Meanwhile, on Isla, the sun was already sinking into the horizon, bleeding gold and amber across the sky by the time Liam finally made it to the clinic.

The delay hadn’t been without reason.

Earlier that day, the archaeological team had unearthed something extraordinary—an intact body of a young woman, preserved by time yet blackened by carbon, as if history itself had tried to erase her. Even in death, there was an undeniable air of dignity about her. The way she was laid to rest, the fragments of adornment still clinging to her remains... she was no ordinary woman.

A noble, perhaps.

The entire site had descended into controlled chaos since the discovery.

Which explained why the technician who had assisted Liam before was nowhere to be seen—likely buried in work, too consumed by the find to even spare a moment to clean himself up.

Instead, a different man stood behind the counter.

Early thirties, composed, and far less disheveled than the others outside.

Liam slowed his steps, his sharp gaze narrowing as he studied him. Instinctively cautious.

Then his eyes flicked to the nameplate pinned neatly against the man’s chest. Recognition didn’t come—but something about it eased him.

The man looked up and offered a polite, professional smile. It was calm. Neutral. Approachable.

Liam returned it faintly, though his guard didn’t fully drop.

Without a word, he handed over the folded sheet he’d been given the other day.

The man took it, turned to his computer, and began typing. The soft clacking of keys filled the space between them.

Seconds stretched.

Then minutes.

Liam’s fingers curled slightly at his side.

A quiet tension coiled in his chest—subtle, but growing.

The printer suddenly whirred to life.

The man retrieved the pages, glanced over them briefly, then looked up.

"Here’s your DNA result."

He extended the document toward Liam.

For a moment, Liam didn’t take it.

Something in the man’s tone... or perhaps the way his eyes lingered just a second too long made the air feel heavier.

Like this wasn’t just paper.

Like this... was the kind of truth that didn’t leave people unchanged.

Slowly, Liam reached out.

And the moment his fingers touched the page—

everything began to shift.

...

Liam finally turned the page.

The faint rustle of paper sounded too loud in the suffocating silence.

In his other hand, a half-empty bottle of water trembled slightly—something he didn’t even notice until his grip faltered.

His eyes scanned the report—

—and then froze.

The bottle slipped.

It tilted dangerously in his hand, water sloshing against the plastic as it nearly fell.

He barely caught it.

But his attention wasn’t on that anymore. It was on the result.

Clear. Clinical. Undeniable.

It was confirmed.

Larissa Reyes.

Their sibling.

For a split second, his mind refused to process it. Like his thoughts had hit a wall and shattered into fragments too scattered to piece back together.

Then—

everything rushed in at once.

His chest tightened. His pulse spiked.

And without another glance, Liam turned sharply and strode out of the clinic.

...

He walked out without remembering how.

The sky outside had darkened, the last traces of sunlight swallowed by the approaching night. The island, once buzzing with excitement over the discovery, now felt distant—muted—like he was moving through it instead of living in it.

Larissa Reyes.

The name followed him, like footsteps.

Each step heavier than the last.

They had spent years not knowing.

Years with a gap in their lives he couldn’t quite define.

And now, it was certain.

A reality.

Sister...you are alive all along.

"So this is it..." he said under his breath.

With relief and joy.

Larissa Reyes was their sister.

Liam stopped walking.

The night wind brushed against him, but he barely felt it.

His jaw tightened slightly.

There was only one question now.

Not if. But why.

Why was she hidden?

Why did she suddenly appeared in their lives?

And more importantly—

why did it feel like this wasn’t a coincidence? 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

His hand slowly tightened into a fist, the DNA result still trapped within his grasp.

In the Zuvel mansion, Larissa Reyes was living her life, pretty well now.

But what about her past? Did she suffered?

She must have suffered a lot.

Liam lifted his gaze, eyes darkening with something colder and sharper.

This wasn’t the end of a mystery.

It was the beginning of one.

And he had the unsettling feeling—

that finding her...

wouldn’t bring answers.

It would bring consequences.

...

The surroundings blurred into streaks of dim light and shadow as he pushed forward—

—and slammed straight into someone.

"Bro! Where are you looking at? Didn’t you see me?" Logan snapped, grabbing his wrinkled shirt and trying to smooth it down, irritation flashing across his face.

Liam didn’t apologize. Didn’t even acknowledge it.

His grip shot out, catching Logan by the arm.

"Come with me to the northern sector."

Logan blinked.

There was something in Liam’s voice, something sharp and alive.

Almost... electric.

It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t panic.

It was something Logan had never heard from him before.

Excitement!

"Hey—what’s gotten into you?" Logan demanded, brows knitting together.

There was no answer.

Liam had already turned, already moving.

Within seconds, he was on the trike, engine roaring to life with a harsh, impatient growl. He didn’t even look back—just jerked his head slightly, signaling.

Get on.

Now.

Logan hesitated for half a second—then cursed under his breath and climbed on.

The moment he settled, Liam took off.

The trike surged forward like it had been unleashed.

Wind slammed into them instantly, whipping through Logan’s carefully styled hair, destroying it in seconds.

"Are you trying to kill us?!" Logan shouted over the roar of the engine, gripping tightly as the vehicle sped through uneven paths.

Liam didn’t slow down. Didn’t respond. Didn’t even seem to hear him.

His eyes were fixed ahead, sharp and burning with something urgent.

The northern sector, to where his father was.

The place where everything had started to unravel.

His fingers tightened around the handle, knuckles paling.

Larissa Reyes.

The name echoed again and again in his mind.

Not a stranger. Not just a possibility.

But of the Norse lineage. Someone who shared their bloodline. Real and proven.

And for the first time—

Liam wasn’t chasing answers blindly.

This time—

he was driving straight toward them.

At full speed.

With no intention of stopping.