New beginning: Billionaire love story

Andrea stood outside the hospital, staring up at the big, sterile building with a twist in his stomach. Eligos's words kept echoing in his head, telling him that Claire Peterson was his half-sister. She's your half-sister. The whole idea was beyond strange.

It didn't add up, not a single bit. Why hadn't his mom ever mentioned it? And how did she get involved in something like this? He shook his head, trying to wrap his brain around it, but the answer was zero to none.

He took a deep breath, clenching the small bag of apples he'd brought her. He'd just have to push all those questions aside for now. Today was about his mom, not about secrets he wasn't ready to face. Nodding politely at the nurse behind the desk, Andrea took the elevator up and made his way down the quiet, dim hallway. He paused outside her door, his hand resting on the handle as he gathered himself. Then, he knocked softly and stepped inside.noveldrama

There she was, his mom, lying still on the bed with tubes around her, the beeping machines a constant reminder of her need for treatment. The sight of her looking so frail hit him hard. She was always such a strong, lively person-seeing her like this felt surreal, wrong

even.

His heart ached, both because of her state and because he knew the treatment she needed was something he still couldn't afford.

He closed the door behind him gently, trying to push down the lump in his throat. With a small smile, he placed the fruit bag on the side table, then walked over to her bedside. As if sensing his presence, her eyes fluttered open, and a soft smile crept across her face. His mother's eyes fluttered open, a faint smile tugging at her lips when she saw him. "Andrea, sweetheart," she said, her voice soft. "How are you?"

Andrea forced a smile, though his heart felt heavy. "I'm fine, Mom. Just missed you, that's all."

She reached out a hand, and he took it, sitting down in the chair beside her bed. Her fingers felt cold in his warm grip, but her eyes were as kind and gentle as ever. "I missed you too, honey. Thank you for coming."

He squeezed her hand, hoping the worry wasn't showing on his face. "Of course, Mom. I even brought you some apples, your favorite." He gestured to the bag on the table with a little grin.

She chuckled weakly. "Oh, you remembered! I don't think I could stomach one right now, but it's nice to know you thought of me."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, just holding hands. Then she looked at him, her gaze sharper than he expected. "You look troubled, Andrea. Is there something on your mind?"

Andrea's smile faltered. He hadn't meant to bring up anything serious, but she always had a way of seeing through him. "Well... sort of. I've been... learning some things. About us, our family, I guess." Her face softened, but her brows knitted slightly. "What things, dear?"

He hesitated, then looked down at his lap, unsure of how to start. "Mom, someone told me... that I might have a half-sister."

Her eyes widened a little, and he could see a mix of emotions flicker across her face. She opened her mouth to respond but seemed to struggle with what to say.

"Is it true, Mom?" he pressed, keeping his voice gentle. "Do I have a half-sister?"

She took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling as though searching for the right words. "Yes, Andrea,"

Andrea's heart skipped a beat, but he tried to keep calm. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Her gaze dropped to their joined hands, and she sighed. "I didn't want to complicate things for you, especially when you were younger."

He chewed on her words, trying to let them sink in. "But why, Mom? Why would you keep something like that from me?"

His mom's face tightened, and she looked away, her gaze distant. "It was... complicated. And painful. I thought keeping things separate would make it easier on everyone." Andrea took a moment to absorb this. Part of him understood her intentions, but another part of him still felt hurt, left out of a family secret he should've known.

"I'm sorry, honey," she whispered, her eyes shining with regret. "I never wanted you to feel like I was hiding something from you. I just wanted to protect you." Andrea squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Mom. I know you were just doing what you thought was best."

She managed a faint smile, though sadness lingered in her gaze. "Thank you, Andrea. It means a lot to hear you say that."

"Claire Peterson, is she my half-sister?"

The question seemed to hang in the air, heavy and strange.

She finally managed to swallow and looked away, her fingers twitching against the blanket. "How... how did you hear that name?"

Andrea hesitated, not wanting to spill everything Eligos had told him just yet. "It came up. I was... talking to someone who knew a bit about our family." "Andrea, I thought you don't know the name of your half-sister." She closed her eyes then open it again.

"So, it's true then. Claire Peterson is my half-sister?"

There was a long pause before she finally answered. "Yes, she is your half-sister."

Andrea was silent, letting her gather her thoughts. He could tell it wasn't easy for her to talk about this, and he didn't want to push too hard.

Andrea absorbed this quietly, feeling

a strange mix of emotions-surprise, sadness, maybe even a hint of anger, though he wasn't quite sure where to direct it. "And she doesn't know about me?"

She shook her head slowly. "I don't think so. At least, not as far as I know. I never met her, and I don't know if her family told her about her father's past." Andrea exhaled, feeling a weight settle on his chest. "So, she's... out there somewhere. And we've just never met."

His mom nodded, looking away as if the weight of her own choices was too much to bear. "I never wanted to hurt you, Andrea. I thought... maybe it would be easier for you to grow without knowing. But now... now I see it was selfish of me to decide for you."

Andrea placed a hand over hers, feeling a twinge of compassion. "I'm not mad, Mom. It's just... a lot to take in, you know?"

She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Andrea. I really am."

"Hey, no point in dwelling on it now, right? It's all out in the open. Maybe... maybe I'll meet her someday. Claire, I mean."

A small chuckle escaped her lips, and she reached out to pat his cheek gently. "You're a good man, Andrea. Better than I deserve."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's just focus on getting you better, okay? We've got time to figure this out... all of it. One step at a time."

She smiled, her expression

lightening a bit, and Andrea felt the

In

tension ease in his own chest. There was still a lot to unpack, and he didn't know if he'd ever be able to make sense of it all, but for now, he was okay with that.