Chapter 13: My Twin Brother Was Working With the Enemy
I stared at the photograph until the screen went dark.
Twenty-five years.
That was how long someone had kept my twin brother hidden from me.
His name was Nicholas.
He had been raised by Thomas and Elizabeth Shaw, the same people whose names appeared throughout the conspiracy.
And now he wanted to meet me.
“Rebecca,” I whispered.
She stood motionless beside the archive door.
“Is Nicholas really your brother?””
Rebecca looked at the photograph.
Then she nodded.
“I haven't seen him since we were children.””
“What happened?””
Her voice cracked.
“My parents adopted him when he was three months old. They told me he was abandoned at a hospital. I grew up believing he was my biological brother.””
She wiped her eyes.
“But when I was seventeen, he disappeared. My father told me Nicholas had been sent to a boarding school in Switzerland.””
“And you believed him?””
“I didn't have a reason not to.””
Victor approached us.
“Thomas Shaw was involved in the operation. If Nicholas was raised by him, there's a good chance he knows where Leon is hiding.””
My mother shook her head.
“Or he's the one helping Leon.””
I looked at her.
“Why would my own brother want to hurt me?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Because he may have been told a different story about your birth.””
Daniel lowered his head.
“There's something I haven't told you.””
I turned toward him.
“Another secret?””
He nodded.
“When you and Nicholas were born, Leon wanted both children. He believed having control over Victor's biological heirs would give him leverage over the Romano family.””
Victor stared at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I couldn't trust you.””
Victor looked away.
Daniel continued.
“Elizabeth helped me escape with Lena. She took Nicholas with her because she believed she could protect him. But Thomas Shaw was already working with Leon.””
Rebecca stepped backward.
“My father sold my brother?””
Daniel nodded.
“He gave Nicholas to Leon's people. Elizabeth tried to stop him.””
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“Then what happened to her?””
Daniel looked at the floor.
“Leon ordered her car to be sabotaged.””
Silence swallowed the room.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
“My father killed the woman who saved his son.””
“He didn't do it himself,” Daniel replied.
“But he arranged it.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Nicholas was smiling.
He looked like an ordinary young man.
Not a criminal.
Not a killer.
Just my brother.
“I'm going to meet him.””
Victor immediately objected.
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“You don't get to decide that.””
“Lena, this is exactly what Leon wants.””
“Maybe. But Nicholas is the only person who can tell us what really happened.””
Rebecca shook her head.
“I'll go with you.””
“No,” I replied.
“He specifically asked me to come alone.””
“That's not happening.””
Daniel approached me.
“Your brother may be dangerous.””
I held up the photograph.
“Then perhaps someone should have protected him before he became that way.””
Nobody answered.
The following evening, we returned to the Grandeur Hotel.
The same ballroom where I had punched Victor.
The same marble floor where his poisoned champagne glass had shattered.
The same place where three hundred guests had watched his trusted people turn against him.
But tonight, the ballroom was empty.
The chandeliers were dimmed, and a single table stood in the center.
A man waited beside it.
He wore a charcoal suit and held a champagne glass.
When he turned, my breath caught.
He looked exactly like me around the eyes.
“Lena?””
I nodded.
“Are you Nicholas?””
He smiled sadly.
“That's what they've called me for twenty-five years.””
I approached cautiously.
“Why did you ask me here?””
He placed the glass down.
“Because I wanted to see whether you looked like our mother.””
My throat tightened.
“Did you know about me?””
“Not until three years ago.””
“How?””
He reached inside his jacket and removed a photograph.
It showed two newborn babies lying beside each other.
One had a tiny bracelet marked LENA.
The other had NICHOLAS.
I touched the photograph.
“We were together?””
“For a few hours.””
He looked away.
“Then Thomas Shaw took me.””
I swallowed.
“Why are you working with Leon?””
Nicholas laughed bitterly.
“Because Leon told me Daniel Hart kidnapped my sister and abandoned me.””
“That isn't true.””
“I know that now.””
My heart skipped.
“What?””
Nicholas stepped closer.
“I've spent years trying to find out what happened. Leon promised to help me. He gave me documents, photographs, even letters supposedly written by our mother.””
“And you believed him?””
“I was desperate.””
He looked directly at me.
“Then I discovered something about Elizabeth's death. She wasn't killed because she knew about the ledger.””
“Why was she killed?””
Nicholas took a deep breath.
“Because she discovered that Leon had arranged for one of the twins to be murdered.””
I felt my knees weaken.
“Which twin?””
He looked at me.
“You.””
A cold silence settled between us.
“Why me?””
“Because Victor's father believed you were his granddaughter. He wanted you to inherit part of the Romano estate.””
I shook my head.
“But I wasn't even Victor's daughter.””
“That's not what the original documents said.””
Nicholas pulled out a folded letter.
“Your mother was pregnant when Victor's father arranged the marriage. He believed you were his son's biological child. When he discovered the truth, he threatened to remove both children from the family.””
I stared at the letter.
“Then what happened?””
“Elizabeth helped Daniel hide you. She took me because she thought she could protect me. Thomas betrayed her.””
Nicholas looked down.
“And I've spent my entire life being told that the people who saved you were criminals.””
I wanted to hug him.
But something still bothered me.
“Why did you tell Leon where to find us?””
Nicholas's expression changed.
“I didn't.””
A voice came from the balcony.
“Actually, he did.””
Leon Mercer stepped into view.
Clara followed him.
Both were armed.
Nicholas immediately moved in front of me.
“Stay back!””
Leon laughed.
“Such a touching reunion.””
Clara pointed her weapon at Nicholas.
“You were supposed to bring us the ledger.””
Nicholas raised his hands.
“I brought you Lena.””
Leon smiled.
“Then give us the key.””
I stared at my brother.
“You said you wanted to help me.””
Nicholas looked at me.
“I do.””
Then he reached inside his jacket.
Leon raised his gun.
“Don't.””
Nicholas pulled out a small silver object.
A flash drive.
And threw it toward me.
“RUN!””
The ballroom doors suddenly burst open.
Federal agents rushed inside.
But before they could reach Leon, Clara fired.
Nicholas stepped in front of me.
The gunshot echoed through the ballroom.
He fell into my arms.
“NO!””
Blood spread across his white shirt.
Leon and Clara disappeared through a side exit.
I pressed my hands against my brother's wound.
“Stay with me! Please!””
Nicholas struggled to breathe.
He grabbed my wrist.
“Lena... the ledger isn't in the bank.””
“Where is it?””
He looked toward Victor, who had just entered the ballroom.
“Ask him about the night your father died.””
May you like
Then Nicholas closed his eyes.
And the flash drive in my hand began blinking.
