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Chapter 15
‘Does she not know that my father is dead?’
Usually, when conversations reached this point, people would approach him under the pretext of comforting someone who had lost their father early.
But Sian was different.
Instead of offering Blade any comfort, she busily flipped through the photos.
Almost as if she were searching for something specific.
‘Is she pretending not to care on purpose?’
While Blade was lost in thought, Sian finally found the photo she wanted.
At the center stood Blade’s mother, holding young Blade and Ian in her arms.
“This person next to you, Blade…”
Her voice trembled despite herself.
Even the finger pointing to Ian in the photo shook.
Thinking this might be her chance to naturally draw information about Ian out of Blade, she couldn’t calm down.
“Ah, Ian—I told you about him before, didn’t I?”
“Yes. I also saw the two of you together at school.”
Sian nodded, recalling the memory of when she’d greeted Ian across a barbed-wire fence while practicing backflips.
And also the time she had seen Blade and Ian together in the cafeteria not long ago.
“You two must have been close since childhood.”
She kept pretending to be clueless as she asked.
“Yeah. It’s a long story, though.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve got plenty of time.”
Afraid Blade might clam up if she didn’t show interest, Sian quickly responded.
Seemingly pleased by her reaction, Blade let out a faint laugh and began to speak.
“After my father passed away, I was sent to live with my grandfather.”
The unexpectedly heavy story made Sian look up from the photo to Blade.
‘So she didn’t know my father had died.’
As her gaze focused solely on him, Blade felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
“And your mother?”
“I met her only on weekends. At the time, she thought it was best for me to grow up under my grandfather’s care.”
The public had been told Blade’s father died in a small-plane crash.
But the truth was that he had taken his own life, unable to overcome depression.
His mother, afraid her son might end up the same way as his father, never dared leave Blade alone, even briefly.
She left him at his grandfather’s house, where there were always people around.
Blade didn’t resent her for that.
In the end, it had been the right decision.
Thanks to it, he grew up surrounded by attention and care.
“The adults must have thought I looked pitiful. Since everyone in my grandfather’s house was an adult, he introduced me to a friend—and that was Ian.”
The two boys had recognized each other at once.
Recognized the loneliness they both carried, the void no one else could fill.
“That’s a relief…”
Though she had believed her brother would be fine after being adopted to America, she had always worried.
But now, knowing he’d had a friend by his side, she finally felt reassured.
“Well… maybe it was luck for me. But that doesn’t mean it was luck for Ian.”
“What do you mean?”
Blade’s words carried a weight that made Sian’s heart skip.
She asked again, startled, but he gave no further answer.
‘I’ve said too much.’
He hadn’t planned on revealing so much.
If she found out everything about him, wouldn’t this stalker’s interest in him fade?
‘And besides… this is Ian’s matter, too.’
Draining the juice in his glass, Blade rose from his seat.
“I should head back. Something always seems to get broken around this time.”
As if on cue, a loud crash rang out from the opposite building where the party was in full swing.
The noise pierced even through the pounding music. What on earth had they broken this time?
Sian clicked her tongue silently.
“Alright… let’s go.”
She reluctantly set down Ian’s old photo, her eyes lingering on it full of longing.
For a moment she considered asking Blade if she could keep it, but decided against it. It would only make her look suspicious.
“Watch your step—it’s dark.”
Blade kindly held the door open for her.
Anyone else would have been moved by his gentlemanly manners, but Sian remained unfazed.
“The garden lights are on, so it’s fine.”
She answered brightly, striding forward as if to prove her point.
Blade let out a faint laugh and walked beside her, matching her pace.
The walk back was quiet.
Unlike the other girls, who would have tried desperately to strike up conversation with Blade, Sian walked in silence, lost in her own thoughts.
‘She’s strange, really.’
Blade kept stealing glances at her, unaware that he hadn’t taken his eyes off her even once.
The two of them arrived at the party building in silence.
“What happened?”
“Blade, where have you been all this time?”
“Mark caused trouble!”
“It wasn’t me!”
The level of their exchange wasn’t much higher than kindergarten squabbling.
Some elite Americans they are.
Sian scoffed inwardly and went off in search of Janice.
The party was so noisy that no one noticed she and Blade had returned together.
