It had been barely three minutes since they had entered the restaurant.
The place was elegant and warm, with golden lights hanging above the tables and soft music playing in the background. The atmosphere was peaceful.
Too peaceful for what was about to happen.
Karl and Aaron had already placed their order.
Karl raised his hand slightly toward the waiter.
Karl: "Wir möchten weiße Soße Pasta und Pizza, bitte. Mit extra Käse und den Belägen Mais, Zwiebeln und Paneer."
The waiter smiled and nodded.
Waiter: "Natürlich, Sir. Eine Portion Pasta mit weißer Soße und eine Pizza mit extra Käse, Mais, Zwiebeln und Paneer. Ihre Bestellung kommt gleich."
Aaron: "Thank you."
The waiter nodded politely before walking away.
A few minutes earlier, Aaron had ordered shakes for everyone.
Now the four of them were sitting around the table, slowly drinking them while waiting for their food.
Kavira was sitting beside Karl.
Divyanka was beside Aaron.
And Arshia sat opposite Kavira.
Arshia hadn't said much since they entered.
She kept playing with the straw of her shake.
Her fingers were restless.
Her heart was pounding.
She knew there was no going back now.
She had promised herself she would tell them tonight.
Everything.
Her real name.
Her real family.
Her past.
And the biggest secret of all.
Arshia took a deep breath.
Arshia: "Ahem..."
Everyone looked at her.
She swallowed.
Arshia: "Guys... I have to tell you something really important."
She paused.
Arshia: "And... it's about myself."
Divyanka immediately widened her eyes.
Divyanka: "Are you going to die or something? Do you have some kind of disease? Tell me! I'll treat you!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Everyone except Kavira.
Kavira had been watching Arshia carefully.
She knew that expression.
Something was wrong.
Kavira: "Can you remain serious for at least one second, Divyanka?"
Divyanka stopped laughing.
Divyanka: "Okay, okay. Serious mode activated."
Arshia smiled faintly.
Then her expression became serious again.
Arshia: "Hmm..."
She looked down at her hands.
Arshia: "I honestly don't know where to start."
Kavira reached across the table slightly.
Kavira: "Start wherever you can."
Arshia took another breath.
Arshia: "Kavira... Divyanka... you both met my parents when we were in school, right?"
Both girls nodded.
Arshia: "They aren't my real parents."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kavira and Divyanka looked at each other.
Karl's eyebrows immediately furrowed.
Aaron slowly put his glass down.
Aaron: "What?"
Karl: "What do you mean they aren't your real parents?"
Arshia looked at them.
Before she could answer, Aaron suddenly remembered something.
Aaron: "Wait."
He leaned forward.
Aaron: "When Friedrich attacked Kavira and she needed to be taken to the hospital, you were the one who rushed her there."
Arshia nodded.
Aaron: "And after that, you told Divyanka you wanted to go back to India to meet your parents."
Divyanka's eyes widened.
Divyanka: "YES!"
She pointed at Arshia.
Divyanka: "You did! You literally told me you wanted to meet your parents!"
Her voice became increasingly confused.
Divyanka: "And then you went to India!"
She looked around the table.
Divyanka: "Am I dreaming right now?"
Kavira immediately grabbed Divyanka's hand.
Kavira: "Relax."
Then she looked at Arshia.
Kavira: "Arshia... why did you hide this from us?"
Karl suddenly interrupted.
Karl: "Forget that for a second."
Everyone looked at him.
Karl's expression had become unusually serious.
Karl: "Answer me one thing."
He leaned forward.
Karl: "Did you actually go to India to meet your parents that time?"
Arshia nodded.
Arshia: "Yes."
Aaron looked even more confused.
Aaron: "You did?"
Arshia: "Yes, I did."
Aaron spread his hands.
Aaron: "Then what are you saying now? That they aren't your real parents? Arshia, are you out of your mind?"
Divyanka lifted her hands dramatically.
Divyanka: "Oh, God. My joke didn't remain a joke anymore."
She sighed.
Divyanka: "I'll do your brain surgery for free."
Kavira slammed her palm lightly against the table.
Kavira: "SHUT UP!"
Everyone went quiet.
Kavira looked at Divyanka.
Kavira: "She's trying to tell us something important. What are you two even doing?"
Divyanka immediately lowered her head.
Divyanka: "Okay..."
Karl looked back at Arshia.
Karl: "Tell us what happened."
Arshia's eyes became glassy.
She took a shaky breath.
Arshia: "I... went to meet them for the last time."
Kavira's expression softened.
Arshia: "I went there to give them money..."
She paused.
Arshia: "...and to say goodbye."
Both Kavira and Divyanka spoke at the same time.
Kavira & Divyanka: "Money?"
Arshia nodded.
Arshia: "Yes."
She looked down.
Arshia: "There was a contract between them and my real parents."
