Chapter 508 The Disappearing Birthmark
"Daddy, what's the gentleman's name?" Andy asked.
"Liam White," Ethan replied.
Andy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Liam White? I don't remember Godfather ever mentioning him." His eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait—he shares our surname! In Aivalian tradition, that practically makes us family!"
Ethan smiled fondly, ruffling Andy's hair. "Perhaps so."
Suddenly, a startling thought struck him. Liam, Andy, Nate, Ashley, Pearl—they all shared the White surname. And Pearl and Ashley looked identical...
Could they possibly be the same person?
The idea flashed through his mind for only seconds before he dismissed it. He'd considered this possibility before, but Doris had mentioned that Ashley had a distinctive red birthmark behind her ear, while Pearl didn't. That had seemed conclusive enough.
Most likely, Liam had visited the Grayson family because he'd mistaken Pearl for Ashley.
Ethan gave a rueful smile at the thought.
"Daddy, what are you thinking about?" Andy inquired.
"Nothing important," Ethan said, focusing back on the moment. "Come here, Nate. Let me apply this medicine."
"Okay," Nate agreed, obediently sitting on Ethan's lap.
Ethan gently dabbed the medicine onto Nate's bump with a cotton swab. Despite his careful touch, Nate winced.
"That hurts, Daddy," he whimpered.
"Be brave, little man," Ethan encouraged. "Learning to endure small hurts now will make you strong enough to protect your mother when you grow up."
Nate squared his shoulders. "I understand! I'll become stronger and always protect Mommy!"
"That's my boy," Ethan smiled.
As he tended to the injury, Ethan's gaze caught something unexpected—a red birthmark behind Nate's ear. His heart skipped a beat; the mark seemed eerily familiar.
Ethan exclaimed, "Nate, you have a birthmark behind your ear!"
The coincidence was unsettling. Ashley had a birthmark in the same location, and they shared the White surname. But Nate was Pearl's child...unless...
Ethan's thoughts began to race chaotically.
"Yes, Mommy says I've had it since birth," Nate replied.
"Does Andy have one too?" Ethan asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Andy touched his ear. "No, I don't, Daddy."
"But Andy has a black mole on his collarbone!" Nate volunteered excitedly, reaching to pull at his brother's shirt.
Andy blushed, swatting Nate's hand away. "Stop it! There's nothing special about a mole."
"Don't be shy, brother. Show Daddy!" Nate teased.
Andy's cheeks reddened further. "Would you like to see it, Daddy?"
Something about this moment felt pivotal to Ethan; his heart raced with inexplicable anticipation.
"If you don't mind," he said softly.
"For you, it's fine," Andy replied, tugging his collar down to reveal a small black mole near his collarbone—a feature that somehow lent the young boy a distinctive charm.
"Daddy, isn't Andy's mole nice?" Nate asked proudly.
But Ethan couldn't respond. A flood of intimate images suddenly assaulted his mind—fragmented scenes playing like a rewinding film. Though the faces remained frustratingly blurred, something about them felt desperately important.
As he strained to bring the images into focus, a searing pain shot through his head. His ears began to ring, and the world around him seemed to spin.
Ethan's face turned ashen, his breathing growing rapid and labored.
"Daddy, what's wrong?!" the boys cried out in alarm.
Ian, seated in the front passenger seat, quickly recognized the symptoms. "His Highness is having one of his episodes. Your Highness, take your medication immediately."
He swiftly handed Ethan the medicine, which Ethan swallowed with difficulty. Gradually, the dizziness subsided, though his eyes remained disoriented when he opened them again.
The children exchanged worried glances, having never seen their father in such a vulnerable state.
"Daddy, are you sick?" Andy asked gently.
Ethan attempted a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry for frightening you. It's just an old condition—the medicine will take care of it."
"Your Highness," Ian interjected, "your headaches have been rare lately. This attack seems particularly severe. Perhaps we should schedule another medical examination."
"We'll address that another day," Ethan replied as the car pulled up to the palace gates. Turning to the children, he said, "Andy, Nate, I'll take you to see your mother now."
"Thank you, Daddy!" the boys exclaimed, each planting a grateful kiss on Ethan's cheek.
As they made their way toward Azure Palace, Ian whispered, "Your Highness, these children aren't actually yours. Allowing them to call you 'Daddy' seems inappropriate, especially within palace walls where it could cause significant confusion. Perhaps they should address you differently."
Ethan watched the boys skipping ahead, his expression softening with affection. "Let them be. I don't mind what they call me." His voice took on a note of authority: "Send word throughout the palace—anyone who dares mistreat these children will answer directly to me."
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