Lucy slowly pushed open the door to Alexander's former study room. The room still smelled faintly of his cologne and old books. Her trembling fingers brushed across the polished desk before she sank into his chair.
The moment she sat down, her composure shattered.
"My love..." she whispered, staring at Alexander's portrait. "I have failed you."
Tears rolled endlessly down her cheeks.
"I thought I was gonna have Canary as my son forever. I thought I could protect him from this truth until the day I died... but today... today I ruined everything."
She covered her face and sobbed harder.
"What was I supposed to do, Alexander? Tell me... because I don't know anymore. Every decision I made was for him. Every sacrifice... every lie... it was because I loved him."
She looked around the room desperately.
"You left me with this burden alone. You left me to carry a secret too heavy for one person."
Her voice cracked.
"He looked at me with pain in his eyes today... pain that I put there. He called me mother for years, trusted me for years, and now I have broken the only thing I promised to protect."
Lucy gripped the armrests tightly.
"What if he hates me now? What if he leaves me too? Alexander... I already lost you. I can't lose him too."
She lowered her head onto the desk.
"Please... if you can hear me... help our son. Because right now, I don't even know how to face him."
Her cries filled the silent study room.
***
Canary drove through the empty roads with blurry vision, his eyes swollen from crying too much.
The city lights passed him like shadows.
Finally, he pulled over on a deserted roadside.
He stepped out of the car slowly and leaned against it, staring into the dark sky.
The night was quiet.
Then he noticed the brightest star above him.
His chest tightened.
"Father..." he whispered.
His voice shook.
"What's really going on?"
He looked up harder, as if the sky could answer him.
"If she isn't my mother... are you even my father?"
Silence.
His breathing became uneven.
"Can someone explain to me?!" he shouted into the darkness.
His voice echoed back at him.
"Why does everyone keep lying to me?!"
The tears returned immediately.
In anger and pain, he kicked the side of the car.
The impact hurt his foot, but he barely noticed.
He leaned against the car again, sliding down slightly as tears streamed endlessly.
For a long time, there was only silence and quiet crying.
Eventually, Canary wiped his face roughly.
He inhaled deeply.
Then got back into the car.
The engine started.
And with red eyes and a broken heart, he drove back to the mansion.
As soon as Canary's car stopped in front of the mansion, he remained seated for a few seconds, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Then he stepped out.
Before he could even close the door, Ketra rushed toward him from the entrance.
"Where did you go?" she asked worriedly. "You worried me."
Canary forced himself to look at her.
"I am sorry… I needed some time alone."
Ketra sighed sadly.
"I know this has broken your heart."
Canary's expression changed immediately.
"Did you know about this too?"
Ketra went silent for a moment.
Then she gently took his hands.
"Come inside."
She led him into the living room.
He looked exhausted.
Broken.
Ketra quickly got him a glass of water and handed it to him before sitting beside him.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then she finally began.
"Your mother and father loved each other so much. When they got married, a lot happened."
Canary stayed quiet.
"Lucy lost her parents… and because of that, Joel had to move in. There was pressure from both the Andersons family and the Rivers family because Lucy had already invested everything she had from Rivers into Andersons Group."
She paused.
"Her relatives kept creating tension about property and inheritance."
Canary looked down.
"Back then…" Ketra continued softly, "she couldn't give birth. She tried so hard but failed."
His eyes slowly lifted.
"One day, she told Alexander to have a child with another woman."
Canary froze.
"He refused at first," Ketra continued. "Many times."
"But Lucy insisted. She promised that if a child came into this family, she would love that child as her own."
Ketra squeezed his hand gently.
"And she kept that promise."
Canary remained silent.
"She raised you."
"She stayed awake when you were sick."
"She celebrated your victories."
"She worried when you were late."
"She loved you truly."
Tears filled Canary's eyes again.
Ketra held both his hands.
"Canary… you shouldn't disrespect her or intentionally hurt her. She has sacrificed a lot for you."
She hesitated before continuing.
"And if this is about Lisa… you can meet many people in life."
Canary immediately shook his head.
"But I love Lisa."
His voice cracked.
Ketra's face softened.
"I know."
She looked down briefly.
"But if it doesn't make your mother happy… please think about it carefully. She already sacrificed a lot for you."
Canary stared ahead blankly.
Everything felt heavier now.
The truth.
His mother.
Lisa.
His family.
His identity.
Suddenly, he lowered his head into his hands.
And began crying again.
Not because he hated Lucy.
But because loving everyone suddenly felt impossible.
"Who is my real mother?"
Ketra went quiet for a moment. She lowered her eyes, thinking carefully about how much to say. Finally, she sighed softly and looked back at him.
"She was one of us."
Canary frowned slightly.
"One of us?"
"She worked closely with the family," Ketra explained softly. "After you were born, she signed an agreement and left."
Canary's expression slowly changed. The answer felt too simple for something that had completely changed his life.
"Just like that?"
Ketra nodded slowly.
"That was the arrangement."
Silence filled the room again. Canary leaned back against the couch, staring at nothing in particular. His entire world had shifted in one evening.
The woman he called mother wasn't his biological mother. His father was gone. The answers he wanted only seemed to create more questions.
After watching him struggle with his thoughts, Ketra carefully asked:
"Do you want to find her?"
Canary remained silent for several moments before shaking his head slowly.
"I don't really know what I should do."
He swallowed hard and lowered his eyes.
"My dad is gone. At least I should know someone I am related to."
Ketra moved closer and gently placed her hand over his.
"Canary… family shouldn't only be blood."
He looked at her.
"You have us."
She pointed gently toward herself before continuing.
"You have me."
Then toward the upper floor.
"And you have Lucy."
Her eyes softened as she spoke.
"And we love you so much. Please don't forget that."
Canary released a long breath. Nothing felt fixed. Nothing made sense yet. But hearing those words made the emptiness feel slightly less unbearable.
Finally, he slowly stood up from the couch.
"I should go talk to Lucy."
Ketra nodded gently.
"She's in Alexander's study."
Canary looked toward the staircase for a moment. His chest still felt heavy, but running from the conversation would not change anything. With slow steps and a heart still full of confusion, he started walking toward the study room.