An Intruder
**Ryan**
I left Kael's office and, after briefly greeting Marta, his secretary and my greatest ally in handling the numerous demands of the Anglo-X CEO, I headed for the elevator. Some intuition was telling me that the information provided by the tracker installed in Mary's car wasn't true, and I wouldn't be fully satisfied until I was sure of that.
The walls were closing in around me, and I was seriously considering submitting my resignation and leaving Seattle. Although I loved my biological family, lately, the feeling of not belonging there and actually being a stranger among them was consuming me. Except for Sarah, they were all selfish and extremely petty, willing to cross boundaries to satisfy their desires. I didn't feel comfortable condoning such behavior, even if they were blood relatives.
The memories of my adoptive mother were always present. She was always a generous and loving woman to me, prioritizing my well-being and comfort, even if it meant sacrificing her own. The truth about not being her biological son only came to light when she was on her deathbed in the hospital. It was something I could have never imagined, as I was raised as her most precious possession.
Despite living in Olympia, the capital of the state of Washington, I had never visited Seattle before discovering the secret my adoptive mother had kept. The truth about my past would have remained hidden if she hadn't revealed it before passing away. I stayed by her side until her last breath, feeling the profound pain of her loss. However, shortly after her death, I left the only city I had known until then.
Determinedly, I headed to Seattle. With cunning and a bit of luck, I managed to get close to my older brother and, through him, find my biological mother: Mary Graham. In doing so, I also found my father, Patrick Mitchell, and interacted with him, even without his knowledge that I was his child with Mary. I was still trying to connect all the dots, as all Madelyn revealed to me on her deathbed were the names of my biological mother and father, as well as that of my brother, a Seattle billionaire. That's how I managed to insert myself among them, applying for any position in his company and eventually landing the role of his assistant.
Even after all this time, I still couldn't fully understand what had happened between my parents, but I suspected that the reason for my adoption was that I was illegitimate, as my father was likely married when I was born. However, things became increasingly murky for me, as Mary never mentioned the child she had given up for adoption, as if I had never existed. Kael seemed unaware of this story, which is understandable, as he was just a child when I was born.
The fact is, even as an active member of the Graham family, I still knew very little about myself. And after Mary began suffering from severe depression, things became even more confusing. Now, Kael seemed to suspect that there was a secret about our mother's past and was seeking answers through an investigative team. This intrigued me greatly, but he didn't trust me to mediate.
However, from the way things were unfolding, he probably hadn't discovered anything significant yet. That explains his constantly somber mood. The other reason is my sister Sarah. Although I don't agree with his actions regarding her, I'm certain he's in love with Sarah and simply refuses to admit it.
I understand Kael in this aspect, as I witnessed up close and suffered in silence seeing how Mary, a woman full of life and joy, deteriorated over the last year. Like Kael, I began to suspect that the excuse of Patrick's separation didn't align with reality and wasn't the true reason for her state.
How was it possible that she had suffered so much from the separation, but the death of her great love didn't have as deep an impact as we all feared it would? There were so many unanswered questions, and Mary's sudden move to Tacoma was yet another one. However, I am determined to unravel that mystery even today.
Now, I'm entering the city and heading towards the destination indicated by the tracker as my biological mother's. As I suspected, Mary was not in the car or the restaurant where the vehicle was parked just a few meters away. Even after half an hour, there was still no sign of her.
I was wearing a cap, sunglasses, and completely different clothes from my usual high-end suit; I was sure that Mary's driver didn't recognize me. When I noticed him heading to the cashier after receiving a call, I did the same a few minutes later. He was probably returning to Seattle, as indicated by the tracking app, and I left him with a ten-minute advantage so that he wouldn't suspect that I was following him.
I assumed that he would meet Mary somewhere in Seattle. I observed that he made a stop at a café a few blocks before the mansion, and I deduced that it was the rendezvous point. I went straight to the mansion, and a few minutes after entering the living room, Mary passed through the hallway, looking weary as if she had come from a long journey, not just a quick trip to a neighboring city, which was exactly what I concluded she had done.
"Hello, dear," she greeted me, trying to convey enthusiasm that wasn't there. "Did you come for some documents, or did Kael ask you to keep me company again?"
I examined the face of the woman I knew to be my biological mother, and my only desire now was to confront her with the truth, to understand why she chose not to keep me, as the fact that I was the child of a married man was not a valid reason for me.
"Just some documents," I lied.
"And how is your girlfriend?" she asked, genuinely interested, as she always was in everything I shared about myself.
"Madison is in the lounge," I told her without elaboration.
"I need you to tell me where that is because I'll be heading there next."
"Of course... Mary."
My instinct was to say, "Of course, Mom," but I couldn't. It wouldn't be at that moment, and I didn't know if I would ever do what my heart was screaming for me to do.
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