Chapter 137

DUNNOS

Gabriel sat frozen, the heavy silence in the office pressing down on him like a suffocating weight. His father’s words lingered in the air, each one settling deep in his chest, as if a stone had been placed there. The quiet was almost unbearable.

His mind drifted to the burden his grandfather had placed on Isla—the secret so dark and overwhelming it could make someone ill. Even Gabriel himself had struggled to come to terms with it. And yet, there were still more secrets hidden beneath the surface.

Finally, breaking the silence, Gabriel’s voice emerged softly but firmly. “What else haven’t you told me?” The question cut through the stillness sharply, though he didn’t raise his voice. “It’s better if I know everything now. I can’t keep living in the dark.”

John rubbed a weary hand down his face, as if trying to summon strength from some deep well of resolve.

“Your mother… Gladys… she was my first love,” he began, his tone low and rough. His gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding Gabriel’s eyes, as if ashamed to admit the truth.

“I loved her more than anything. She was the kindest soul I ever knew. But my father—your grandfather—insisted I marry Anna. We fought endlessly. I tried to resist, but you know how your grandfather is—once he sets his mind, the whole world bends to his will.”

Gabriel’s jaw clenched tightly. His heartbeat was heavy and deliberate.

John exhaled deeply before continuing, “Years passed. After I married Anna, after Wyatt and Landon were born, I saw Gladys again. And we…” His voice faltered, breaking slightly.

“We became intimate. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t right. But it happened.”

Turning his back to Gabriel, John avoided his son’s gaze, reliving the painful memory.

“That was the last time I saw her—until recently.”

Slowly, he faced Gabriel again, eyes locking onto his. “I know this is hard to process, but yes… that’s how you came into this world.”

Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing the bitter taste of the revelation. When he opened them, a deep, aching sadness weighed on him.

John motioned for them to sit, and they both lowered themselves into the chairs across from his desk. Father and son, confronting a truth that had long been buried.

“You are my only son, Gabriel,” John said quietly. “The only real one. And you’re also the only true grandson of my father. I only learned this recently—your grandfather told me everything himself.”

Then John began to recount everything Alfred had already revealed to Isla, each detail landing like a devastating blow on Gabriel’s heart.

He spoke of how Anna never bore any children.

How she traveled to her mother’s homeland during each supposed pregnancy and returned with a child from an orphanage.

How Rachel—Anna’s kinder sister—had confessed the truth directly to Alfred Wyndham.

How Alfred conducted secret DNA tests on Wyatt, Landon, and Gabriel without anyone’s knowledge.

How every test confirmed that Anna’s motherhood was a complete fabrication. How Gladys had been taken away, locked inside a mental institution for years.

And how Anna had stolen her newborn son—Gabriel—and claimed him as her own.

Gabriel’s fingers dug into the arms of his chair, his body trembling with a pain so sharp it felt like it was tearing something deep inside him.

The woman he had called “mother” his entire life was not truly his mother. She was incapable of giving birth to him—or of giving anyone love.

And the woman who had actually carried him for nine months—the woman whose blood ran through his veins, who probably loved him—was hidden away, silenced by Anna’s fear.

His throat tightened. His vision blurred. He drew in a sharp breath.

“Is there more I should know?” he whispered, voice barely audible.

John’s shoulders sagged, his voice softening.

“That will have to wait until my father recovers. There are still things only he can explain. We have to pray he gets better soon. That’s all I can tell you for now.”

Gabriel nodded slowly, but the ache inside him only deepened, settling like a storm beneath his ribs.

“And one more thing,” John added quietly. “Wyatt and Landon don’t know any of this yet. Please… keep it to yourself until your grandfather is ready.”

Gabriel’s voice caught in his throat. He managed a stiff nod, unable to trust his own words.

Suddenly, both their phones lit up and vibrated at the same time.

Gabriel glanced down—it was Landon calling. John’s screen showed Wyatt’s name.

Their eyes met, sharing an unspoken understanding of the chaos unfolding beyond the office walls.

Without hesitation, they answered.

Gabriel remained seated, jaw twitching as Landon’s rapid voice poured through the phone. Meanwhile, John walked toward the tall glass window, listening to Wyatt’s frantic tone.

John’s reply was sharp, cold, and commanding.

“Let them do their job, son. I’m fully aware of everything. Don’t call me again about this. And if I were you, I’d start doing the right thing before it’s too late. That’s my advice.”

Then he ended the call abruptly.

Seconds later, Gabriel hung up his own phone.

He stood, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

“I need to go,” he said, surprising himself with the calmness in his voice. “There’s somewhere important I have to be.”

John nodded silently.

Gabriel turned toward the door but paused when he heard his father call out.

“Gabriel.”

He looked back.

“I will handle Anna’s case,” John said firmly, his voice almost harsh. “Be certain of this—your unborn child will get justice.”

Gabriel inhaled sharply and nodded once, wordless.

Then he walked out, carrying with him the crushing weight of a broken past, the fire of a burning future, and a storm gathering fiercely behind his eyes.

—

As soon as Gabriel slid into his car, he made a quick call.

“Stone. Change of plans. I want you to take full control of this case,” he said sharply. “And Stone, replace the guards at the hospital with new ones. I don’t want to take any chances.”

He ended the call without waiting for a response.

“Thomas. Take me home,” he instructed his driver, voice steady but heavy with unspoken turmoil.