Chapter 13 - The Brother Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The man stood in the doorway.
Dominic stared at him.
Mara couldn't move.
Celeste held the baby tighter.
The stranger smiled.
“Brother.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
The man stopped.
His eyes moved toward the gun.
Then back to Dominic.
“You still point a gun before you ask questions.”
Dominic's voice was cold.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
“You already know.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He stepped beneath the chandelier.
The light revealed his face completely.
He looked almost exactly like Dominic.
Same dark hair.
Same jaw.
Same eyes.
But there was something different in his expression.
Dominic looked at him and felt something he couldn't name.
Not fear.
Recognition.
The stranger glanced toward Mara.
“And you.”
Mara stepped backward.
“What about me?”
“You're exactly as beautiful as Mother described.”
Mara froze.
“Mother?”
The man's smile faded.
“Our mother.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Our mother died.”
“No.”
The man shook his head.
“She disappeared.”
Michael whispered,
“Elias.”
The stranger looked at him.
“Uncle Michael.”
Michael's face went pale.
“You're alive.”
Elias smiled.
“Apparently.”
Dominic lowered the weapon slightly.
“Elias.”
The name felt strange in his mouth.
He remembered hearing it once.
As a child.
A whisper behind a locked door.
A name his father had forbidden anyone to say.
He had thought it was a dream.
“You're my brother.”
“Yes.”
“Why did they tell me you died?”
“Because they needed you to believe you were alone.”
“Who?”
Elias looked at the elderly man.
“Ask him.”
Dominic turned.
The old man stood near the fireplace.
His face was unreadable.
“Tell me.”
The old man said nothing.
Dominic stepped closer.
“Tell me why my brother was hidden.”
The old man sighed.
“Because one heir was easier to control than two.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“So you destroyed his life.”
“I protected the family.”
“You erased him.”
“I saved him.”
Elias laughed.
“You locked me underground for seventeen years.”
The old man's expression changed.
“That was necessary.”
“Necessary?”
Elias stepped forward.
“You made me watch Dominic grow up through cameras.”
Dominic froze.
“You watched me?”
“Every birthday.”
“Every school ceremony.”
“Every time you stood beside Father.”
Elias's voice became quieter.
“I watched you become everything they wanted.”
Dominic stared.
“Why didn't you come to me?”
“Because every time I tried, someone disappeared.”
Mara looked at Michael.
“What happened to our mother?”
Elias's eyes moved toward her.
“She tried to free me.”
Mara's breath caught.
“Did she die because of you?”
“No.”
Elias shook his head.
“She died because she refused to surrender.”
The room fell silent.
Celeste looked down at the baby.
Mara stepped toward her.
“Give her to me.”
Celeste hesitated.
Elias looked at her.
“Celeste.”
She slowly handed the baby to Mara.
Mara pulled her daughter against her chest.
The baby immediately quieted.
Mara closed her eyes.
For the first time since the crash, she felt her daughter breathing against her.
Safe.
Warm.
Alive.
Dominic watched them.
His expression softened.
Then Elias spoke.
“You have no idea what they planned for her.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Tell me.”
“The marriage.”
Mara stiffened.
Elias nodded toward the documents.
“Your marriage wasn't just about inheritance.”
“What was it?”
“The baby.”
Dominic frowned.
“Why?”
“Because your child is the first legitimate descendant of both bloodlines.”
Mara held her daughter tighter.
“She is not property.”
“I know.”
Elias looked at the old man.
“He doesn't.”
The old man slammed his hand against the table.
“Enough.”
Elias smiled.
“You're afraid.”
“Of you?”
“No.”
Elias looked at Mara.
“Of her.”
Mara stared.
“Why?”
“Because she has the one thing they couldn't control.”
“What?”
“Choice.”
The old man reached for something inside his coat.
Dominic raised his gun.
“Don't.”
The old man stopped.
Elias laughed.
“You still carry the same gun.”
Dominic glanced at him.
“You know this one?”
“I gave it to you.”
Dominic froze.
“What?”
“When we were children.”
Elias's voice softened.
“You were seven.”
“You were locked away.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I escaped once.”
Dominic stared.
“I remember.”
Elias nodded.
“You were hiding under Father's desk.”
Dominic's memory surfaced.
A boy's hand reaching through the darkness.
A whisper.
Don't tell him I'm here.
Dominic had forgotten.
Or perhaps he had been forced to forget.
“You gave me this?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect yourself.”
Dominic lowered the gun.
For the first time, the two brothers stood without weapons between them.
Mara watched them.
Then asked,
“Who caused the crash?”
Elias looked at her.
“I did.”
Dominic turned sharply.
“What?”
“I ordered the brakes to be damaged.”
Mara's face went white.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To stop you from leaving the city.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“You almost killed her.”
“I didn't know she was pregnant.”
“You knew.”
“I knew she was being followed.”
“That isn't an answer.”
Elias looked at Mara.
“I didn't order the collision.”
