Chapter 4: Parents
The gentle hiss of the private jet’s cabin pressure equalizing pulled me from a light daze. Outside the thick acrylic window, the endless blanket of clouds had given way to the sprawling skyline of Eston’s capital, its countless lights glittering beneath the evening sky.
The runway rushed beneath us before the massive aircraft gradually slowed to a smooth taxi, finally coming to a stop inside an enormous, heavily guarded private hangar.
"We have arrived, Young Master," Valerie said, her voice calm and reassuring as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She offered me a warm smile. "Ready to meet them?"
"As ready as I’ll ever be," I muttered, though my heart had suddenly started pounding against my ribs.
The heavy cabin door swung open, and the crisp air of the capital rushed inside. I stepped onto the boarding stairs, Valerie following a step behind, her dark cape fluttering gently in the breeze.
At the bottom of the stairs, beside a fleet of pristine luxury vehicles, stood two people surrounded by a small army of black-suited security personnel.
The man was tall, carrying himself with the refined bearing of an old-school gentleman. His silver-streaked hair was neatly combed back, and a tailored charcoal suit fit him flawlessly.
Even standing still, he radiated an unmistakable aura of authority. Julian Fernando. The richest man in the country. Yet now, his imposing frame was visibly tense, his knuckles white around the handle of a heavy cane.
Beside him stood Alice. She looked breathtakingly elegant in a soft cream trench coat, her graceful features glowing with quiet warmth. The moment her eyes met mine, her hand flew to her mouth. A choked sob escaped her lips.
Before I could even clear the last three steps, Alice broke into a run, ignoring the startled guards as she rushed toward me. Her heels clicked frantically against the tarmac.
"Seth!"
Before I could think or react, she threw her arms around me in a fierce, almost suffocating embrace. The scent of expensive jasmine filled my senses as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. Her body trembled uncontrollably, hot tears soaking through my thin, worn-out T-shirt.
"My baby... oh God... my sweet boy... we found you. We finally found you," she sobbed, her voice breaking beneath two decades of grief, guilt, and desperate hope.
I froze, my arms hanging awkwardly at my sides. My brain, usually so quick with a sarcastic remark or some stupid defense mechanism, completely shut down. I’d spent twenty-one years as an invisible orphan, a corporate slave kicked around by life.
Nobody had ever held me like this.
Nobody had ever looked so terrified of losing me.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back.
That was all it took.
Something inside me shattered. A burning sensation welled behind my eyes before a broken sob escaped my throat. Tears streamed down my face as I buried it against her shoulder, every wall I’d spent a lifetime building crumbling in an instant.
Julian approached with slow steps, his expression composed despite the unmistakable moisture gathering in his eyes. He stopped beside us and placed a large, warm hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Welcome home, son," Julian said, his deep voice rough despite his best efforts to steady it. "Your mother and I... we’ve waited a very long time for this day."
...
A few minutes later, after the tears had finally settled and countless reassurances had been exchanged, we climbed into the back of a custom-built limousine.
Alice insisted I sit beside her, and she still hadn’t let go of my hand since the moment we met on the tarmac. Julian settled into the seat opposite us, pouring himself a glass of amber liquor from the crystal decanter built into the limousine. His sharp eyes slowly swept over me from head to toe, a dark scowl briefly crossing his face before softening as our eyes met.
"Look at you," Alice whispered, her thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. Her eyes wandered over me, taking in every little detail. "You’re so thin, Seth. Look at these dark circles... those monsters worked you to the bone, didn’t they? And what is this fabric? It’s freezing outside!"
"Ah, it’s just a normal T-shirt, Mom—uh, Alice," I stammered, quickly correcting myself, heat creeping onto my face.
"No, ’Mom’ is perfect, sweetheart," she said without a moment’s hesitation, a radiant smile breaking through her tear-stained face. She gently smoothed down my messy hair. "You don’t have to worry about a single thing anymore. No jobs, no files, no terrible bosses. From today onward, your only job is to eat well, rest, and let us spoil you rotten. Understand?"
Julian took a slow sip before setting his glass aside. "Your mother is right. I’ve already had the restaurant chain you worked for thoroughly investigated. The manager... Miller, was it?"
His eyes narrowed slightly. "He, along with that snob, will be dealing with the full weight of the Fernando legal team by tomorrow morning. Nobody mistreats my son and walks away from it."
I blinked, a laugh threatening to escape before I could stop it.
’Damn... having a billionaire dad is awesome.’
’Hey, Paige... you seeing this?’ I asked silently.
[I told you so, Seth. Now stop overthinking it and enjoy being spoiled for once.]
"Thank you," I said quietly, looking between the two of them as warmth spread through my chest. "Honestly... it’s going to take some getting used to. I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like that."
Alice’s eyes shimmered once more as she pulled me into another side hug, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head.
"Never again, my boy. Never again."
...
The limousine glided through a pair of towering wrought-iron gates before winding its way up a private, tree-lined road. A few moments later, the Fernando Villa came into view.
Calling it a "villa" was a massive understatement. It was a sprawling masterpiece of white stone and towering glass, surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens that looked more suited to royalty than a private residence.
When the limousine came to a stop, I stepped out and immediately felt a wave of imposter syndrome wash over me. My scuffed sneakers stood on polished stone that probably cost more than everything I’d ever owned combined. I instinctively slowed, suddenly unsure if I even belonged here.
Valerie stepped out from the lead car and immediately noticed my hesitation. She walked up beside me, her dark cape swaying gently in the evening breeze.
"It’s a lot to take in," she murmured, her usual professionalism softened by quiet reassurance. "But remember, Young Master... this place belongs to you just as much as it does to them. Walk with your head held high."
Julian joined us a moment later, giving my back a firm pat. "Come on, Seth. The chefs have been preparing a feast ever since we got the call that you’d been found."
As we walked through the towering double doors into the grand marble foyer, a line of staff bowed in unison as we passed. Only then did the absurdity of my new reality truly sink in.
Just a few hours ago, I’d been crying over rent in a moldy one-room apartment.
Now I was walking into a palace as its prince.
Everything felt surreal. Overwhelming. Completely impossible.
But as Mom clung to my arm, excitedly pointing out the grand staircase and chatting about remodeling an entire wing of the villa just for me, I found that I didn’t care whether any of it made sense.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
For the first time in my life...
I was home.