Chapter 7: The Brother Who Sold His Family
Nathan read the message again.
Your own brother.
Three words.
Three words that made the last three years of his life feel like a carefully constructed lie.
Andrew Sterling.
His younger brother.
The man who had stood beside him at Emily's funeral. The man who had helped carry Lily's toys into the nursery after her mother died. The man who had convinced Nathan that he needed to stop living in the past and give another woman a chance.
The same man who had introduced him to Victoria.
Nathan stared at Marcus.
“Where is Rebecca?””
“At the hotel security office, sir.””
“Is Andrew there?””
Marcus shook his head.
“No. But someone called asking whether Rebecca had arrived.””
“Who?””
“The caller didn't identify himself.””
Nathan slipped his phone into his pocket.
“I'm going to the hotel.””
Jada, who had overheard the conversation from the hospital doorway, stepped forward.
“I'm coming.””
Nathan turned.
“You should rest. Your arm—”
“My arm can wait.””
“Jada, this isn't your responsibility.””
She looked at him.
“Your daughter almost died because someone wanted to keep her quiet. If your brother is involved, Lily deserves to know the truth before another person gets hurt.””
Nathan had no answer.
He glanced through the glass toward Lily.
She was sleeping, one hand resting on her teddy bear.
“Fine,” he said.
“But you stay close to me.””
Jada nodded.
At the Sterling Hotel, Detective Morgan had already arrived.
Rebecca Mills sat in a small security office with a paper cup of water between her hands.
She looked older than Nathan remembered.
Her brown hair was now streaked with gray, and her fingers trembled whenever someone opened the door.
When Nathan entered, she immediately stood.
“Mr. Sterling.””
“Rebecca.””
She looked at Jada, then at Detective Morgan.
“Is she safe?””
Detective Morgan answered.
“She is under police protection. Tell us what you know.””
Rebecca sat down again.
Nathan remained standing.
“Marcus told me you have information about my wife.””
Rebecca's eyes filled.
“I should have come forward years ago.””
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Then start talking.””
Rebecca took a breath.
“Three years ago, your wife discovered that someone had been withdrawing money from Lily's trust before the estate was finalized.””
Nathan froze.
“Who?””
“Your brother, Andrew.””
The room fell silent.
Rebecca continued.
“Mr. Sterling had access to several business accounts connected to the family estate. But the money wasn't his. Some of it belonged to the trust your wife had established for Lily.””
Nathan shook his head.
“Andrew was authorized to help manage certain business accounts.””
“Not Lily's trust.””
“Why didn't Emily tell me?””
Rebecca looked down.
“She tried.””
Nathan felt his chest tighten.
“What do you mean?””
“Two days before she died, she came to our office. She had copies of bank transfers and asked to meet with Mr. Whitmore.””
“Richard?””
Rebecca nodded.
“He told her the matter would be investigated.””
Nathan stared at her.
“And?””
“Later that afternoon, Andrew came to the office. He was furious.””
“What did he say?””
Rebecca swallowed.
“He said Emily was trying to destroy the family.””
Nathan gripped the back of a chair.
“Did he threaten her?””
Rebecca looked toward Detective Morgan.
“I heard him tell Mr. Whitmore that Emily needed to be stopped before she went to the authorities.””
Nathan's face went pale.
Jada watched him carefully.
“Rebecca, what happened next?””
The former assistant took a shaky breath.
“Mr. Whitmore asked me to print a document. It was a revised trust authorization. It gave Andrew temporary control over certain investments.””
Nathan shook his head.
“I never signed that.””
Rebecca nodded.
“I know.””
“Then whose signature was it?””
“Someone had copied yours.””
Nathan felt sick.
He remembered the paperwork.
The endless pages.
The grief.
The sleepless nights.
The days when he couldn't remember whether he'd eaten breakfast.
He had trusted Richard Whitmore to handle everything.
And Andrew had taken advantage of it.
Rebecca continued.
“Emily discovered the forged authorization. She said she was going to report it.””
Nathan's voice cracked.
“What happened to her?””
Rebecca looked down at her hands.
“She left our office that evening.””
“And?””
“She called me the following morning.””
Nathan leaned forward.
“What did she say?””
“She told me she was frightened. She said Andrew had followed her.””
Nathan's breathing became shallow.
“Did she tell you where she was?””
“No. She only said she had hidden something somewhere Andrew would never think to look.””
Nathan looked at Jada.
The locket.
The tiny piece of paper.
The reference number.
“Was it the necklace?”” he asked.
Rebecca nodded slowly.
“I believe so.””
Nathan stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell the police?””
Rebecca began crying.
“Because Andrew came to my house that evening.””
“What?””
“He told me he knew what I had heard. He said my husband would lose his job if I ever spoke. He knew where my children went to school.””
Her voice broke.
“I was terrified.””
Detective Morgan leaned forward.
