Soren, the boy next door who grew up with Elizabeth, was always there for her. From sharing ice cream cones on hot summer days to cycling down the leaf-strewn paths of their neighborhood, they did everything together.


    Soren knew Elizabeth inside out - her every joy, her every sorrow.


    He had secretly been in love with Elizabeth since they were kids, promising himself that she was the only one he''d ever want to marry.


    But then, out of the blue, Kendrick arrived on the scene.


    And what''s worse, Elizabeth fell for Kendrick. They started dating, got married, and even had a child together.


    Soren was like a character out of a tragic love story, the childhood friend who couldn''tpete with the charming neer.


    Despite the heartbreak, Soren''s love for Elizabeth never wavered. He loved her from the start, and he loved her till the end, never marrying anyone else.


    Soren was always busy, but mention Elizabeth, and he''d make time, plenty of it, ready to chat about anything rted to her.


    "You missing your mom again?" Soren would say, lounging back in his chair. "Well, shoot, I''m all ears."


    Tarquin, with a clear agenda, said, "I want to talk about my mom''s so-called ''bastard child''."


    The story of Elizabeth''s "bastard child" was something Tarquin had heard whispers about from the Bradfords, a tale that followed him from childhood. The Bradfords loved to tarnish Elizabeth''s reputation with the story, using her of being promiscuous before she met Kendrick and even suggesting that she had a child out of wedlock - all reasons, ording to them, why she wasn''t good enough for Kendrick.


    From a young age, the Bradfords tried to instill in Tarquin a disdain for Elizabeth, hoping he''d join in their verbal attacks against her.


    But Tarquin knew the Bradfords'' dislike for Elizabeth wasn''t truly about any illegitimate child.


    The Bradfords had always wanted Kendrick to marry into another powerful family to bolster their own influence and benefits, not because of any moral indignation.


    Elizabeth was well-read, fiercely independent, and led by her own moralpass, qualities that made her difficult for the Bradfords to control or manipte.


    Moreover, Elizabeth lived her life with a freedom and ease that the women entangled in their high-society web could only dream of. Their lives were dictated by countless rules and the absence of true love, unlike Elizabeth and Kendrick''s genuine, deep affection for each other.


    Jealousy and envy fueled the Bradfords'' efforts to drive a wedge between Kendrick and Elizabeth. When those efforts failed, and Kendrick severed ties with the Bradfords to start a life abroad with Elizabeth, they resorted to nder and defamation.


    Tarquin never believed the rumors of a secret child; his mother had only ever loved his father. But recent clues had led him to question the validity of the Bradfords'' usations regarding Keith and his mother''s rtionship.


    He knew better than to expect the truth from the Bradfords. Soren, who knew his mother well, was the best person to ask.


    Surprised by the question, Soren responded, "A bastard child? Your mom doesn''t have any other child but you! Oh, you mean Aiden?"


    "Aiden? Who''s Aiden?" Tarquin''s curiosity peaked.


    Soren exined, "Aiden was a kid your mom met while teaching in the Sky City mountains. She''d write about him in her letters, how smart and kind he was, but also how he suffered at home, oftening to school bruised and battered.


    Eventually, she wrote that she wanted to adopt him. The poor kid was growing bitter and angry from his ordeal. Your mom believed that hate could warp a person''s soul, and she couldn''t stand by and watch Aiden''s life be destroyed by hatred. She wanted to save him."