Xiarya's POV
I thought I was getting better at this.
The mask. The jacket. The way I tilted my chin like I didn't care, even when my heart wouldn't stop hammering.
Fan meets, concerts, even college classes—I survived them all. Gelo was right: the more people talked about "Adra and Gelo," the less they questioned anything else. To the world, I was still him.
But masks crack. And sometimes they crack in front of the one group of people you don't want watching: family.
The Dinner Invitation
It started with Monique.
"Special dinner tonight," she announced, scrolling through her phone. "Sponsors, old family friends, some VIPs. Good chance to strengthen ties."
I froze. "Family friends?"
She nodded. "Mostly people connected to Adra's parents. Distant relatives, old titos and titas. Don't worry, they're harmless. Just smile, say little, eat politely."
My stomach turned. Harmless? Not when I wasn't even supposed to exist.
Gelo noticed my grip tighten on Adra's jacket sleeve. "We'll sit with you," he said quietly. "If you get overwhelmed, I'll handle the talking."
I nodded, grateful but uneasy.
Arrival
The dinner was held in a private room of a high-end restaurant. Round tables with white tablecloths, crystal glasses, and enough cutlery to confuse even Mark.
We walked in as a group, heads turning instantly. "Ah! Sudden Music!" someone exclaimed, clapping.
I forced Adra's mask onto my face—expression flat, eyes half-lidded, every movement measured.
An older couple approached immediately. The man had streaks of silver in his hair; the woman wore pearls that gleamed against her dark blouse. Their smiles faltered the second they really looked at me.
"Adrastea?" the woman whispered, voice trembling.
The name hit me like a stone.
"Yes," I answered carefully.
But her eyes weren't just looking. They were searching.
Gelo's POV
I felt the shift instantly.
The woman stared at Xiarya like she'd seen a ghost. Her husband's hand hovered at her elbow, steadying her.
"You've... grown," she said softly. "But still the same eyes."
I stepped forward before Xiarya could stumble. "It's been a long time since you saw him," I said evenly. "A lot changes."
The man studied me, then looked back at "Adra." "No. Not that much changes."
Something heavy hung in the air.
Xiarya lowered her gaze. "Excuse me," she murmured, slipping away toward the washroom.
I followed immediately.
In the Corridor
She leaned against the wall, pale, hands trembling.
"They knew me," she whispered.
"They think they know Adra," I corrected gently.
"No." Her eyes lifted to mine, wide, frightened. "They knew me. Before. From the hospital. From the feud."
I froze. "The feud?"
She nodded quickly, breath shallow. "The Torres family split years ago. Money, inheritance, betrayal. A baby disappeared from the hospital nursery that night. They always suspected foul play." She pressed a hand to her chest. "I think... I was that baby."
My mind reeled. "You're saying—"
"I'm Adra's cousin," she whispered. "And they just recognized it."
Back at the Table
When we returned, the couple was waiting.
"Adrastea," the man said firmly, "may we speak to you? Alone?"
Mark and Steve looked ready to protest, but I raised a hand. "We'll come along."
The man hesitated, then nodded.
They led us to a side lounge, away from the crowd.
"My name is Hector Torres," he introduced. "This is my wife, Liza. We are... your uncle and aunt."
Xiarya stiffened.
"You're mistaken," she said quickly. "I'm—"
Liza shook her head. "No. We lost a child years ago. Stolen from the hospital during a family dispute. We were told she vanished forever. But looking at you..." Her eyes brimmed. "It's like looking at my sister's son and daughter together. You are Torres."
Xiarya's mask faltered. Her hands clenched on the fabric of her jacket.
I stepped closer, steady. "With all respect, this isn't the place. If you have proof, show us. Until then, don't force this on him."
Liza flinched, but Hector nodded slowly. "You're right. Not tonight. But soon. Blood calls to blood, young man. It always does."
Xiarya's POV
Their words echoed in my head all night.
Blood calls to blood.
I'd lived my whole life with no anchor, no family name that meant anything. And now—suddenly—they wanted to claim me.
Was it true? Did I want it to be? Or was it just another trap dressed as kindness?
Back at the dorm, the boys tried to distract me. Mark cracked jokes, Steve played loud music, Gelo made me eat noodles. But when the lights went out, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Adra was out there, recovering, unaware that his family's past was about to crash into his present.
And I was the one standing in the middle.
The Challenge
A few days later, proof arrived.
A DNA test. Hector had arranged it quietly, slipping a sample from my used glass at the dinner. The results came in a thick envelope Monique handed over with a grim face.
"Positive match," she said. "You and the Torres line. Cousins."
My hands shook as I read the words. Every doubt I'd carried hardened into reality.
I wasn't just a stand-in anymore. I wasn't just the girl Adra had saved.
I was family.
And that meant everything was about to get more complicated.
Gelo's POV
When Xiarya told us, the room went dead quiet.
Mark finally broke it. "So... you're actually his cousin? Like, for real? This isn't just some novela twist?"
Steve whistled low. "Damn. That explains the clone-level resemblance."
Xiarya hugged her knees, voice small. "I don't know what to do. Do I tell him now? He's barely holding together."
I crouched in front of her. "Not yet. He's healing. We protect him first."
Her eyes lifted to mine, vulnerable and fierce all at once. "But the family won't wait."
"Then we'll make them," I said firmly. "Together."
She blinked. Slowly, a tiny smile curved her lips. "You always say that."
"Because it's always true."
And this time, I knew I meant it.
Epilogue of the Chapter
That night, I caught her sitting on the balcony, the city lights reflecting in her eyes.
She whispered without looking at me: "I finally know where I come from."
I stepped beside her. "And now you decide where you're going."
She nodded. "With him. With them. With..." She hesitated. Then quietly: "With you."
My chest tightened.
For the first time, it wasn't just about keeping her secret. It was about guarding her future, too.
And maybe, just maybe, mine.