Chapter 10 - The Brother Who Stole His Own Name
The man at the top of the stairs was holding a photograph of my parents.
Nobody moved.
The lights remained off.
The entire mansion felt frozen.
Cassian stood in front of us.
Protecting Rosa.
Protecting me.
Like he always did.
But this time...
the person standing above us was not a stranger.
It was family.
The man slowly walked down the stairs.
One step.
Then another.
The security lights turned on one by one.
Revealing his face.
I had never seen him before.
But Cassian had.
And the expression on his face told me everything.
"No."
His voice was almost silent.
The man smiled.
"That's all you have to say?"
Cassian tightened his grip.
"You're dead."
The man looked at the photograph in his hand.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
A cold smile appeared.
"I wonder how long people can survive believing a lie."
Thomas stepped forward.
"Adrian."
The man's eyes moved toward him.
"Thomas."
A pause.
"You look older."
Thomas looked horrified.
Because he wasn't looking at a ghost.
He was looking at someone he had failed to stop.
Cassian stared at him.
"Adrian."
The name finally left his mouth.
I felt a chill.
His brother.
The person everyone thought was dead.
The person behind everything.
Adrian Renzi.
He looked at Cassian like they were strangers.
"You grew up."
Cassian laughed once.
A painful sound.
"You destroyed my life."
Adrian tilted his head.
"Did I?"
"You made me bury you."
"No."
Adrian stepped closer.
"I made you survive."
The words made Cassian stop.
Adrian looked around the mansion.
"Do you know what our father taught us?"
Nobody answered.
"Never trust anyone."
His eyes moved to the people around Cassian.
"Not friends."
"Not enemies."
"Not even family."
I hated how calm he was.
People who did terrible things usually looked angry.
Adrian didn't.
He looked like someone who believed he was right.
Cassian raised his weapon.
"Where is Isabella?"
Adrian smiled.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The first question isn't why I came back."
His smile disappeared.
"It's about your wife."
Cassian's expression hardened.
"Answer me."
Adrian looked at me.
Then at Rosa.
"Still protecting everyone except yourself."
Cassian stepped forward.
"Where is she?"
Adrian looked away.
"Safe."
Nobody believed him.
Especially Cassian.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No."
Adrian looked at him.
"I expect you to remember."
A silence followed.
Then he threw the photograph down.
It landed in front of Cassian.
Cassian looked at it.
The picture was old.
My parents.
Cassian's father.
And Adrian.
All together.
But there was something different.
On the back.
A handwritten note.
Cassian picked it up.
His face changed.
"What is this?"
Adrian smiled.
"Something your father never wanted you to find."
Cassian turned the photo over.
I moved closer.
There were words written behind it.
"The two children must never know."
My stomach tightened.
Children.
Plural.
Cassian looked at Adrian.
"What does this mean?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at me.
"Your father was very good at hiding things."
I felt anger rise.
"Stop talking in riddles."
Adrian looked surprised.
Then he smiled slightly.
"You sound like him."
I stepped forward.
"Who am I?"
The question came out before I could stop it.
Everyone became quiet.
Adrian looked at me.
And for the first time...
his expression changed.
Not anger.
Not amusement.
Something closer to sadness.
"That's the question they spent years trying to prevent you from asking."
Cassian looked at him.
"Don't."
Adrian ignored him.
"Your father and mine weren't just partners."
He looked at the photograph.
"They were brothers in everything except blood."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means your families were connected long before you were born."
Thomas interrupted.
"Adrian, enough."
Adrian looked at him.
"You had your chance."
Then he looked back at me.
"Do you know why your bracelet matters?"
I touched my wrist.
"Because my father hid evidence."
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"Because your father hid your identity."
The room went silent.
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Cassian immediately stepped between us.
"Don't listen to him."
Adrian smiled.
"Still protecting her."
Cassian's voice became dangerous.
"Don't talk about her."
Adrian looked at him.
"You don't even remember why you protected her."
That sentence hit harder.
Because it was true.
Cassian didn't remember.
His memories had been changed.
Someone had taken pieces of his life away.
Adrian walked toward the center of the room.
"My father and your father discovered something."
"What?"
Adrian looked at me.
"That someone inside the family was willing to destroy everything for power."
Cassian frowned.
"Who?"
Adrian smiled.
"You still don't understand."
He pointed at the mansion.
"This entire war was never about money."
A pause.
"It was about one person."
His eyes moved to me.
"Elena."
My heart dropped.
"Why me?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Because suddenly...
Rosa spoke.
"Because Mommy said you were important."
Everyone turned.
The little girl was standing behind Cassian.
Adrian looked at her.
Then his expression changed.
"You shouldn't be here."
Cassian noticed.
"Why?"
Adrian didn't answer.
That scared me.
Because for the first time, he looked worried.
Not fake.
Real.
"What did Isabella tell Rosa?"
Nobody spoke.
Then the mansion speakers turned on.
A woman's voice filled the hall.
Isabella.
"Adrian."
Everyone froze.
Adrian looked up.
The speakers continued.
"You always were impatient."
Cassian immediately looked around.
"Where are you?"
No answer.
Only Isabella's voice.
"I knew you would come."
Adrian smiled.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"Because I was the one who invited you."
The entire room went silent.
Cassian looked at the speakers.
"Isabella."
Her voice softened.
"I'm sorry."
Then:
"Elena, listen carefully."
I looked up.
"Your bracelet is not the key."
My breathing stopped.
"It is the lock."
Nobody moved.
Adrian's smile disappeared.
Cassian looked at me.
Thomas whispered:
"No."
Isabella continued.
"And Adrian is not the person you should fear."
The lights suddenly flickered.
The doors of the mansion unlocked.
Every single one.
At the same time.
Adrian looked toward the entrance.
For the first time that night...
he looked afraid.
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Cassian raised his weapon.
"Who did you bring here?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Because he was staring at the door.
May you like
And when it opened...
the person standing outside was the last person anyone expected to see.