“What?”
“I disabled the car.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“Then who hit her?”
Elias was silent.
Mara whispered,
“Who?”
“The security chief.”
Dominic's face changed.
“He drove the other vehicle.”
Elias nodded.
“Your man was working for Celeste.”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“I never wanted her dead.”
Mara looked at her.
“You watched me bleed.”
“I was afraid.”
“You let them take my baby.”
“I was trying to stop them.”
“By helping them?”
Celeste's eyes filled with tears.
“My grandfather threatened my life.”
The old man snapped,
“Don't.”
Celeste turned.
“You threatened everyone.”
Elias smiled.
“Finally.”
The old man looked furious.
“You think you can destroy me?”
“No.”
Elias stepped closer.
“You already destroyed yourself.”
Dominic looked around.
“What are you talking about?”
Elias reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small recorder.
“The evidence.”
He placed it on the table.
“Everything your grandfather did.”
The old man's face changed.
“You wouldn't.”
“I already did.”
“What?”
“I sent copies.”
“To whom?”
“Everyone.”
Dominic stared.
“Who?”
“Police.”
“Federal investigators.”
“Every lawyer connected to the family.”
The old man looked toward the doors.
For the first time, he seemed afraid.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Mara stared toward the windows.
Red lights flashed across the glass.
Dominic looked at Elias.
“You planned this.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
The front doors opened.
Several officers entered.
The old man backed away.
One officer approached him.
“Victor Arden?”
The elderly man said nothing.
“You are under arrest.”
He laughed.
“You have no idea who I am.”
The officer held up a document.
“We know exactly who you are.”
The old man's face hardened.
Then he looked at Mara.
“You'll regret this.”
Mara stepped forward.
“No.”
She held her daughter closer.
“I already regretted believing you.”
The officers took him away.
Silence returned.
Dominic looked at Elias.
“What happens now?”
Elias shrugged.
“Now the truth comes out.”
Michael sat heavily in a chair.
“I should have told you years ago.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
“So was everyone.”
Mara approached him.
“You helped my mother.”
Michael nodded.
“And you tried to protect me.”
“Yes.”
“Then help me one last time.”
“What?”
“Find out what really happened to her.”
Michael's eyes filled with tears.
“I know where she was buried.”
Mara stopped.
“You know?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Michael hesitated.
“Near the old Arden property.”
Mara looked at Dominic.
He took her hand.
“We'll go.”
Elias watched them.
Then said,
“There is one more thing.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
Elias looked at Mara's daughter.
“The baby has a birth record.”
Mara frowned.
“We already have one.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You have the false one.”
He pulled a document from his coat.
“This is the original.”
Mara took it.
Her hands trembled.
The date was different.
The hospital was different.
And beneath the mother's name was another name.
Not Mara.
Not Celeste.
Not anyone she recognized.
Mara looked at Elias.
“Who is this?”
Elias's expression changed.
“Your mother.”
Mara stared.
“That isn't her name.”
“No.”
“Then who is it?”
Elias pointed to the bottom of the page.
A handwritten note had been added.
Mother: Elena Arden.
Mara's eyes widened.
“Who is Elena?”
Michael stood abruptly.
His face had gone pale.
“No.”
Dominic looked at him.
“What?”
Michael stared at the birth record.
“I know that name.”
Mara whispered,
“Who was she?”
Michael looked toward the window.
“She was your mother's sister.”
Mara froze.
“My aunt?”
Michael nodded.
“She disappeared before your mother did.”
“Why?”
Michael swallowed.
“Because she was the first person to discover the truth about the three children.”
Mara stared at the document.
“What truth?”
Michael looked at Dominic.
Then Elias.
Then finally Mara.
“One of the three babies wasn't biologically related to any of us.”
Silence.
Mara's heart pounded.
“Then who was the baby?”
Michael didn't answer.
Elias stepped closer.
“The baby was taken from another family.”
Dominic frowned.
“Which family?”
Elias looked directly at Mara's daughter.
“The same family that has been searching for her for twenty-nine years.”
Mara's arms tightened around her baby.
“What family?”
Before Elias could answer, Dominic's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A woman's voice whispered,
“Dominic.”
He froze.
Mara saw his face change.
“Who is it?”
He didn't answer.
The voice continued.
“You found the wrong child.”
Dominic's eyes widened.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed softly.
“You should ask Mara.”
Mara stepped closer.
“Give me the phone.”
Dominic handed it to her.
Mara pressed it to her ear.
“Who are you?”
Silence.
Then the woman spoke.
“Mara.”
Mara froze.
“I know who you really are.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“And I know where your real daughter is.”
Mara looked down.
Her baby was still in her arms.
The woman continued.
“The child you're holding isn't yours.”
Mara's blood ran cold.
May you like
Then the woman said the name of the baby hidden twenty-nine years ago—
and Mara suddenly realized the hospital bracelet on her daughter's wrist had never belonged to her at all…
