Chapter 5: The Man Who Was Buried Twice
The photograph wouldn’t leave my hands.
I had stared at it for nearly ten minutes, waiting for something inside my mind to reject what I was seeing.
A mistake.
A coincidence.
Anything.
But there was no escaping the truth.
The man standing beside my father was Victor.
The same man who had walked into the coffee shop and looked at me like he had been waiting years for this moment.
The same man Claire feared.
The same man who somehow existed despite being officially dead.
I looked at Michael.
“Explain.””
My brother rubbed his face.
“I don’t know everything.””
“That’s not good enough anymore.””
“I know.””
His voice was quiet.
“I know I should have told you.””
“You should have told me three years ago.””
Michael looked down.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t survive the truth.””
I felt anger rise in my chest.
“You decided that for me?””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“I decided to keep my little brother alive.””
The words should have softened me.
They didn’t.
Because I was tired of people making choices for me.
Doctors had chosen my limits.
Claire had chosen my future.
Now Michael had chosen my reality.
Everyone kept trying to protect me.
Nobody bothered asking what I wanted.
“What happened to Victor?””
Michael looked toward the window.
“When I was a kid, my father told me never to ask questions about him.””
“Why?””
“Because Victor was supposed to be gone.””
“Supposed to be?””
Michael nodded.
“Your father had a business partner named Adrian Cross. They built Carter & Cross Development together.””
I frowned.
“Adrian Cross?””
Michael opened the folder.
“He changed his name.””
He tapped the photograph.
“This is Adrian Cross.””
My stomach tightened.
“The man who died?””
Michael nodded.
“Officially.””
The word hung between us.
“Why would someone fake their death?””
Michael looked at me.
“Because someone was about to expose him.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then said:
“Your father.””
The coffee shop suddenly felt too small.
I looked away.
“My father died in a car accident.””
Michael didn’t answer.
That silence told me everything.
“You knew.””
“I suspected.””
“You suspected my father’s death wasn’t an accident?””
Michael swallowed.
“Daniel, your father was investigating missing money from the company.””
I stared at him.
“Missing money?””
“Millions.””
The pieces started moving.
Not fitting.
Not yet.
But moving.
Michael continued.
“Your father found evidence that Adrian was moving company funds through fake accounts. He was going to report him.””
“And then he died.””
“Yes.””
I looked at the photograph again.
“Why didn’t anyone investigate?””
“Because Adrian made sure nobody could.””
“How?””
Michael looked at me.
“By making himself disappear.””
A cold silence followed.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But something told me not to.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice whispered.
“Daniel?””
I froze.
I knew that voice.
But it was impossible.
“Who is this?””
The woman breathed heavily.
“Your mother.””
My entire body went still.
I couldn’t speak.
Michael looked at me.
“Daniel?””
The voice continued.
“I know what they told you.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“They told you I died.””
The room disappeared.
The noise.
The people.
Everything.
“My mother is dead.””
“No,” the woman whispered.
“I was hiding.””
My heart raced.
“That’s impossible.””
“I wish it was.””
I looked at Michael.
His face had gone completely white.
Because he knew.
He knew who was calling.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
The woman hesitated.
“Somewhere safe.””
“Why are you calling me now?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because Victor knows you found the truth.””
The line crackled.
“Daniel, listen carefully.””
I leaned closer.
“Your accident wasn’t meant to kill you.””
A chill moved through me.
“Then what was it meant to do?””
Her answer came quietly.
“To scare you away from finding what your father left behind.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Michael whispered:
“She’s alive.””
I looked at him.
“You knew?””
He closed his eyes.
“I knew she might be.””
The anger came instantly.
“You knew my mother was alive?””
“Daniel—”
“No.””
My voice echoed through the coffee shop.
“You let me believe I lost both my parents?””
Michael looked devastated.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed.
A broken, empty sound.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
I grabbed the folder.
“I’m done being protected.””
I turned toward the exit.
Michael followed.
“Daniel, wait.””
I stopped.
“Why?””
He looked at me.
“Because if your mother is calling you…”
He swallowed.
“Then Victor already knows where you are.””
At that exact moment, every light in the coffee shop went out.
The room fell silent.
Then my phone received a message.
May you like
One sentence.
*You should have stayed in your chair.*
