The Mitchell family heirloom.
The one that had vanished the day of Ethan’s funeral.
“Where did you get this?” Lauren demanded, her voice breaking as she grabbed the pendant with trembling hands.
Carlos collapsed to his knees.
“I didn’t steal it,” he sobbed. “Ethan gave it to me before he died.”
The world tilted.
“He was my best friend. My brother in everything but blood,” Carlos continued through tears. “I was the nurse who cared for him in secret during his final months. Your family didn’t want anyone to know he was sick.”
Lauren’s chest tightened.
“He made me promise… if anything happened to him, I’d protect his son. But after he died, people threatened me. Told me to disappear.”
Slowly, Lauren turned toward the child on the mattress.
The boy had Ethan’s eyes.
The same peaceful expression Ethan wore when he slept.
“Is he… my brother’s son?” she whispered.
“Yes,” Carlos said. “The child your family erased out of pride.”
He swallowed hard.
“I took the cleaning job at your company just to be close to you. I waited for the right moment to tell the truth. But I was terrified they’d take him away from me.”
He gestured toward the child.