The Other Son
2144 Words
Arlette was unusually quiet when she got home.
Idris noticed it immediately.
He was sitting in the living room with his laptop open, going through some documents from the office when she walked through the door.
She dropped her bag on the sofa.
Idris looked up.
“You’re home early.”
“Yeah.”
He closed his laptop.
“Is everything okay?”
Arlette sighed and sat beside him.
“Something happened at the foundation.”
His expression changed.
“What happened?”
She looked at him.
“Someone wants to buy it.”
Idris frowned.
“Buy the foundation?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Kairo Delacroix.”
The name meant nothing to him at first.
Idris leaned back.
“How much?”
Arlette gave him a look.
“That’s your first question?”
“I’m just asking.”
She shook her head.
“It’s a ridiculous amount.”
“How ridiculous?”
“Enough to solve most of our family’s financial problems.”
Idris became quiet.
That caught his attention.
The Rothwell family had recovered somewhat since the marriage, but there were still financial issues they were dealing with. The offer could make a huge difference.
“And you rejected it?”
“Of course.”
“Arlette.”
She stared at him.
“What?”
“I’m not saying you should sell it.”
“It sounded like you were.”
“I’m just saying you should think about it.”
“I have thought about it.”
She stood and began walking around the room.
“Idris, it’s Mother’s foundation.”
“I know.”
“It’s the only thing I have left of her.”
“I know that too.”
“Then you understand why I’m saying no.”
He nodded slowly.
“I do.”
But there was something about the whole situation that didn’t make sense to him.
He had heard of Kairo Delacroix.
Everyone had.
The man was a billionaire and the CEO of Delacroix Tech. He didn’t make random investments, and he certainly didn’t throw around ridiculous amounts of money without a reason.
“Why does he want it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he explain?”
“No.”
“Did you ask?”
“I did. They didn’t give me an answer.”
Idris frowned.
“That’s strange.”
“Exactly.”
She sat back down.
“He sent another offer after I rejected the first one.”
“Another one?”
“Even higher.”
Idris stared at her.
“And you still said no.”
“Yes.”
He smiled slightly.
“You’re stubborn.”
“I prefer determined.”
“Of course you do.”
She gave him a small smile.
He looked at her.
There was something else on his mind.
“Are you sure you don’t want to at least know why he’s interested?”
“I don’t care why.”
“I think you should.”
Arlette sighed.
“I know you mean well, but I’m not selling it.”
“I know.”
He reached for her hand.
“I’m not asking you to.”
She looked at him.
“I’m just curious.”
“About what?”
“Who would spend that much money on an old foundation?”
Arlette shrugged.
“Maybe he’s crazy.”
Idris laughed.
“Maybe.”
But he didn’t believe that.
Not for a second.
Later that night, after Arlette went upstairs, Idris remained in the living room.
He opened his laptop again.
He typed the name into the search bar.
Kairo Delacroix.
Information immediately appeared.
Kairo Delacroix.
Twenty-six.
Billionaire.
CEO of Delacroix Tech.
Private.
Powerful.
Successful.
Idris scrolled through the information.
There were pictures.
Interviews.
Business articles.
Awards.
But none of it explained why Kairo wanted the Evelyn Rothwell Foundation.
He opened another page.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
He leaned back.
There had to be something.
Why that property?
Why Arlette?
Why that amount?
He searched the foundation.
Then Kairo’s company.
Then the property itself.
Nothing.
Idris frowned.
He had expected to find something obvious.
Instead, there were only more questions.
He searched the full name again.
Kairo Delacroix.
His eyes stopped.
He stared at the screen.
Something about the name felt familiar.
Not because he had ever met him.
Because he had heard it before.
Years ago.
A long time ago.
His mother’s voice suddenly came back to him.
“Your father made a mistake before you were born.”
Idris had been young.
Too young to understand what she meant.
He remembered asking her what kind of mistake could have been made.
She hadn’t answered directly.
She had simply told him there were some things children didn’t need to know.
Then, years later, she had finally said the name.
Kairo.
A son.
His father’s son.
His half-brother.
Idris sat up.
“No.”
He stared at the screen again.
Kairo Delacroix.
His heart began beating faster.
There was no way.
He immediately grabbed his phone.
He needed to see his mother.
The Bellamy Manor was quiet when Idris arrived.
He walked inside without waiting for anyone to announce him.
His mother was in the sitting room.
Serena Bellamy looked up when she saw him.
“Idris?”
He didn’t sit.
“Who is Kairo Delacroix?”
The color slowly disappeared from her face.
For a moment, she didn’t answer.
Then she put down the cup in her hand.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“So you know him.”
Serena’s expression hardened.
“Idris, sit down.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Tell me.”
“Not here.”
“Mother.”
She looked around the room.
“Lower your voice.”
“Is he my father’s son?”
Silence.
That was enough.
Idris stared at her.
“Oh my God.”
Serena stood.
“Listen to me carefully.”
“He’s alive.”
“Yes.”
“He’s the man trying to buy Arlette’s foundation.”
Serena’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Kairo Delacroix.”
She slowly sat down again.
“How did he find the foundation?”
“I don’t know.”
