Chapter 8: The Brother She Buried
I stared at the ring.
I had watched my father get buried wearing it.
At least, I thought I had.
“How did you get that?””
Daniel rolled the ring across his knuckles.
“Charles gave it to me.””
“Impossible.””
“Three days before he died.””
Marcus stepped between us.
Daniel laughed.
“Still protecting the Cole family, Marcus?””
“Put your hands where I can see them.””
“My hands are visible.””
“Both of them.””
Daniel slowly lifted his other hand.
Empty.
Claire held Milo tighter.
“Stay away from us.””
Daniel’s expression softened when he saw the baby.
“My son.””
“You don’t get to call him that.””
“He has my blood.””
“He needed you.””
“You don’t know what I needed.””
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“Anna needed you too.””
Something flashed across Daniel’s face.
Pain.
Then it vanished.
I stepped forward.
“You said my father gave you that ring.””
“He did.””
“You knew him?””
Daniel smiled bitterly.
“I spent forty-two years wondering who my father was. Then one day Charles Cole appeared at my door and told me something worse.””
“What?””
“He wasn’t my father.””
My mind stalled.
“Eleanor told me Charles never knew about you.””
“Eleanor lies.””
“That doesn’t answer me.””
Daniel slipped the ring onto his little finger.
“Charles found me eight years ago. He’d been searching quietly after discovering Mother had a child before their marriage.””
“And he told you who your father was?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because Eleanor refused to tell him.””
I thought of my mother lying in the bridal suite.
“What did Charles want from you?””
“To come into the family.””
I almost laughed.
“My father?””
“He offered me money. A house. A job.””
“Did you accept?””
“No.””
“Why?””
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“Because I didn’t want his money. I wanted my mother.””
The words landed harder than I expected.
“What happened when you contacted her?””
“She told me never to call again.””
I said nothing.
“She said Nathan could never know.””
“Why?””
“Ask her.””
“I’m asking you.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Because your entire life depended on you believing you were her only son.””
“That makes no sense.””
“It will.””
Claire interrupted.
“Nathan, don’t let him control this conversation.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“You always did talk too much.””
She tightened her grip on Milo.
“You’re not taking him.””
Daniel’s face darkened.
“I came for evidence, not a custody fight.””
“Then why kidnap him?””
“I didn’t.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
Daniel pointed at Marcus.
“He did.””
Marcus looked stunned.
“That’s insane.””
Daniel laughed.
“Check his coat.””
Marcus reached toward his jacket.
“Don’t,” I said.
His hand stopped.
“Take it off.””
“Nathan.””
“Now.””
Marcus slowly removed his jacket and dropped it.
Something metallic struck the floor.
A hotel master keycard.
Marcus stared at it.
“That isn’t mine.””
Claire stepped backward.
Daniel smiled.
“Convenient.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Someone planted it.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
I wanted to believe him.
That frightened me.
Because belief had ruined my life before.
Daniel reached inside his coat.
Marcus moved instantly.
“Hands!””
Daniel froze.
“Relax.””
He removed a photograph.
Then slid it across the floor.
I picked it up.
Anna.
A young woman with Eleanor’s eyes stood outside a hospital.
Beside her was Marcus.
The date printed on the photograph was nine months earlier.
Marcus stared at it.
“No.””
Claire whispered, “You said you never met her.””
“I didn’t.””
“You’re standing beside her.””
“I don’t remember this.””
Daniel laughed.
“You expect Nathan to believe that?””
Marcus grabbed the photograph.
His face drained.
“This was London.””
I stared at him.
“You remember now?””
“I was there on business.””
“With Anna?””
“No. I was meeting someone else.””
“Who?””
Marcus hesitated.
Daniel answered for him.
“Thomas Vale.””
Of course.
Thomas again.
The man who seemed to exist behind every secret.
“What happened in London?”” I asked.
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“Thomas asked me to investigate someone following Anna.””
“Did you know who she was?””
“No.””
“Did you learn?””
“Later.””
“How much later?””
“After she died.””
Claire looked disgusted.
“You expect us to believe you investigated a woman without learning her name?””
“I knew her as Anna Reed.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Reed?””
“Yes.””
Daniel stared at him.
For the first time, his confidence cracked.
“That was the name she used before we met.””
Marcus frowned.
“How would Thomas know that?””
Nobody answered.
Then I understood.
“Because Thomas knew Anna before Daniel did.””
Claire looked at me.
Daniel stopped moving.
I continued.
“Thomas raised Anna.””
Margaret had told me.
“He knew everything about her.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Thomas loved her.””
“Then why send Marcus to investigate her?””
Silence.
I turned toward Claire.
“What evidence did Anna have?””
“A ledger.””
“Rebecca’s?””
Claire nodded.
“Anna found it hidden among Thomas’s belongings.””
Daniel snapped, “That’s not true.””
Claire faced him.
“She told me herself.””
“You’re lying.””
“She was afraid of Thomas.””
“He raised her!””
“And maybe that’s why she was afraid.””
Daniel crossed the space between them.
I stepped in front of Claire.
“Back up.””
“She’s poisoning you against everyone.””
“No. My family did that years ago.””
Daniel stared at me.
For one strange second, I saw something familiar in his expression.
Not evil.
Not rage.
Abandonment.
Then my phone rang.
Eleanor.
I answered.
“Mom?””
Her voice was weak.
“Nathan, listen carefully.””
I watched Daniel.
“I’m listening.””
“Daniel is not your enemy.””
His face changed.
My mother continued.
“Thomas is.””
A chill moved through me.
“Why?””
“Because Charles discovered what Thomas had done.””
“To Anna?””
“No.””
My mother started crying.
“To Rebecca.””
I looked at Claire.
“What did he do?””
Eleanor whispered, “Thomas killed Rebecca Bennett.””
Behind me, Daniel suddenly said, “She’s lying.””
Then another voice came through my phone.
A man’s voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
Thomas.
“She isn’t lying, Nathan.””
I stopped breathing.
Thomas continued.
May you like
“But she hasn’t told you why I did it.””
Then the call ended.
