Chapter 5 - The Betrayal Inside The Mansion
Darwin's voice disappeared from the intercom.
Not because the connection failed.
Because he stopped talking.
And everyone in the room understood why.
Something had happened.
Something bad.
Agostino stood beside the bed despite the pain shooting through his side.
Brielle noticed immediately.
"You need to sit down."
He ignored her.
"Darwin."
No answer.
Agostino pressed the intercom again.
"Darwin."
Still nothing.
The silence was worse than a scream.
Elias looked toward the hallway.
His face had changed.
The calm expression he had carried since entering the mansion was gone.
"He found us."
Agostino turned sharply.
"Who?"
Elias looked at him.
"The person who wanted me dead."
A cold silence filled the room.
Brielle looked between the two brothers.
"Wait."
Her voice was quiet.
"You said someone made Elias disappear."
Elias nodded.
"Yes."
"Then who?"
Agostino looked toward the hallway.
Because he already suspected the answer.
And he hated himself for even considering it.
"No."
Brielle noticed his reaction.
"You know."
Agostino didn't respond.
"You know who it is."
His jaw tightened.
"Not possible."
Elias stepped closer.
"It is possible."
Agostino's eyes moved toward him.
"Say it."
Elias hesitated.
For the first time, Brielle saw fear in his eyes.
"Victor."
The name landed like a weapon.
Agostino froze.
"No."
"Agostino."
"No."
His voice became harder.
"You don't get to walk into my house after twelve years and accuse my closest man."
Elias stared at him.
"I watched him put a bullet in my chest."
The room went completely silent.
Brielle looked at Agostino.
His expression changed.
Not because he believed Elias.
Because he wanted desperately not to.
Victor.
The name meant something.
Someone trusted.
Someone close.
Someone who had been beside Agostino through everything.
The person in the photograph.
The person now inside the security room.
Darwin suddenly appeared on the monitor beside the wall.
His face was pale.
But he was alive.
Agostino immediately turned.
"Darwin."
The assistant looked directly at the camera.
"Mr. Costello."
"What happened?"
Darwin glanced behind him.
Then lowered his voice.
"Victor is here."
Nobody moved.
Agostino stared.
"Where?"
"In the security room."
A pause.
"He said he needed access to the old files."
Agostino's eyes darkened.
"Why?"
Darwin swallowed.
"Because he said he found the girl."
Brielle felt the blood leave her face.
The girl.
Not a nurse.
Not an employee.
The girl.
The same way Elias had spoken.
The same way the unknown messages had spoken.
Agostino looked at her.
And for the first time, he understood.
This had never been about him.
Not completely.
It had always been about Brielle.
Victor entered the security room twelve years earlier.
That was what the cameras showed.
At least, that was what the cameras showed now.
The footage had been restored.
A man in a black suit walking through the east wing.
No guards stopped him.
No alarms activated.
Because Victor belonged there.
He always had.
Darwin stood in front of the monitor.
"I don't understand."
Agostino watched from the bedroom screen.
"Neither do I."
Brielle stood beside him.
Elias remained near the door.
Agostino looked at his brother.
"You knew."
Elias didn't deny it.
"I suspected."
"You let him stay near me?"
"I tried to warn you."
"When?"
"Every year."
Agostino laughed bitterly.
"Interesting."
His eyes hardened.
"I don't remember receiving any warnings from a dead man."
Elias accepted the anger.
Because he deserved it.
Maybe.
But Brielle noticed something.
Agostino was not angry because Elias betrayed him.
He was angry because part of him believed him.
And that was worse.
The monitor showed Victor opening old files.
Darwin zoomed in.
"He's accessing archived medical records."
Brielle stepped closer.
"Medical records?"
Darwin nodded.
"From twelve years ago."
Her stomach tightened.
The hospital.
The night everything changed.
Agostino saw her reaction.
"You were there."
She looked at him.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Brielle didn't answer.
Elias did.
"Because she was the reason everything happened."
Agostino turned.
"What?"
Brielle looked at Elias.
"Stop."
But Elias continued.
"You deserve to know."
"No."
"Brielle."
"No."
Her voice broke slightly.
"I spent twelve years trying to forget."
Agostino watched her.
"Forget what?"
Brielle closed her eyes.
Then opened them.
"I wasn't just a patient that night."
Nobody spoke.
"I was brought there because someone was looking for me."
Agostino frowned.
"Who?"
"My father."
The room changed.
Because nobody expected that answer.
Brielle continued.
"He was hiding something."
"What?"
"I don't know."
She looked at the photograph.
"But Elias knew."
Agostino looked at his brother.
"Elias."
The older man remained silent.
Then:
"Your father discovered something about Victor."
Agostino froze.
"What?"
"Something dangerous."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because your father trusted the wrong person."
Agostino stared.
"And Victor killed him?"
Elias didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Brielle looked away.
All the pieces were finally moving.
But the picture they created was worse than anything she imagined.
A family destroyed.
A brother erased.
A child hidden.
A man becoming a monster because he believed everyone he loved was gone.
Then Darwin's voice interrupted.
"Mr. Costello."
Everyone looked at the monitor.
Darwin was standing completely still.
"What?"
Darwin pointed at the screen.
"He opened another file."
Agostino approached.
"What file?"
Darwin looked uncomfortable.
Then read the title.
"Project Elias."
Elias went pale.
"No."
Brielle looked at him.
"You know that file?"
Elias whispered:
"Yes."
Agostino looked between them.
"What is Project Elias?"
Nobody answered.
Because they were all staring at the screen.
A video file had appeared.
Created twelve years ago.
Uploaded by Victor.
The title contained only three words.
"The Real Truth."
Agostino pressed play.
The screen went black.
Then a hospital room appeared.
A younger Brielle sat on a bed.
A younger Elias stood beside her.
And behind the camera...
Someone was speaking.
Someone they all recognized.
Victor's voice filled the room.
"I know you're watching this, Agostino."
Everyone froze.
The recording continued.
"I know Elias failed to disappear forever."
Agostino stepped closer to the screen.
His face changed.
Then Victor said:
"But the one thing you never knew..."
The video paused for a second.
And the next words appeared on the screen.
"Your brother didn't betray you."
A shadow moved behind the camera.
Then Victor whispered:
"Someone else did."
The bedroom door suddenly unlocked.
Nobody touched it.
May you like
It slowly opened from the outside.
And standing there was the person Agostino thought he could trust most.
