The grand banquet hall was filled with the lively chatter of guests, their laughter echoing off the elegant chandeliers. The prestigious Lyn family of Jinghai City had spared no expense in celebrating their adopted son's birthday. The tables were adorned with the finest silverware, the air rich with the scent of gourmet delicacies. Yet, amid the extravagance, a single realization hung heavy in the air, dampening the celebration.
"I can't believe it," a guest murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "The Lyn family celebrates their adopted son's birthday with such devotion, yet they cast away their own flesh and blood without a second thought."
Jo Fang sat stiffly in her seat, her eyes red-rimmed. Only now, after Yang Mo had left, did she remember her identity as his mother. A suffocating guilt twisted inside her, tightening its grip with every passing second. She slowly rose to her feet, determination flaring in her gaze.
"I'm going to find Yang Mo," she declared, stepping towards the door.
"Stop!" Lyn Andong's voice thundered through the hall. He swung his arm in frustration, his sharp glare locking onto her. "Are you trying to humiliate the Lyn family in front of all these guests? If you leave now, our family's reputation will be in ruins!"
Jo Fang turned to face her husband, her face contorted with a mix of fury and grief. "Lyn Andong, is your heart made of stone?! Have you forgotten that it was your negligence that led to Yang Mo's disappearance all those years ago? And how have you treated him since we found him? Have you ever truly acted as his father?!" Her voice cracked as her emotions spilled forth. "Not even allowing him to see us on his own birthday?"
Lyn Andong's face darkened, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words to justify himself. But nothing came. The accusations were undeniable.
"If you refuse to bring him back, I will never forgive you," Jo Fang spat, her hands clenched into trembling fists before she turned and stormed out.
Meanwhile, Lyn Xia and Lyn Yao stood in the corner of the banquet hall, their expressions clouded with turmoil. The truth they had just uncovered gnawed at them relentlessly. The weight of regret pressed heavily upon Lyn Xia, her carefully wrapped birthday gift for Lin Coen now forgotten in the trunk of her car.
She turned to her sister, her voice hesitant. "Yao, everything we thought about Yang Mo… we were wrong, weren't we?"
Lyn Yao bit her lip, her fingers clutching the hem of her dress. "It's hard to believe. But... he saved you, sister. Not Lin Coen. Yang Mo risked his life for you, and yet we treated him like an outsider, a thief... even worse than a servant."
A painful silence stretched between them.
Lyn Xia's mind raced, recalling every moment she had scolded, belittled, and turned her back on Yang Mo. The realization made her stomach churn. "And now... he's gone. He has no reason to ever come back."
Lyn Yao hesitated, then spoke carefully. "What about Lin Coen? If he lied about saving you, then what else has he lied about?"
A cold shiver ran down Lyn Xia's spine. Lin Coen had always been the golden child—polite, considerate, and seemingly flawless. Yet now, cracks had begun to form in that perfect image.
"I don't know..." Lyn Xia exhaled shakily. "And I don't know if I want to know. But I need time to think."
Lyn Ruan, their second sister, approached them cautiously. "What's going on? Why do you both look so troubled?"
Lyn Xia glanced at her, then sighed. "Come with me. We need to talk."
The three sisters stepped outside to the parking lot, where Lyn Xia took a deep breath before recounting everything—the old woman's testimony, the shocking revelation, and the lingering doubts that now clouded her heart. When she finished, Lyn Ruan's eyes were wide with disbelief.
"That... that can't be true," Lyn Ruan stammered, shaking her head. "Little Coen wouldn't lie about something like that. He's always been so kind and considerate."
"Then why did he take credit for saving me?" Lyn Xia challenged, her voice firm. "Why did he let me believe Yang Mo was the one who stole from me? Why has every misunderstanding in this house always worked in his favor?"
Lyn Ruan hesitated, the weight of her sister's words pressing down on her. "Maybe... we should confront him."
"Not tonight," Lyn Xia said, shaking her head. "It's his birthday, and I don't want to cause a scene. But soon. We need answers."
As they stood in the dim glow of the parking lot lights, an unsettling silence stretched between them. For years, they had turned their backs on Yang Mo, convinced of his guilt. But now, for the first time, the truth was beginning to surface. And with it, a growing fear—
Had they been wrong all along?