“Did Andrew threaten Emily directly?””
Rebecca nodded.
“I heard him say that if she didn't stop interfering, she would lose everything.””
Nathan sat down.
For the first time, he felt his legs might not support him.
His brother hadn't simply betrayed him.
He had betrayed Emily.
And he had used Nathan's grief as a shield.
Jada placed a hand on the table.
“Rebecca, did Victoria know?””
Rebecca looked at her.
“Yes.””
Nathan raised his head.
“How?””
“Victoria was dating Andrew before she started seeing you.””
Nathan stopped breathing.
“What?””
Rebecca nodded.
“They were together for months. Andrew introduced her to Mr. Whitmore's office. She knew about the trust documents.””
Nathan stared at the woman.
“Victoria was Andrew's girlfriend?””
“Yes.””
“When did they break up?””
Rebecca hesitated.
“They didn't.””
Nathan stood so quickly his chair scraped across the floor.
“What?””
Rebecca looked directly at him.
“They were still involved when Victoria began dating you.””
The room seemed to spin.
Nathan remembered Andrew encouraging him to attend business dinners.
He remembered Victoria appearing at one of those dinners.
He remembered Andrew smiling and telling him that she was exactly the kind of woman he needed.
It had never been a coincidence.
“Why marry me?”” Nathan whispered.
Rebecca's answer was simple.
“Because you controlled Lily's trust.””
Nathan looked at Detective Morgan.
“Can you prove this?””
“We're investigating the financial records. Rebecca's testimony gives us a starting point.””
Nathan turned back.
“Do you have anything else?””
Rebecca hesitated.
Then she reached into her handbag.
She removed an old photograph.
It showed Andrew and Victoria standing together outside a restaurant.
They were holding hands.
On the back was a date.
Three months after Victoria and Nathan had become engaged.
Nathan stared at the photograph.
“Where did you get this?””
“Emily gave it to me before she died.””
Nathan looked up sharply.
“She knew?””
Rebecca nodded.
“She suspected Andrew and Victoria were working together.””
Then Rebecca pulled out a small folded receipt.
“This was in the same envelope.””
Nathan examined it.
It was from a private medical clinic.
The date was three days before Emily's death.
At the bottom was a handwritten note:
Ask about the second report.
Nathan looked at Rebecca.
“What second report?””
Rebecca's lips trembled.
“Emily believed the first medical report about her accident had been altered.””
Nathan felt the room go cold.
Detective Morgan immediately took the receipt.
“Do you know which clinic this is?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Yes.””
She pointed to the address.
“It was where Emily went after she became sick.””
Nathan stared at the paper.
Emily's death had been ruled an accident following a single-car collision.
He remembered the police officer explaining that her vehicle had left the road during heavy rain.
There had been no evidence of foul play.
Or so he had been told.
“Are you saying Andrew caused the accident?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“I'm saying Emily was afraid something might happen to her. I don't know what happened on the road.””
Nathan looked at Detective Morgan.
“I want that case reopened.””
The detective nodded.
“We'll examine the original records.””
Suddenly, Marcus rushed into the office.
“Detective!””
Morgan turned.
“What is it?””
Marcus looked at Nathan.
“Mr. Sterling, there's a problem.””
Nathan frowned.
“Speak.””
“Someone accessed the private hospital floor where Lily is staying.””
Nathan's face changed.
“Who?””
“An employee in a maintenance uniform.””
“Did they reach her room?””
Marcus swallowed.
“They tried.””
Nathan grabbed his phone.
“Is Lily safe?””
“Hospital security stopped the person before they reached the room.””
Detective Morgan immediately stood.
“Where is that person now?””
Marcus looked down.
“They escaped through the loading entrance.””
Nathan turned toward Jada.
For one terrifying second, neither spoke.
Then his phone rang.
An unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A man's voice came through.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Hello, big brother.””
Nathan's blood ran cold.
Andrew.
“What do you want?””
Andrew chuckled.
“Always so dramatic.””
“Stay away from my daughter.””
“Your daughter?””
A pause.
Then Andrew said:
“You really should have listened to me when I told you that little girl was becoming a problem.””
Nathan tightened his grip on the phone.
“If you go near Lily again, I swear—”
“You'll do what? Call the police?””
Andrew laughed.
“Go ahead.””
Then his voice dropped.
“But before you do, ask Detective Morgan what happened to the original evidence from Emily's accident.””
Nathan stared at the detective.
Andrew continued.
“Because the person who made sure your wife never came home is standing much closer to you than you think.””
The call ended.
Nathan slowly lowered the phone.
Detective Morgan looked at him.
“Mr. Sterling, I need to ask you something.””
“What?””
“Did anyone in your family have access to the original accident investigation?””
Nathan swallowed.
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Nathan looked at the photograph of Andrew and Victoria.
May you like
Then he whispered:
“My father.””