No one—except Victoria, who had been looking for Blade all night.
The next day, after the party.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Sian had gone jogging with Aaron to build stamina, only to get scolded.
At that moment, she felt a pang of jealousy toward Janice, who wasn’t there.
Janice had claimed she was too sore to even move from bed after spending all her energy on party games the night before.
“And what if something had happened? You went into Blade Williams’s room alone!”
“But nothing happened…”
Her weak defense only made Aaron glare harder.
Feeling guilty, she shifted nervously under his gaze. Then Aaron sighed deeply.
It wasn’t Sian he was angry with.
The blame lay with men who preyed on defenseless women.
“Just… be careful from now on. At the very least, tell someone where you’re going. You got lucky this time, but who’s to say you’ll be lucky again?”
“Sorry, I’ll be careful next time.”
“You don’t have to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong to me.”
Still, his face remained stiff.
“But I made you worry. I’m really sorry.”
“…Ha.”
It was impossible to stay angry with Sian.
As Aaron’s expression softened, Sian perked up again.
“Still, I didn’t come back empty-handed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can we stop for a second? I’ll tell you.”
She’s not just making an excuse to rest, is she?
Suspicious, Aaron stopped anyway.
Flushed and panting, Sian wiped the sweat off her forehead.
“Here, water.”
“Thanks.”
Only after drinking from the bottle he offered did she continue.
“Did you know Blade’s father was a really famous actor?”
She spoke cautiously, but Aaron looked at her like she’d just asked whether the sky was blue.
“You didn’t know?”
“Of course I didn’t! You never told me!”
Her sudden outburst made Aaron look away awkwardly.
“Anyway, so what?”
It was rare for Aaron to change the subject like that.
Sian huffed at him but let it go.
“After his father died, he grew up under his grandfather’s care. That’s when he was introduced to a friend—and that friend was my brother.”
“And?”
That part wasn’t strange in itself.
What bothered Sian was what came next.
“Blade said becoming friends with Ian was his luck. But for Ian, maybe it wasn’t luck at all.”
“…Hmm.”
“The more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel.”
Aaron crossed his arms and stared into the distance, deep in thought.
Sian waited quietly, not wanting to interrupt.
Finally, after a long silence, Aaron spoke.
“You’re right, it is strange. Being Blade Williams’s friend could only be an advantage, not a disadvantage.”
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
Aaron exhaled softly.
He hesitated, wondering whether to tell her, then decided she deserved to know.
“Promise me something. Whatever I tell you now, don’t go rushing into things recklessly.”
“Why are you making it sound so scary…”
“Promise me.”
“…Fine.”
Once he had her reluctant promise, Aaron began.
“The Morgans adopted four children in total—including Ian. But maybe it wasn’t out of pure goodwill.”
The shocking words made Sian’s fingers tremble.
But instead of lashing out as Aaron feared, she clenched her fists tightly, forcing herself to stay calm.
“Explain.”
“The eldest, a Jewish boy, became an accountant. The second, who’s Black, became a football player. The third is a violinist still studying at Juilliard.”
By now, Sian was beginning to understand what Aaron was getting at.
“But what if their success wasn’t the result of the Morgans’ pure intentions—but rather an investment?”
“An… investment…” she muttered.
Having spent more time hospitalized than in an orphanage, she knew all too well there were people who adopted children under the guise of “investment.”
“Think about it. Who benefits most when the children they ‘supported’ succeed?”
The answer was obvious: the Morgans.
“If my theory is right, then Blade’s words make sense. The Morgans used Ian as a means to build ties with the Williams family. Their friendship might not have been Ian’s choice at all.”
It was a clear explanation—but it left Sian feeling anything but clear.
Seeing her pale face, Aaron added carefully:
“But it’s just my guess. It’s only one way of looking at things, not a certainty.”
“I know.”
Her hands still trembling, she clasped them tightly together.
“You okay?”
Sian forced a smile.
“For now.”
But she still looked sad, as if tears might spill from her dark eyes at any moment.
“But if what you say is true, and my brother suffered because of it… then I won’t be okay anymore.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“No. It is my fault.”
Her eyelids quivered.
“Because I was the one who pushed him to go to America.”