Idris ran a hand through his hair.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
Serena’s expression changed.
Then something cold entered her eyes.
“You cannot let Arlette sell that foundation.”
Idris looked at her.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“You need to make sure she doesn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Kairo is a wealthy businessman. If he wants something, he will get it.”
Idris stared at her.
“So?”
“You should bid.”
He frowned.
“Bid?”
“Against him.”
“Mother…”
“Make your offer higher.”
Idris shook his head.
“I don’t want the foundation.”
“You don’t have to want it.”
“Then why would I bid?”
“Because you cannot let Kairo win.”
Idris studied her.
There was something about the way she was speaking.
It wasn’t concern.
It was fear.
And something else.
Anger.
“You knew he would come back.”
Serena didn’t answer.
“Didn’t you?”
She looked away.
Idris remembered everything she had told him when he was younger.
How Kairo was his father’s mistake.
How he had been taken away.
How nobody was supposed to speak about him.
How the Bellamy name had continued without him.
He had never understood it.
Until now.
His half-brother was standing outside their lives, powerful enough to buy whatever he wanted.
And now he wanted something belonging to Arlette.
“Mother, why does he want the foundation?”
“I don’t know.”
Idris didn’t believe her.
“You’ve known about him all these years.”
“I knew of him.”
“You knew his name.”
“That doesn’t mean I know what he wants.”
Idris stared at her.
Serena stepped closer.
“Just listen to me.”
“What?”
“Do not let him take anything from this family.”
Idris frowned.
“Anything?”
She held his gaze.
“People like Kairo don’t forget.”
“What do you mean?”
“They grow up knowing what they were denied.”
Idris remained silent.
Serena’s voice became quieter.
“Bastards always want what they believe belonged to the legitimate son.”
Idris’s expression changed.
“Mother.”
“Your father chose this family.”
“Don’t talk about him like that.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
She looked at him.
“If Kairo wants the foundation, maybe it’s not just about the foundation.”
Idris didn’t respond.
Serena continued.
“He knows you have something he doesn’t.”
“What?”
She looked directly at him.
“Everything.”
Idris shook his head.
“You’re making this personal.”
“It is personal.”
She stepped closer.
“You’re his father’s legitimate son. You have the Bellamy name. You have the family. You have the position.”
Idris stared at her.
“And you think he wants what I have?”
“I’m telling you to be careful.”
Her words stayed with him.
Especially one sentence.
Bastards always want what the main son has.
Idris didn’t like the way she said it.
He didn’t like what she was implying.
And he certainly didn’t like the thought of Kairo as someone who wanted to take his life away from him.
Especially Arlette.
He turned toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Remember what I said.”
Idris stopped.
“I’ll make sure Arlette doesn’t sell.”
Serena smiled.
“Good.”
He walked out.
She watched him leave.
Her expression changed immediately.
There was no concern in her eyes anymore.
Only calculation.
The drive home felt longer than usual.
Idris couldn’t stop thinking.
Kairo.
His half-brother.
The name he hadn’t heard in years.
How had he become Kairo Delacroix?
How had he built a billion-dollar company?
And how had he found his way back into the Bellamy family’s life?
He remembered something else.
A photograph.
He had seen it years ago.
His father had kept very few photographs from before his marriage to Serena.
But there had been one.
A young woman.
And beside her, a little boy.
Kairo.
Idris remembered the boy’s wrist.
There had been a small symbol on it.
A heart.
At the time, he hadn’t understood why he remembered it.
But his father had the same mark.
A small heart on his wrist.
Idris tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
His father had known.
His mother had known.
Everyone had known.
Everyone except him.
“How did you come back after all these years?”
He whispered to himself.
When Idris arrived home, the house was quiet.
He found Arlette already in bed.
She looked up when he entered.
“You’re late.”
“I had to go somewhere.”
“Where?”
He paused.
He couldn’t tell her.
Not yet.
His mother had specifically told him to keep the relationship between him and Kairo from her.
And Idris didn’t know why.
But he also knew there was something much bigger happening.
He changed and got into bed beside her.
Arlette turned toward him.
“Did you think about what I told you?”
“About the foundation?”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“I did.”
“And?”
He smiled.
“I think you should do what you want.”
Her expression softened.
“Really?”
“Really.”
She smiled.
“I knew you’d understand.”
“I do.”
He reached for her hand.
“If you don’t want to sell it, don’t sell it.”
Arlette smiled.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“I want to.”
She moved closer to him.
“I was scared you’d think I was being unreasonable.”
“I could never think that.”
She smiled.
For the first time that night, Idris felt guilty for keeping the truth from her.
She trusted him.
And he was hiding something from her.
But he couldn’t tell her yet.
Not until he understood what was happening.
Arlette rested her head against the pillow.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She closed her eyes.
Idris remained awake.
He stared at the ceiling.
Kairo Delacroix.
His half-brother.
The forgotten son.
The boy with the heart on his wrist.
The son his father had never spoken about.
And now that same man wanted the foundation.
Idris didn’t know what Kairo wanted.
He didn’t know why he had returned.
But one thing was certain.
Kairo Delacroix had stepped into their lives.
And this time, he wasn’t going away quietly.
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