Chapter 8 - The Brother Who Came Back From The Dead
The door unlocked behind Elena.
Slowly.
Nobody touched it.
Nobody stood near it.
But it opened.
Adrian immediately moved in front of her.
Marcus raised his weapon.
Claire stepped back.
Only Isabella remained still.
Because she knew.
"This is not Daniel."
Everyone looked at her.
Elena frowned.
"What?"
Isabella stared at the open doorway.
"Daniel wouldn't enter like this."
Adrian's expression changed.
"Then who?"
A figure appeared in the darkness.
A man.
Older.
Calm.
Wearing a dark coat.
He walked into the room slowly.
No weapon.
No fear.
Everyone aimed at him.
Except Isabella.
She whispered:
"Thomas."
Elena stopped breathing.
The man looked at her.
His eyes were familiar.
Painfully familiar.
Because Elena had spent her entire life wondering what her father looked like.
And now he was standing in front of her.
Alive.
Her mind couldn't process it.
"No."
The word escaped her mouth.
The man looked at her.
"Elena."
Her knees almost gave out.
"No."
She shook her head.
"This isn't real."
Thomas Marlowe looked heartbroken.
"I know."
Adrian stared at him.
Impossible.
"You died."
Thomas looked at him.
"That's what everyone needed to believe."
The room became silent.
Elena looked at Isabella.
Then Adrian.
Then Thomas.
Everyone had been dead.
Everyone had disappeared.
Everyone had secrets.
But somehow...
They were all here.
Her father stepped closer.
Elena moved back.
Not because she was afraid.
Because she didn't know how to feel.
"You left me."
Thomas stopped.
The pain on his face was immediate.
"I know."
"You let me believe you were gone."
"I had no choice."
"Everyone says that."
Her voice broke.
"Everyone always has a reason."
Thomas looked down.
"You deserve to hate me."
That answer surprised her.
He didn't defend himself.
Didn't explain.
Didn't make excuses.
He accepted it.
"I wanted to come back."
"Then why didn't you?"
Thomas looked at Adrian.
The answer was there.
The room became heavier.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Daniel."
Thomas nodded.
"Daniel."
Marcus lowered his weapon slightly.
"You knew he survived?"
Thomas looked at him.
"I knew he would survive."
Nobody understood.
Thomas continued.
"Daniel was never trying to kill Adrian."
Adrian stared.
"What?"
"He was trying to remove everyone who could expose him."
Thomas looked around the room.
"Me. Isabella. Anyone who knew the truth."
Elena felt confused.
"But you said Daniel attacked you."
"I said Daniel caused the attack."
Thomas paused.
"There is a difference."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Explain."
Thomas looked at him.
"Your brother wasn't working alone."
A silence.
"Who was helping him?"
Thomas didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Elena.
"That's why you were hidden."
She felt a chill.
"Me?"
Thomas nodded.
"You were the only person Daniel couldn't control."
"Why?"
Thomas looked at her necklace.
"Because your mother gave you the evidence."
Elena touched the pendant.
"The key."
"Yes."
Adrian looked at Thomas.
"What evidence?"
Thomas turned toward the computer.
"The evidence that proves who really controls the Voss empire."
Marcus looked confused.
"I thought Daniel wanted the company."
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
"Then what?"
Thomas's expression became darker.
"Power."
The lights suddenly flickered.
Everyone looked up.
The security system started flashing.
Marcus checked the monitor.
His face changed.
"Someone is accessing the main server."
Adrian immediately looked at Thomas.
"Daniel?"
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
That answer worried everyone.
"Then who?"
Thomas looked at the screen.
And whispered:
"The person behind Daniel."
Marcus moved quickly.
"Can you stop it?"
"No."
Thomas walked toward the control panel.
"Because they already have access."
Elena watched him.
Her father.
The man she thought was a memory.
Working like he had never disappeared.
Like he had been fighting this entire time.
She wanted to ask a thousand questions.
Why he left.
Why he hid.
Why he let her grow up without him.
But she couldn't.
Not yet.
Because something bigger was happening.
The server screen opened.
A file appeared.
One file.
One name.
PROJECT MARLOWE
Thomas froze.
Adrian saw it.
"What is that?"
Thomas didn't answer.
Elena noticed.
He was scared.
Her father.
The man who had survived nineteen years hiding from powerful enemies.
Was afraid.
"Thomas."
He slowly turned.
"That file was never supposed to exist."
"What is Project Marlowe?"
Thomas looked at Elena.
And she knew.
The answer was about her.
"Your birth."
The room went silent.
"My birth?"
Thomas nodded.
"When you were born, your mother and I discovered something."
"What?"
He looked at Adrian.
"That you weren't just connected to the Voss family."
Adrian stepped closer.
"What are you saying?"
Thomas took a breath.
"Elena was the reason both families were connected."
Nobody understood.
Thomas continued.
"Her bloodline was the reason the Voss empire was built."
Elena stared.
"What does that mean?"
Before Thomas could answer, the main screen changed.
The hacker had opened a video.
A man's face appeared.
Daniel Voss.
He smiled.
"Finally."
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked directly at the camera.
"All of you together."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Daniel."
Daniel smiled.
"Brother."
Thomas looked furious.
"You don't get to speak after what you did."
Daniel laughed softly.
"Thomas."
The smile disappeared.
"You still think you're the hero."
Elena watched.
Daniel looked at her.
"And you must be Elena."
Her body froze.
"Do you know how long I've waited to meet you?"
Adrian moved closer to the screen.
"Don't talk to her."
Daniel ignored him.
"Do you know why your father hid you?"
Elena stared.
Daniel continued.
"Because he discovered the truth."
"What truth?"
Daniel smiled.
"The truth about who your real father was."
Nobody moved.
Thomas's face changed.
Adrian looked at him.
"Thomas."
Daniel laughed.
"Tell her."
Thomas didn't speak.
Daniel leaned closer to the camera.
"Tell Elena she was never Thomas Marlowe's daughter."
The room went completely silent.
Elena looked at Thomas.
Her heart stopped.
Thomas whispered:
"Daniel, don't."
Daniel smiled.
"Tell her."
A pause.
Then:
"Tell her who her biological father really is."
Elena stared.
"No."
Daniel looked directly at her.
May you like
And said the name that changed everything.
"Your father was..."