Everyone became silent again.
Arshia: "They were paid to raise me."
Kavira's eyes widened.
Arshia: "They kept me because of that agreement. They took care of me... but they weren't my biological parents."
She swallowed.
Arshia: "And when I grew older, I realized I couldn't keep pretending forever."
Karl's voice was quieter now.
Karl: "So... did you meet your real parents?"
Kavira immediately nodded.
Kavira: "Yes. If you didn't, then—"
Aaron interrupted gently.
Aaron: "We'll help you find them."
He looked at her seriously.
Aaron: "I'll send my people if you want. Just tell me where to start."
Divyanka's expression had completely changed.
There was no joking anymore.
She stood up and moved to the empty chair beside Arshia.
Then she sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her.
Arshia froze.
She hadn't expected that.
For years, she had learned to hide her emotions.
But the moment Divyanka hugged her, one tear slipped down her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away.
Divyanka noticed.
She didn't say anything.
She simply held her tighter.
Divyanka: "You don't have to explain everything at once."
Arshia closed her eyes.
Arshia: "I have met them."
Everyone looked at her.
Arshia: "And now I'm living with them."
Kavira slowly reached across the table and placed her hand over Arshia's.
Kavira: "Then why are you crying?"
Arshia gave a tiny smile.
Arshia: "Because there are still things you don't know."
Kavira squeezed her hand.
Kavira: "Then tell us."
Arshia looked around the table.
At Kavira.
At Divyanka.
At Aaron.
And finally...
At Karl.
Her heart began pounding harder.
There was one sentence she had been terrified to say.
She took a deep breath.
Arshia: "My real name is..."
She paused.
Arshia: "Emilia Falkenberg."
The world seemed to stop.
Kavira blinked.
Divyanka blinked.
Neither of them understood why the name mattered.
But Karl and Aaron...
They did.
Their expressions changed instantly.
The surname.
Falkenberg.
Karl's face went completely still.
Aaron slowly turned toward his brother.
Neither of them spoke.
Kavira looked between them.
Kavira: "Are you both okay?"
No answer.
Divyanka frowned.
Divyanka: "Why are you two looking like you've just seen a ghost?"
Kavira shrugged.
Kavira: "It's just a surname."
She looked at Arshia.
Kavira: "It's okay. It's just a name."
Little did she know.
It wasn't just a name.
That surname belonged to the man who had once been Hendrich Casanova's closest friend.
The man whose name had been spoken at their family dinner.
Wilhelm Falkenberg.
Karl remembered the night immediately.
The conversation.
The proposal.
The strange connection between the Casanova and Falkenberg families.
And the secret marriage that nobody knew about.
His brother.
Friedrich.
Aaron's eyes widened as the pieces began falling into place.
Aaron: "Wait..."
He looked at Karl.
Aaron: "Falkenberg?"
Karl didn't answer.
Kavira became impatient.
Kavira: "Are you both deaf?"
Divyanka waved a hand in front of Karl's face.
Divyanka: "Hello? Earth to Karl?"
Karl finally looked at Arshia.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Karl: "Emilia..."
Arshia nodded.
Arshia: "Yes."
She was nervous now.
Because she knew they had figured it out.
But Kavira and Divyanka still hadn't.
Then suddenly—
The restaurant doors opened.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the entrance.
A man walked inside.
Tall.
Composed.
Dressed entirely in black.
A perfectly fitted black tuxedo.
Black shirt.
Black trousers.
Black polished shoes.
His expression was calm, almost unreadable.
But his eyes immediately searched the restaurant.
Then they found their table.
Friedrich Casanova.
Kavira's mouth fell open.
Kavira: "What is he doing here?"
Divyanka looked equally confused.
Divyanka: "Why is Friedrich here?"
Arshia slowly stood.
Her hands were trembling.
She looked at Friedrich.
Then at her friends.
Then at Karl and Aaron.
And finally she said the words that made everything click.
Arshia: "He's the third secret."
Everyone froze.
Arshia: "I called him."
Friedrich stopped beside their table.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Karl's expression hardened.
Aaron stared at his brother.
Kavira looked between Friedrich and Arshia.
Divyanka was completely lost.
And Friedrich?
He simply looked at Emilia.
The girl everyone knew as Arshia.
The woman who had been hiding her identity for years.
His future wife.
The daughter of Wilhelm Falkenberg.
And the final piece of a secret that had been hidden from the entire Casanova family
Friedrich: "Hello, Emilia."
Kavira's eyes widened.
Kavira: "Emilia?"
Divyanka whispered:
Divyanka: "Wait..."
She looked at Arshia.
Divyanka: "You're marrying Friedrich?"
Arshia closed her eyes for a moment.
Then nodded.
Arshia: "Yes."
Silence.
And this time...
Nobody knew what to say.
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