sex-me boss.

They were all chatting in good spirits when Yolanda entered the living room. She was watching Finn with interest, and he couldn’t understand why. If only people did it discreetly, she wasn’t trying to be discreet. Her gaze wasn’t hateful, just astonished. He began to think that maybe she knew something about this whole story that he himself wanted to understand.

-Finn, right?

Everyone was surprised, starting with Damon. His mother even knew his first name, whereas even he didn’t seem to know it.

-Do you know me?” asked Finn, hoping for an answer.

Elena remembered what she’d seen in Russia and didn’t know if what she’d imagined was true, but she already had her share of the answer in any case. If Yolanda had recognized Finn, that would mean Damon and Finn were brothers. Seeing that all this was becoming awkward, James decided to change the subject.

-So Finn, what do you do for a living, because it’s obvious it’s business?

-I run the airline Matinov. Aviation.

-An airline?” asked Yolanda, a little confused.

She got up and went to pour herself a glass of water, which she drank quickly. She looked at Finn and then at Damon. He was certainly a year older than Finn, but it wasn’t too obvious, especially as the Russian blood made Finn more dangerous than Damon. She knew it would happen one day, but not so quickly. It was as if nature wanted to give them a message she didn’t understand.

-Mom, is it?” asked Damon.

She didn’t answer and stared at her glass of water. She couldn’t sleep with this story anymore. Her son deserved to know the truth and so did Finn, who didn’t seem to know anything.

-Is your condition due to what you told me in Texas, Yolanda?” Olivia asked, remembering their conversation.

She still said nothing. This was getting really creepy, and Finn hoped it wasn’t his fault that the woman was on the verge of an anxiety attack. He was aware that he should have left sooner than he had come to avoid this kind of thing.

-What are you talking about, Olivia? What did she talk to you about when we went to Texas?

She nodded negatively. It wasn’t her place to tell Damon the truth, because even if she was his wife, it was still a family matter. She waited for Yolanda to tell her what was going on.

-We should go, Elena,” Finn told her, rising to his feet.

-I don’t think so, because if you ask me, this story concerns you too. I don’t know if you suspected anything, but when we first got here, even Vlad said Damon looked a bit like you.

The two men looked at each other as if they were prey to this resemblance that could answer their question. Finn shook his head as if he didn’t want to believe what was happening.

-Don’t tell me…NôvelDrama.Org is the owner.

-Damon Dixon is your brother because your name is also Finn Matinov Dixon, isn’t it? I saw a document in your office the day I left with your full name and I remembered hearing that name only here. Everything seems clear to me, Finn. Your father took care of leaving you airlines so that one wouldn’t say he only wanted the other’s inheritance.

Finn dropped onto the sofa, taking his face in his hands. He didn’t know what to do when faced with such truths. It was as if there were cameras and he was on a film set.

Damon had been staring into space the whole time because he was waiting for his mother to come to her senses and tell him it wasn’t true.

-Damon asked, looking at Finn.

-We’re not going to laugh because this story is true, Damon. I’m really sorry if I haven’t said anything to you in a while. I didn’t want you to feel bad. The reason he spent most of his time in Russia was because he’d met a wonderful woman who made him happy; Finn’s mother. He had wanted us to tell you but I didn’t want to because I didn’t want you to feel bad my son. I know it’s hard to take, but please understand. I only wanted to protect you.

-Protect me for how many years exactly, Mom? Thirty-two and you never found the best way to tell me that my father had another wife. That the man I thought was a role model for me wasn’t in fact? you let me live in illusion and today you want me to understand you. It’s hard to believe, you know. You even knew that part of him existed, but you didn’t tell me. I don’t even know what else I can tell you.

So that’s what Yolande had been avoiding all these years. That her son should feel betrayed, because yes, it was betrayal. What his father had done concerned him because here; we were talking about a thirty-something brother like him for God’s sake. So what was he supposed to do, given that Finn was his little brother even if it was only by a year? Show him how to play ball, how to court girls, it was already too late to catch up.

-Damon, I know what this must mean to you, but…

-Not another word, Mom, not another word, please. You could have found the best moment, you could have told me, even for my daughter who has an uncle you mean, even for her.

-Damon, please don’t yell at her. You can at least understand how hard it was for her, everything she did as she told you, was for your own good. You can’t blame her. Think also of what she went through with unrequited love just because she was thinking about your upbringing if he ever became a single parent.

-You also knew about it and didn’t tell me, my dear wife. Every night we spent together, you knew this part of my past Olivia, you also decided to hide this from me. I’m sick of hearing it.

He left, slamming the door and driving Rheane to tears. Maggie hurried to carry her. The poor little thing with all that screaming.

-I’m so sorry, Finn. I didn’t know you didn’t know too. I suppose your mother didn’t want to put you in a bad light either. Damon’s not usually like this, he just needs to digest what he’s just learned.

-I understand, Yolanda, and I wonder how you got over it, knowing that he didn’t love you anymore and was with someone else. I…

-don’t feel bad about anything. It’s all in the past and I’m happy to see you. I have a picture of you when you were just seven years old. You were in the company with your father and you were so happy. He loved this photo so much and when he died, I kept it. It was the only thing he wouldn’t part with. There’s also another one of Damon when he was the same age in the airline here. These two photos were his talismans and when he died, I took them with me. Even Damon never saw them.

You’re a kind-hearted woman, Yolanda, and I admire your courage. Someone else in your place wouldn’t have done the same. I know you’re going to tell me you don’t have to, but I apologize for my mother. I’m sorry for what she did to you.

Yolanda nodded and stood up. She opened her arms, hoping he wouldn’t reject her. Eventually, he did. He really felt in a mother’s arms at that moment.