CARLSON remained silent for what felt like an eternity. The weight of the truth pressed down on him, making it difficult to breathe. He sat there, staring at the glass in his hand, but his mind was miles away, years away.

Everything he had believed about his mother, about his past, had just been shattered. She hadn't been a victim of unfortunate circumstances, as he had always thought. She was the one who orchestrated it all.

His grip tightened around the glass until his knuckles turned white. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"She never told me."

Stanley leaned back in his chair, watching him with an...