Chapter 4: The Brother Who Was Buried
The doorbell rang again.
Daniel stood in the middle of the foyer, his phone still displaying the image of the stranger inside his study.
Victoria gripped the staircase railing.
“Don't answer it,” she whispered.
Daniel turned toward her.
“Why?””
She shook her head.
“Please, Daniel. Whatever happens tonight, don't let him inside.””
A bitter smile crossed Daniel's face.
“Interesting. You seemed perfectly comfortable letting him inside before.””
Victoria flinched.
The doorbell rang a third time.
Daniel glanced toward Ethan, who remained near the staircase.
“Stay here, son.””
“Dad, I don't think you should go alone.””
Daniel looked at him.
The boy was frightened, but he had spoken anyway.
For once, Daniel listened.
“Then stay behind me.””
He walked toward the front door, keeping his phone in his hand. The security monitor beside the entrance showed a man standing beneath the porch lights.
A dark shirt.
Rolled sleeves.
The same face.
The stranger looked directly into the camera.
Then he lifted his head slightly.
Daniel's stomach tightened.
He knew that gesture.
He had seen it a thousand times growing up.
It was the way someone looked when they were trying not to cry.
Daniel pressed the intercom.
“Who are you?””
The man looked straight into the lens.
“Open the door, Danny.””
Daniel froze.
Nobody called him Danny anymore.
Nobody except one person.
A person he had buried eighteen years ago.
His hand hovered over the lock.
Behind him, Victoria whispered, “Don't.””
Daniel pressed the release button.
The heavy front door unlocked.
A moment later, the stranger stepped inside.
For several seconds, the two men simply stared at each other.
The visitor looked older than the boy in Daniel's memories. His jaw was broader, his face leaner, and faint lines had formed around his eyes.
But the small scar above his left eyebrow was unmistakable.
Daniel had put that scar there.
They had been fourteen and twelve, fighting over their father's old motorcycle in the garage. Daniel had accidentally knocked his younger brother against a metal shelf.
Their mother had rushed them both to the hospital.
Daniel remembered apologizing for weeks.
He remembered promising that he would never let anything happen to him again.
Then came the boating accident.
The overturned boat.
The search crews.
The empty funeral.
And the years Daniel spent blaming himself.
“Adrian?”” he whispered.
The stranger lowered his eyes.
“Hello, Danny.””
Daniel staggered backward.
“No.””
Adrian Mercer stood in his brother's house.
Alive.
Eighteen years after Daniel had stood beside an empty coffin and said goodbye.
Daniel grabbed the front of his shirt.
“Where have you been?””
Adrian didn't resist.
“Daniel—”
“Where the hell have you been?””
“Listen to me.””
Daniel shoved him against the wall.
“You let me bury you!””
Adrian's face tightened.
“I know.””
“You let Mom die believing her youngest son was dead!””
“I know.””
“You let me spend eighteen years thinking I was responsible!””
Adrian's eyes filled.
“I never wanted that.””
Daniel's fist tightened.
“Then why?””
A voice came from behind them.
“Because I brought him here.””
Victoria stood at the bottom of the staircase.
Daniel released Adrian and turned.
“What?””
Victoria swallowed.
“I found him years ago.””
The room seemed to shift around Daniel.
“You found my dead brother?””
“He wasn't dead.””
“I can see that!””
Victoria flinched.
Adrian straightened his shirt.
“Daniel, she didn't know everything.””
Daniel turned on him.
“Don't you dare defend her.””
Adrian looked toward Ethan.
The teenager was standing several feet away, gripping the staircase railing.
For the first time, Adrian's expression softened.
“Ethan.””
The boy stared at him.
“How do you know my name?””
Adrian looked down.
“Because I've known about you since before you were born.””
Daniel felt a cold sensation spread through his chest.
“What did you say?””
Victoria immediately stepped forward.
“Adrian, don't.””
Daniel raised his hand.
“Not another word from you.””
Adrian reached inside his shirt and removed a folded photograph.
It was old, its corners worn and its surface slightly yellowed.
Daniel recognized it immediately.
He had seen the picture on his mother's mantel for years.
It showed two boys standing beside a lake.
Daniel was sixteen.
Adrian was fourteen.
Their arms were around each other's shoulders, and both were laughing.
Their father had taken the photograph the summer before the accident.
Daniel stared at it.
“Why do you have that?””
Adrian turned it over.
There was handwriting on the back.
For Daniel and Adrian. No matter what happens, blood remembers.
Daniel's mouth went dry.
“Where did you get this?””
“Your mother's belongings.””
“She kept that picture.””
“I know.””
“Then why was it in my study?””
Adrian looked toward Victoria.
“Because she wanted to destroy it.””
Daniel slowly turned to his wife.
Victoria's face had gone white.
“You told me it was missing,” he said.
She didn't answer.
“You said Ethan stole it.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
Daniel let out a disbelieving breath.
“From my own photograph?””
Adrian stepped forward.
“Ethan found it in the study three weeks ago. He saw my name written on the back of another document. He started asking questions.””
Ethan shook his head.
“I didn't steal anything. I found it behind the drawer.””
Victoria snapped, “You had no right to go through my belongings!””
“I was looking for Dad's old watch,” Ethan replied.
“You said it was in there.””
Daniel looked at Victoria.
She had no answer.
Adrian placed the photograph on the console table.
“Victoria told him I was dead. When he saw me entering the house, he realized something was wrong.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“So you came here because of the photograph?””
“Partly.””
“Then why were you embracing my wife?””
Adrian looked down.
The silence was answer enough.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Tell me.””
Adrian rubbed his forehead.
“Victoria and I were involved before she married you.””
Daniel's heart slammed against his ribs.
“Before?””
Adrian nodded.
“And afterward.””
The words seemed to drain every bit of warmth from the foyer.
Daniel looked at Victoria.
She couldn't hold his gaze.
“How long?””
“Daniel—”
“How long?””
Adrian answered.
“Years.””
Daniel stared at him.
His younger brother.
The boy whose empty coffin he had mourned.
The man whose return had just shattered what remained of his marriage.
“You were sleeping with my wife?””
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
Daniel stepped backward.
For a moment, he thought he might collapse.
He looked at Victoria.
“Did you marry me because of him?””
She shook her head desperately.
“No. I loved you.””
Daniel gave a hollow laugh.
“You had an extraordinary way of showing it.””
“I was young. I made mistakes.””
“You were still making them this afternoon.””
Victoria's expression hardened.
“You don't understand what Adrian and I went through.””
Daniel looked at his brother.
“I think I'm beginning to understand.””
Adrian shook his head.
“No, you don't. There's something else.””
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“What?””
Adrian looked at Ethan.
Then at Daniel.
“I didn't come here tonight because of Victoria.””
“Then why?””
“To tell you the truth about your son.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Ethan is my son.””
Adrian's voice broke.
“I know you love him.””
“Don't tell me what I know.””
Adrian took a breath.
“Daniel, there's a reason Victoria was so desperate to keep Ethan away from you.””
Daniel looked at his wife.
She was already crying.
Not the theatrical tears he'd seen in the security recording.
These were different.
Real fear.
Adrian continued.
“Ethan discovered that photograph, and then he found something else. A document Victoria had hidden in the study.””
Daniel's throat tightened.
“What document?””
Adrian looked at the teenager.
Then he said the words Daniel would remember for the rest of his life.
“Ethan isn't biologically yours.””
The foyer became silent.
Ethan stared at Adrian.
Victoria covered her face.
Daniel looked from one to the other.
Then he whispered, “What?””
May you like
Adrian's eyes filled.
“I'm his biological father.””
