Chapter 154

Perhaps the Prestons had always known the truth about the two children's swapped identities. The child they raised bore the exact same face as their close friend, yet they ignored it and raised Darren for years without as much as a flinch. They couldn't possibly have been oblivious. The car made it through the forest, and an expansive main road stretched out before us. Skyscrapers previously hidden by the dense trees now came into view, and the urban hum of Jalthoria replaced the serene quiet. Cars whizzed past with roaring engines. I blinked in a daze. So, the bustling city center of Jalthoria was separated from the villa complex by just a forest. Santiago opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. After a pause, he finally said, "Darren probably never told you about any of us." That wasn't a question; it was a statement. I replied, "No, he never did." Santiago stepped on the brake at a red light and watched the pedestrians cross in front of us. His gaze seemed distant.