ming others for his own maniption, Israel harbored a resentment for everyone in the Williams family. Even his rtionship with Coleman was not what it once was. He wanted nothing more to do with the family''s affairs. He didn''t even care that Aurora was missing.


    Coleman walked up to him. "Israel,e with me. I need to talk to you."


    Israel lifted his hazy, drunken eyes. "...Whatever it is, let''s talk tomorrow. Don''t interrupt my drinking."


    Ignoring his refusal, Coleman dragged him into an empty private room, grabbed his head without a second thought, and shoved it under the faucet.


    Israel howled as the cold water hit him, finally surrendering. "Alright, Coleman! We can talk! Just stop being so violent!"


    "Are you sober now?" Coleman asked.


    Israel wiped the water from his face. "Sober, I''m sober."


    Only then did Coleman let him go, tossing him a towel. Israel grumbled under his breath as he dried his face.


    "What is so important? Did you find Aurora? Let me be clear, if you''re looking for a scapegoat to pin this on Ste, I''m not doing your dirty work. That psycho Joshua wille after me, and I''ll be the only one to suffer."


    Coleman ignored his muttering and said, "Israel, do you know the real reason Mother abandoned us and left the Williams family all those years ago?"


    "What other reason could there be?" Israel said nonchntly. "She was having a fit and fighting with Father, so she left."


    That was right. For years, both Israel and Coleman had believed that Nora had left them because of a fight with their father. They thought she couldn''t ept the daughter of the woman who had saved him,couldn''t forgive the mistake he had made while he


    had amnesia. To prevent Aurora from returning to the


    Williams family, she had resolutely abandoned her three sons. They, who had grown up without a mother''s love, became pawns in her fight with their father. She hadn''t considered their feelings at all, only her own.


    Coleman''s fists clenched. "Israel, that''s not the truth at all! After Aurora''s mother saved Father, she hid him away and lied to him, saying they were married. When Mother found him, she didn''t even me him. She was even willing topensate Aurora''s mother. But that woman was ambitious; she tried to destroy our parents'' marriage. From what I found, they had even signed the divorce papers On their way to finalize it, they got into a car ident, and Father regained his memory. After that, he cut all ties with Aurora''s mother. But she imed she was leaving and wouldn''t bother him again, then secretly went off to have the baby. Not only did she want to send Aurora to be raised by the Williams family, she wanted Mother to treat Aurora as her own flesh and blood, to raise her as her own daughter..."


    Coleman told Israel everything he had discovered. However, Israel''s expression remained calm, showing no signs of shock.


    Coleman noticed something was off. "Israel, you don''t seem surprised... Don''t tell me you already knew?"


    "I did," Israel said. "That shrew Violet Yancey is on Ste and Joshua''s side. She told me about it a while ago."


    Coleman was stunned. "If you knew, why didn''t хай tell me..." His voice trailed off as he suddenly recalled something. When Ste had tricked Israel out of his shares, Israel had


    cursed Aurora with some very harsh with some words At the time, Coleman had assumed he was just blinded by rage. But thinking back, could it be that he already knew then?


    Before Coleman could sort through his thoughts, his phone rang. He answered it, and Jonathan''s voice came through the line. "Coleman, get back here right now. We''ve found Aurora."