36. Conversation with father

After returning home from the hospital, Samuel Hamilton found himself deeply troubled. His younger brother Ethan had confided in him about their newly-reunited sister, suggesting that her identity might be a fraud. The idea seemed absurd at first—how could their family be deceived like this? But Samuel knew Ethan well enough to understand that he wouldn't make such a claim without reason. Ethan wasn't one to speak without evidence, especially about something so serious.

As Samuel brooded over the matter, his father, Victor Hamilton, noticed his unusual demeanor and approached him, concern etched on his face. "Samuel, what's bothering you? You've been lost in thought ever since you got back."

Reluctantly, Samuel revealed his conversation with Ethan, half-hoping his father might dismiss it as a misunderstanding or offer some reassurance. But to his surprise, Victor's reaction was one of disbelief, quickly turning into anger.

"Ethan?" Victor's voice was sharp. "What on earth are you doing talking to him about this? Didn't I make it clear that we should keep a distance from Ethan? His line of work... it's not something we want associated with our family. Our name, our reputation, it's too valuable to be tainted by his... activities."

Samuel tried to explain. "It was just a chance meeting at the hospital, Father. I didn't seek him out. But what he said... it's troubling. What if there's truth to it?"

Victor cut him off with a dismissive wave. "Nonsense. This family has been through enough without you adding baseless worries to the mix. Ethan's concerns are his own, and they have nothing to do with us. Now, drop it."

But when Victor heard about the main character's recent hospitalization, he paused, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. For a moment, he simply stood there, deep in thought, before nodding curtly. "I see. Well, I hope she recovers quickly. Now, I've got other matters to attend to." With that, Victor turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Samuel more unsettled than ever.

As Samuel watched his father leave, a new idea began to form in his mind. Maybe Ethan was onto something. Maybe their sister's return wasn't as simple as it seemed. He decided that he would have to look into this on his own. Initially, he considered seeking the advice of his brothers, but quickly dismissed the thought. His fifth brother, Dr. Christopher Hamilton, was too absorbed in his scientific research, rarely emerging from his lab long enough to deal with family affairs. His sixth brother, Matthew Hamilton, a successful singer, was similarly preoccupied with his music career, and likely wouldn't have the time or the inclination to assist with something like this. As for their eldest brother, he was swamped with his military duties, far too busy to get involved in such matters.

No, this was something Samuel would have to handle by himself. He resolved to launch a discreet investigation, determined to uncover the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

Unbeknownst to him, lurking in the shadows, Miriam Anderson had overheard the entire conversation between Samuel and Victor. Miriam's eyes narrowed as she processed what she had just learned, a sense of alarm tightening in her chest. She knew she had to be careful—very careful. If Samuel was already suspicious, it was only a matter of time before he uncovered things best left buried.

As Samuel left the room, lost in his own thoughts about how to proceed, Miriam whispered to herself, her tone laced with unease. "It seems I'll need to be even more cautious now. This could complicate things..."

Meanwhile, Samuel made his way to his study, ready to start gathering information. He felt the weight of the task ahead but knew he couldn't ignore Ethan's warning. If there was even a chance that their sister was not who she claimed to be, it could spell disaster for the entire Hamilton family. And he would do whatever it took to protect them, even if it meant uncovering a truth that no one else wanted to face.