Chapter 5: The Brother Who Knew Everything
Nobody spoke.
Richard stood at the top of the stairs like he belonged there.
Like he had been waiting.
Like he knew this moment would come.
I stared at him.
“You’re alive.””
He smiled slightly.
“That’s what everyone believed.””
My fists tightened.
“Another secret.””
Richard slowly walked down the stairs.
“You always were the emotional one.””
I hated that sentence.
Because it sounded exactly like my mother.
A way of dismissing me.
A way of making me feel like caring was a weakness.
“You knew.””
Richard stopped.
“Knew what?””
“Everything.””
His expression didn’t change.
That was the answer.
“You knew Elena was alive.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Elise existed.””
“Yes.””
“You knew my mother was taking children.””
Richard sighed.
“Marcus…”
“No.””
My voice echoed through the house.
“You don’t get to say my name like you’re disappointed in me.””
The room went silent.
“You watched me bury my wife.””
Richard looked down.
“I did what I had to do.””
I stepped forward.
“You watched me tell my daughter her mother was gone.””
His face hardened.
“She was safer that way.””
Maya gasped.
“Safer?””
Richard looked at her.
“You have no idea what your grandmother was fighting.””
Maya’s voice shook.
“My grandmother stole my sister.””
Richard looked at Elise.
Then away.
“She made mistakes.””
Mistakes.
The word made something inside me snap.
“She destroyed lives.””
Richard’s eyes narrowed.
“Careful.””
“No.””
I pointed toward the files.
“You’re still protecting her.””
“I’m protecting the family.””
Elena laughed quietly.
A broken sound.
“Your family was never the people in this house.””
Richard looked at her.
“You should have stayed gone.””
Elena’s expression changed.
“You’re exactly like her.””
That hit him.
For the first time, Richard looked angry.
“Don’t compare me to Victoria.””
“Why?””
Elena stepped forward.
“Because you think you were better?””
Nobody moved.
“You helped her.””
Richard looked away.
“You don’t understand.””
“I understand everything.””
Elena’s voice trembled.
“You helped her take my daughter.””
Richard said nothing.
And that silence confirmed it.
I looked at Elise.
“You knew he was involved?””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I needed proof.””
I looked around the room.
“All of you knew.””
My voice cracked.
“All of you knew while I lived my life thinking I had lost everything.””
Elena stepped toward me.
“Marcus…”
I shook my head.
“I spent eight years grieving you.””
Her eyes filled.
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
I looked at her.
“You don’t know what it was like.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
“I blamed myself.””
Elena cried silently.
“I thought I failed you.””
“You didn’t.””
“But I did.””
I looked away.
“I was your husband.””
“And I was your wife.””
Her voice broke.
“We were both victims.””
The room became quiet.
Then Richard spoke.
“You want the truth?””
I turned.
“Yes.””
He nodded.
“Then you need to understand why Victoria did what she did.””
“I don’t care why.””
“You should.””
His expression became serious.
“Because the person who started this is still alive.””
Everyone froze.
“What?””
Richard looked at Elena.
“Victoria wasn’t the beginning.””
Elena went pale.
“No.””
Richard nodded.
“She worked for someone else.””
The air disappeared from my lungs.
“Who?””
Richard didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Your father.””
I stared.
“My father died when I was twelve.””
Richard looked at me.
“That’s what we wanted you to believe.””
I couldn’t move.
My father.
A man I barely remembered.
A man whose death had always been explained as an accident.
“No.””
Richard walked toward the desk.
He picked up another file.
“Your father built the organization.””
Elena whispered:
“Marcus…”
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
She shook her head.
“I knew there was someone above Victoria.””
Richard placed the file down.
“But I never knew how close it was.””
I opened it.
Inside was an old photograph.
My father.
My mother.
Richard.
And another man.
A man I didn’t recognize.
Except for one thing.
The name written underneath.
*Thomas Hale.*
My father.
Alive.
The next page was a medical record.
A recent one.
My hands shook.
“This is impossible.””
Richard looked at me.
“It was updated three months ago.””
My eyes moved across the page.
A hospital.
A patient.
A location.
And a signature.
I whispered:
“Who signed this?””
Richard didn’t answer.
Because I already saw the name.
*Marcus Hale.*
My own signature.
Again.
But this time, I knew something was different.
Someone was using my identity.
Someone wanted me to find this.
Then my phone rang.
Everyone looked at it.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man’s voice spoke.
“Marcus.””
I froze.
Because I knew that voice.
Not from memory.
From the recording.
From old family videos.
From the voice I hadn’t heard since childhood.
May you like
My father.
“Come alone if you want to know why your mother really died.””
