Inside the grand mansion, the air felt tense and heavy.
Julian sat on the plush sofa in the living room with his arms crossed.
His mother was pacing back and forth across the polished marble floor.
Julian: I know what I saw today, Mom.
Eleanor: You saw a random kid who looks a little bit like you, Julian.
Julian: He doesn't look a little like me! He looks exactly like me!
Eleanor: That is just a strange coincidence, nothing more!
Julian: Why did your face turn white when you saw him then?
Eleanor stopped pacing and glared down at her young son.
Eleanor: Go up to your bedroom right now and do your homework!
Julian stood up from the sofa without saying another word.
He marched upstairs to his bedroom and closed the door softly.
He did not start his homework right away.
Instead, he waited quietly near the door to hear where his mother went.
He heard her heels clicking down the hallway toward his father's private home office.
His father, Richard, was a powerful lawyer who managed major high-profile cases.
Julian tiptoed down the long hallway and pressed his ear against the heavy wooden door.
Eleanor: Richard, we have a major problem! I saw him today!
Richard: Who did you see, Eleanor? Calm down and explain.
Eleanor: I saw the other boy! He was sitting on the street right downtown!
Richard: What?! How could he be in the city?!
Eleanor: Julian saw him too, Richard! He asked why they look identical!
Julian gasped quietly behind the closed office door.
He pressed his ear closer to hear every word clearly.
Richard: Did you tell him anything about eight years ago?
Eleanor: Of course I didn't! But Julian is smart, Richard. He knows something is wrong!
Richard: If anyone finds out about the adoption papers, our entire life will fall apart!
Eleanor: We paid your brother off to keep that baby hidden far away from us!
Richard: My brother Arthur must have fallen on hard times again.
Eleanor: Fix this right now, Richard! I won't let that child ruin our family reputation!
Julian felt his heart racing inside his chest like a drum.
He backed away from the office door with wide, terrified eyes.
He realized his parents were hiding a massive secret about his past.
He knew he had to find out what was hidden inside his father's locked desk safe.