Chapter 8: The Brother Who Started Everything
I had imagined meeting Nia's brother a hundred different ways.
I imagined anger.
An apology.
A confession.
Maybe even a fight.
But I never imagined the person walking down those stairs would look completely broken.
Ethan looked nothing like the man I had created in my mind.
He wasn't confident.
He wasn't dangerous.
He looked exhausted.
Like someone who had been running from himself for years.
"Marcus.""
My fists tightened.
"You knew about my mother.""
He looked down.
"Yes.""
"You took her money.""
His jaw tightened.
"Yes.""
Nia stepped forward.
"Ethan.""
He looked at his sister.
"I'm sorry.""
Her eyes filled.
"You don't get to say that now.""
"I know.""
"You ruined everything.""
"I know.""
I looked between them.
"Start talking.""
Ethan nodded.
Then he sat down.
Like he didn't have the strength to stand anymore.
"Six months ago, I was drowning.""
"Because of your debts?""
He nodded.
"I made mistakes.""
"What kind?""
He looked at the floor.
"The kind that don't disappear when you apologize.""
Richard stood nearby, silent.
I noticed something.
He wasn't angry at Ethan.
He looked disappointed.
Like he had seen this tragedy coming.
"Ethan," I said, "why my mother?""
He closed his eyes.
"Because I knew she loved people too much.""
The answer made my blood boil.
"You used her kindness.""
"Yes.""
"She sold something that belonged to my father.""
His face changed.
"I didn't know.""
"You didn't care.""
He looked at me.
"No.""
The honesty surprised me.
"I cared.""
He swallowed.
"But I cared after I already destroyed everything.""
Nia wiped her face.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Ethan looked at her.
"Because I knew you would hate me.""
"I do.""
He nodded.
"I know.""
Richard stepped forward.
"There's more.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He pointed to Ethan.
"He wasn't working alone.""
Ethan looked angry.
"Richard.""
"Enough.""
The room became silent.
I looked at Ethan.
"Who was helping you?""
He didn't answer.
"Who?""
His eyes moved toward the staircase.
And I knew.
Someone else was there.
Someone we hadn't seen.
A figure appeared at the top.
Diane.
Nia's mother.
My stomach dropped.
Nia whispered:
"Mom?""
Diane slowly walked down.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
"I wanted to stop this.""
I stared at her.
"You were involved.""
She looked at me.
"I was trying to fix my son's mistakes.""
"No.""
My voice hardened.
"You were covering them.""
Diane looked away.
"I made one mistake.""
Richard laughed quietly.
"One?""
She glared at him.
"You don't get to judge me.""
"I watched you destroy three families.""
The words hung in the room.
I looked at Diane.
"What did you do?""
She didn't answer.
Richard opened another file.
"Your father discovered that Diane had been moving money through fake accounts.""
Nia covered her mouth.
"No.""
Diane looked at her daughter.
"Listen to me.""
"No.""
Nia backed away.
"You told me Grandma needed help.""
Diane's expression cracked.
"I did.""
"You used me.""
"I was protecting you.""
"No.""
Nia shook her head.
"You were protecting yourself.""
I watched my wife break in real time.
The woman who had made my mother feel unwanted was now realizing she had been manipulated too.
Diane stepped toward her.
"Nia, everything I did was for family.""
Nia looked at her.
"Family doesn't destroy people.""
Silence.
Then Diane said something that changed everything.
"Your father knew.""
I looked up.
"What?""
Diane turned toward me.
"Your father knew about me.""
Richard's expression changed.
"Careful.""
She ignored him.
"He found out what I was doing.""
My heartbeat increased.
"What happened?""
Diane looked at the floor.
"He threatened to expose me.""
"And then?""
Her eyes lifted.
"And then he died.""
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone understood what she was saying.
"You killed him.""
Diane shook her head quickly.
"No.""
But her fear said otherwise.
Richard stepped closer.
"The truth is in the final file.""
He opened a locked box.
Inside was a small recording device.
"My father left this?""
Richard nodded.
"He knew someone would deny everything.""
I looked at the device.
"Play it.""
Richard pressed the button.
Static filled the room.
Then a voice.
My father's voice.
Older.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
"If you're hearing this, something happened to me.""
My knees nearly weakened.
I hadn't heard his voice in decades.
"I need you to understand something.""
A pause.
"My family was never my weakness.""
The recording continued.
"My family was the reason I kept fighting.""
Then another voice appeared.
A woman's voice.
Diane.
My blood turned cold.
"You don't understand what you're risking.""
My father's voice replied:
"I understand exactly.""
A chair moved.
A door closed.
Then my father's final words.
"I trusted you.""
The recording ended.
No one spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message.
From an unknown number.
One sentence.
*"You still don't know the worst part.""*
I looked at the screen.
Then at Richard.
Because suddenly I realized something.
The recording proved Diane was involved.
May you like
But it didn't explain the most important question.
Who actually killed my father?
