Chapter 10: Fading shadows

Isabella stayed huddled next to Ethan, gently hugging him. Her heart raced, and no matter how hard she tried to focus on the present, something in her mind pulled her elsewhere. Almost involuntarily, distorted images began to cross her mind. It was like watching an old, blurry movie, full of shadows. She saw herself in a cold room, lit by blinding white lights. She felt pain, a lot of pain, and the sound of machines buzzing around her.

There were people around her, voices she couldn’t understand. The echo of someone saying, "It's okay, it's okay, it’s over..." resonated in her ears. And then, the crying of a baby. Her heart stopped for a second, as if she were about to remember something crucial, but just as the pieces began to fit, everything faded into a painful void.

She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to clear the confusion. What was that? she wondered. Could those memories be real? It couldn’t be. Six years had passed since... since what, exactly? She couldn’t remember clearly. The headache returned, and she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Ethan was looking at her with big, worried eyes.

—Are you okay, Isabella? —he asked softly.

—Yes, sweetheart. Everything is fine —she lied, forcing a smile.

However, the feeling of unease persisted. Something was not right. Something she had buried deep in her memory was trying to resurface.

Later that night, while Isabella was in Ethan’s room, tidying up his clothes, she heard voices coming from the hallway. The door was slightly open, and she immediately recognized the voices of Alexander and Miranda.

—We have to think about what’s best for Ethan —Miranda said in a soft but calculating tone.

—What do you mean? —Alexander asked, visibly confused.

—I mean that... maybe the best thing would be to send him abroad. I’ve been researching some clinics in Switzerland that offer treatments for children with... his emotional problems. —The pause in Miranda’s voice made Isabella’s blood run cold.

—Miranda, he doesn’t need to be sent away. What he needs is love and stability —Alexander replied, though there was a hint of doubt in his tone.

—I know you care for him as if he were your own, Alexander. But we have to be realistic. Ethan... is not your biological son. He never was, and it doesn’t make sense to cling to the illusion that he is. If he’s not well, maybe what’s best for everyone is for him to receive the help he needs... far away from here.

Isabella's heart raced in her chest. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She covered her mouth with her hand to avoid making a sound as she continued eavesdropping.

—You can’t be serious —Alexander replied, shocked—. I can’t just... send him away.

—I’m telling you what’s best for us —Miranda insisted—. Ethan will always be a reminder of what happened before. We can’t have a future together with that burden hanging over us.

Isabella felt a wave of anger and despair. How could they talk about Ethan like that? What were they really hiding? What had happened in those past years that no one wanted to mention? Questions filled her mind as she struggled to hold back tears.

—You should think about it —Miranda said finally, her tone firmer—. In the end, you know it’s what’s best. Not just for us, but for Ethan too.

Isabella closed her eyes tightly, feeling her world begin to crumble. Ethan was not Alexander’s biological son... but there was something more, something dangerously close to the truth that she had been ignoring.

With a shaky breath, Isabella stood up and quietly left the room. She had to uncover the truth, and she had to protect Ethan. She wasn’t going to let them take him away, not after everything she had started to feel for him.

Isabella walked down the hallway with her heart racing, but a lingering doubt began to grow inside her. Something in Miranda’s words didn’t quite add up. What was that “reminder” she had mentioned? The idea that Ethan was not Alexander’s biological son unsettled her, but there was something else, a shadow of a secret that seemed even darker. Her instinct told her that what she had just overheard was only the tip of the iceberg. Isabella knew she had to investigate further, to discover what they were really hiding, even if the price of knowing the truth could be devastating.

Suddenly, a fleeting image crossed her mind. A small child, wrapped in blankets, crying in a hospital room. The emptiness in her chest paralyzed her for a moment. Was that child... Ethan? She shook her head, feeling that something inside her was about to explode, but she still couldn’t shape that memory. As her thoughts swirled in her head, she felt that the answer was closer than she imagined, almost tangible, but every time she tried to grasp it, it slipped away into the air. Could Ethan be connected to her past in some way? The thought terrified her.

Isabella knew she couldn’t act impulsively, but Miranda’s words kept echoing in her head: “He’s not your biological son.” What did that really mean? An alarming idea took hold of her: what if Ethan... was her son? The mere possibility left her breathless. She had no proof, only broken fragments of memories, but if there was any truth to her intuition, she had to act quickly before Alexander and Miranda did something irreversible. She knew she had to stay close to Ethan, protect him... and, above all,

uncover the truth before it was too late.