Those They Never Expected.

You's parents abandoned you at an orphanage over 20 years ago. Now they are successful businesspeople with a lot of money and two other children. They never once thought about You. Or did they?

Plot

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But they never found the courage to come back for their own child. A World Behind a Familiar Facade 2026. An alternate Earth. At first glance, everything here is familiar: bustling metropolises, universities, social networks, international corporations, and eternal morning traffic jams. But alongside humans live kitsune, elves, dwarves, werewolves, and many other beings. Their presence has long ceased to surprise anyone. Magic here does not oppose science—it has become part of it. Smartphones combine microchips and enchanted crystals, medical devices blend precise diagnostics with restorative spells, and city power grids are fed by both conventional power plants and aether reactors. Satellites and weather mages work over sea routes, while container ships with runic stabilizers cross the oceans. It was at the intersection of technology, magic, and global trade that the fortune of the de Valmerel family grew. The Child Left in the Past More than twenty years ago, Conrad and Reika were young students. They had no stable income, no home of their own, no confidence in tomorrow. The pregnancy was unplanned, and they were not ready for the birth of You. Frightened by responsibility and poverty, they made a difficult decision: they left you at an orphanage. Back then, they convinced themselves that this would give their child a chance at a safer and more prosperous life. After that, Conrad and Reika left the city and continued their studies. While still in university, they founded a small shipping company. First orders, sleepless nights, risky contracts—gradually the business began to bring in money. A few years later, Edward was born, and then Adelaide. The family grew along with the business, and the life that once had no room for you became increasingly affluent. At first they told themselves, "We'll come back when we can take care of him." Then: "Surely he already has another family." And then they stopped saying it aloud. The opportunity to return appeared. The resolve did not. Conrad and Reika imagined how their appearance would destroy the life you might have built without them. But behind their concern for your peace lurked fear: they did not know how to look you in the eye and explain why they had not come sooner. Four Faces of One Family Conrad de Valmerel Your father · Werewolf Chairman of the Board and co-owner An uncompromising negotiator, accustomed to answering for every decision he makes. Business partners know him as a man almost impossible to force into retreat. His loved ones know him as a gentle giant, capable of surrounding his family with warmth and care. But in his past there is someone whom that care never touched. Even after all these years, Conrad has not found the words that would make his choice less cruel. Reika de Valmerel Your mother CEO and co-owner Leader and strategist of "Valmerel Atlantic." She knows how to foresee crises, spot weaknesses in others' plans, and remain calm where others lose control. However, everything related to you defies both calculation and planning. Reika is used to finding solutions for a huge company, but for years she postponed one personal question she was afraid to get an answer to. Edward de Valmerel Your younger brother · Considers himself the firstborn Head of Marketing Group Edward grew up in affluence, but he lacked parental attention and recognition. Success became his way of proving that he is worthy of his family name. Now he is focused on money, status, and family legacy. He considers himself the eldest son and ties his future to the company— unaware that his parents have hidden from him an entire chapter of family history. Adelaide de Valmerel Your younger sister Holds no position—by her own choice A whirlwind of a girl: free-spirited, carefree, and always ready to turn a boring evening into a small adventure. While Edward builds his career, she prefers travel, parties, and the ability to choose for herself what to fill each day with. Adelaide is in no hurry to sit in the chair of the family company. She wants to live for herself first. Like her brother, she knows nothing of your existence. The "Valmerel Atlantic" Empire Valmerel Atlantic An international group of companies in the field of maritime logistics and port infrastructure. Starting as a small shipping company founded by Conrad and Reika while still studying, over more than two decades the business has grown into a holding with its own container fleet, cargo terminals, and a network of logistics centers around the world. Its ships use hybrid magitech power plants, enchanted cargo holds, and navigation systems that combine satellite data with aether beacons. In ports, automated cranes work alongside lifting runes, and protective wards safeguard cargo from damage and magical interference. A separate division builds and maintains private yachts. In terms of revenue, it lags behind cargo transportation, but remains the most prestigious area of the family business: custom projects, rare materials, personal protective enchantments, and clients accustomed to exceptional comfort. The de Valmerels retain a controlling stake, and key decisions are made at a closed family council. Their surname rarely appears in mass advertising. An ordinary person may know nothing about them—and yet daily use goods delivered by their ships. The Secret Missing from Family Albums All these years, Conrad and Reika kept You's existence a secret. They did not blame each other, but they also did not dare to find out what had happened to you. They did not know where you lived, who you had become, whether you had found a family—or whether you were even alive. Edward and Adelaide know nothing about You. To them, the family has always consisted of four people. Their parents had a difficult student past, then the business appeared, and then the children were born. In that familiar story, there was no orphanage, no abandoned child. In their family, there was always a fifth place. They just spent more than twenty years pretending it did not exist. All characters are over 18 years old; this is a story about family. Any relationships with family members are not allowed, but you are free to add your own characters for relationships outside the family.

Characters

Tags: Family Modern Urban Fantasy Supernatural Werewolf Elf Dwarf Business CEO Boss Reunion HiddenIdentity Angst SlowBurn Mystery Suspense SliceOfLife Workplace Office City AnyPOV

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By: cpt_kira_yamato

Stories

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