miss Adriana."

His words only made everything worse. Adriana suddenly clenched both fists.

"No!" Her voice echoed throughout the chapel. "My father only had one child and that was me. I am his only child. So stop telling me I have a brother! If he really existed, then why didn't dad ever tell me?"

No one answered. The young man who had caused all the chaos simply watched her quietly. After several seconds, he slowly smiled and walked toward her.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I honestly thought you were just another random girl Enzo brought here." He laughed softly. "Our father's right-hand man has always been popular with women. I just assumed… you were one of them. I'm sorry."

He offered his hand, Adriana just stared at it.

"I know who you are. I just didn't recognize you and apparently, dad never got the chance to introduce me to you either."

Adriana ignored his hand. Her eyes remained cold. "No. He never mentioned you. Not even once. So tell me… who exactly are you? Because as far as I know, my father only loved one woman and that was my mother."

The young man's smile slowly disappeared. "I wish that was true. Our father wasn't as perfect as you believed. He made mistakes. Like every other man, he gave in to temptation and I am the result of that mistake."

The man pointed his fingers to himself.

Adriana immediately shook her head. "No! I don't believe you. My father would never cheat on my mother."

"I'm telling you the truth." His expression remained sincere. "If you don't believe me, we can take a DNA test. I'll do it anytime." He looked straight into her eyes. "What proof do you want? Tell me. I'll give it to you."

Adriana could not answer. Her anger was rising too quickly. She felt as if she might explode at any second.

The young man took a deep breath and smiled politely before speaking again.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Marco Ignacio. Well… my legal name is still Marco Ignacio because dad never officially allowed me to use the Ferrer surname." His smile became bittersweet. "But now that he's gone, I suppose I finally have the right. I'm a Ferrer too."

Those words shattered whatever composure Adriana had left.

"So that's it..." she laughed without humor. "Is this why you all forced me to come home?"

She looked from Marco to Enzo.

"You wanted to make a fool out of me." Her gaze finally settled on Enzo. Her eyes filled with disappointment. "You too! You keep disappointing me. I hate you… I hate all of you."

Without waiting for anyone to stop her, she stormed out of the memorial chapel. The moment she stepped outside, the tears she had been holding back finally escaped. She looked up at the cloudy sky.

"Why, Dad?" Her voice trembled. "Why would you do this to me? Why would you hide something this important? Did you really think so little of me? Did you think I wasn't strong enough to understand?"

Question after question filled her mind but none of them had answers. Only more pain.

Her phone suddenly vibrated. She looked down. It was Yaya Jona. She was calling her. Adriana answered immediately.

"Señorita?" Yaya Jona's familiar voice echoed through the speaker. "We're already at your father's mansion. I brought our luggage here first before heading back. Do you need me to bring you anything?"

Adriana closed her eyes. "Tell the Trio to pick me up. I don't want to stay here anymore."

"But..." Yaya Jona sounded confused. "Don't you want to stay with your father? The wake will only last a few days. You should stay beside him until he's laid to rest."

Adriana's jaw tightened. "If you want to stay with him, I won't stop you. But tell the Trio to come here, now!” Her voice turned cold. "Otherwise, I'll leave on my own and I promise you… no one will know where I went."

After saying those words, she ended the call. After it, she slipped her phone back inside her handbag then she looked toward the large framed portrait of Don Alejandro displayed outside the chapel.

For a long time, she simply stared at it.

"I hate you, Dad." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I missed you so much, but I can't stay here. Not after what I learned today. You hurt me more than you could ever imagine."

She turned around, intending to leave but before she could take another step, someone grabbed her wrist. Her body froze. She looked back and saw Enzo.

"Let go of me."She tried to pull away but his grip never loosened. "I said let go!"

She struggled harder, but he refused to release her.

"You are not leaving." His voice was calm but firm. "Whether you like it or not., you cannot leave my side."

Adriana glared at him. "Why? What gives you the right to stop me? Is this another one of Dad's orders? He isn't here anymore, Lorenzo. You don't have to impress him anymore. No one's going to praise you. So stop acting like his perfect little soldier and let me live my own life."

Pain flashed briefly across Enzo's face. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I wish I could. I really do, but I can't. You are my responsibility now. If anything happens to you, I will never forgive myself."

"I'm fine! There won't be any danger, so stop treating me like a child."

She turned to leave once again. But Enzo grabbed her arm even more firmly than before. His expression darkened. When he finally spoke, every word sent a chill down Adriana's spine.

"Your father was murdered."

A heavy silence followed.

“And I refuse to let the same thing happen to you."