Chapter 51: Karen’s Past

Although they were not related by blood, Karen had always had a deep connection with Mrs. Malcolm and loved her like a mother.Over the years, she had learned to decipher every micro-expression on her face: the discreet joy, the restrained sadness, the silent disappointment. And at that moment, she recognized something she never expected to see in herself.Fear.“Why are you lying to me?” she asked, her voice soft but laden with disbelief.The nun swallowed hard, embarrassed by the situation. Her pupils contracted, as if searching for an exit that did not exist within that room.“I’m not lying,” she replied, looking away toward the windows, as if the landscape outside could save her.Karen didn’t understand the nun’s reaction. After all, all the orphans always asked about their parents, and the subject was always treated naturally.“You’re hiding the truth from me, which is the same thing.”Mrs. Malcolm closed her eyes for a moment—a brief, defensive gesture, like someone who takes a

Chapter 52: Karen’s Mother

Karen couldn’t bear the impact of the revelation. Her legs gave way, and her body collapsed under the weight of the truth. She fell to her knees on the cold floor, tears streaming down her face in uncontrollable waves, as if years of pent-up pain had finally found a way to escape.“Oh, my dear...”Mrs. Malcolm bent down with difficulty, her knees cracking, and wrapped her arms around Karen. The nun’s usual stiffness disappeared; in its place was only an exhausted, fragile woman, a survivor of secrets that should never have been kept.They cried together.Two lives lost to the same tragedy—the orphan who sought a name, the guardian who tried to erase it to protect her.“Why didn’t you tell me?” Karen asked between sobs, her voice hoarse, barely able to breathe.“Because it’s dangerous.”Mrs. Malcolm held her face with trembling hands, as if afraid the girl would disappear before her.“The underworld of Las Vegas is dangerous. I was afraid for you... and for the children at the orphanag

Chapter 53: The Player.

Sebastian listened to every word as if gathering valuable information—not only out of concern for Karen’s shaken psychological state but also because of the silent opportunity to rearrange the board in his favor. His face remained calm as a marble statue, but inside he was calculating and anticipating events.He sat Karen down on the sofa and offered her a glass of water to drink and calm down.“I lived in the orphanage without my parents and never cared much about it. Mrs. Malcolm and the other children kept me company.”Sebastian remembered his own childhood at Saint Mary’s.“I never wanted to know about their lives... until that night,” Karen’s voice was choked with emotion. “I just... I didn’t want to die without knowing who I really am, my last name, and my origins.”Sebastian remained silent, letting her speak, offering the kind of steady presence that made anyone feel safe to break down.She continued, clenching her fingers against her knee. “I wanted to know what was wrong wit

Chapter 54: The Sinner

Sebastian called the lawyer for an urgent meeting at his home. He couldn’t wait until the next day; he was too excited, almost vibrating with the adrenaline of his discovery.Richard entered the office, adjusting his glasses. “You sounded anxious on the phone.”Sebastian smiled slowly, like a predator who had finally caught the scent of victory. He filled two glasses with a whiskey he rarely took off the shelf and handed one of them to his lawyer and accomplice.“Luck smiled on me,” he confessed quietly, trembling that someone might hear the secret.Richard raised an eyebrow before taking a sip.“Are you going to explain the reason for your happiness, or should I guess? But I’d bet its money or women?”Most men are driven by power and testosterone—and Sebastian was no different. He slumped into his chair with a calculated air of relaxation, interlacing his hands behind his head like someone who knew exactly how much he was in control of the situation.“Karen has discovered some things

Chapter 55: The Pain of Truth

Lindsay’s health deteriorated dramatically, and she was rushed to the hospital.The fluorescent lights flickered above Peter as he paced back and forth in the hallway, his fists clenched and his jaw locked.“How is she? Be honest with me,” Peter asked the doctor as soon as he left the room.The doctor sighed wearily. He had been following this case for years.“Stable and out of danger for now, but she needs a transplant. Urgently.”“If I were a match, I would have already donated my kidney to save her,” Peter said, his voice heavy with frustration and helplessness.The doctor put his hand on his shoulder. He knew that devotion well—years of struggles, hospitalizations, and sleepless nights.“I know. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”Peter agreed without conviction and entered the room.He sat down in the armchair next to the bed, watching the woman he loved. Lindsay slept, too pale, too fragile, connected to tubes and monitors that beeped softly. He held her icy hand and felt something b

Chapter 56: Flowers in the Rain

When Karen arrived at the small cemetery where her mother was buried, the world seemed to shrink around her. The rusty gate creaked as she pushed it open, betraying years of neglect. The whole place had an air of neglect; the grass was tall, gravestones were toppled, the earth damp and silent, as if no one had stepped there in decades.Chloe Jones’ grave was almost at the edge of the grounds, far from the more carefully tended graves. A simple stone marked the spot, no ornaments, no dates, no life. It was dirty, covered with moss, as if time had tried to erase any trace that this woman had ever existed.Karen knelt slowly before the grave. She carried a bouquet of white flowers in her hands; the same ones she had always imagined her mother liked, although she was never sure. Her hands trembled as she placed them on the cold stone.“Mom...” she whispered.The word that, for so many years, had only existed in her dreams, came out shaky, broken.With her fingertips, she began to clean th