When Ethan turned his gaze on him, he continued, "Your mother is still looking for you."
Instantly, Ethan's face drained of color; Axel's words hit harder than any bullet ever had.
"And," Axel continued, "your mother is someone Evelyn is very close with. She considers her an aunt, and my son calls her Grandma."
Ethan's lips parted, but his voice came out as a whisper, "So… it's real. You actually found my family."
"I only found your mother," Axel corrected gently. "She's the only one left."
Ethan squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
"My mother is alive, and she's still looking for me?" he asked, his voice breaking despite his effort to control it.
"Yes!"
Axel then explained everything.
About how Evelyn had once shared documents about Aunt Martha, a woman who had lost her son decades ago, and asked him to help find the little boy.
How Collins had investigated the case.
How a photo from years past had been compared to Ethan's old records from their first encounter.
