CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO: TRUTH?

The morning sun cast long shadows across the room as Jonathan, Ariana, and Nia huddled around the dining table, papers and photographs spread out before them. The air was thick with tension, each of them absorbed in their thoughts as they pieced together the fragments of their parents' past. Jonathan glanced up from the documents, his eyes lingering on Ariana and Nia as they spoke in hushed tones. His heart ached with the weight of the secret he carried, a secret that threatened to unravel everything they were working towards. He knew that the truth would come out eventually, but he wasn't ready for that moment to arrive just yet. Nia looked up, catching Jonathan's gaze. "Jonathan, you've been awfully quiet," she said, her voice tinged with suspicion. "Is there something you're not telling us?" Jonathan forced a smile, shaking his head. "Just trying to process everything," he replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "It's a lot to take in." Ariana, sensing the unease i