Chapter 12: The Brother Who Never Died
The voice echoed through the warehouse.
Calm.
Confident.
Familiar.
A voice that sounded like it belonged in my family.
The lights flickered back on.
A man stood near the entrance.
Older.
Gray hair.
A scar across his cheek.
But alive.
Charles Vance.
Nobody moved.
Victoria looked terrified.
Isabella looked confused.
And I felt like I was looking at a ghost.
“You’re supposed to be dead.””
Charles smiled slightly.
“That’s what makes disappearing so useful.””
Marcus stepped in front of me.
“Stay back.””
Charles laughed.
“You’re still protecting him.””
He looked at me.
“Everyone always protected Ethan.””
The bitterness in his voice was obvious.
I stared at him.
“Why?””
He tilted his head.
“Why what?””
“Why destroy everything?””
His smile faded.
“Because everything was stolen from me.””
I almost laughed.
“You had the Vance name.””
“But not the respect.””
He stepped closer.
“Your father had everything.””
“My father?””
“Yes.””
His voice became colder.
“Everyone loved him. Everyone trusted him. Richard followed him. The company belonged to him.””
I looked at him.
“And you were jealous.””
He smiled.
“Finally. Someone understands.””
The honesty was disturbing.
Charles didn’t feel guilty.
He felt justified.
“You ruined lives because you felt ignored?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
He pointed at me.
“I ruined lives because your family built an empire on my sacrifice.””
Victoria interrupted.
“You stole from innocent people.””
Charles looked at her.
“You still defend them?””
“I defend the truth.””
He laughed.
“The truth?””
He stepped closer.
“The truth is nobody cares about morality when they’re winning.””
I looked at him.
“You planned the accident.””
His expression didn’t change.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
He admitted it.
Just like that.
No regret.
No hesitation.
My chest tightened.
“Why didn’t you kill me?””
Charles smiled.
“Because you were never the main target.””
Richard’s words.
The note.
Everything connected.
“Who was?””
Charles looked at me.
“Your uncle.””
Richard.
Charles wanted Richard.
“But why?””
“Because he knew.””
“Knew what?””
Charles looked toward Victoria.
Then back at me.
“He knew I was alive.””
I felt confused.
“You disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Charles’s face changed.
For the first time, I saw something behind the anger.
Fear.
“Because someone else was coming after me.””
Nobody spoke.
“What someone?””
Charles looked at the darkness behind him.
“I wasn’t the first person to betray this family.””
The words made no sense.
Then he continued.
“And I wasn’t the last.””
A gunshot exploded.
Everyone dropped.
The warehouse windows shattered.
Marcus pulled me behind cover.
Victoria screamed.
When the noise stopped, everyone looked around.
Charles was gone.
But on the ground where he stood was a small envelope.
Marcus picked it up carefully.
Inside was a single page.
A list.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
People involved.
My eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
Because the final name wasn’t Charles.
It wasn’t Chad.
It wasn’t Victoria.
It was someone I had never suspected.
Someone who had been helping me uncover the truth.
Someone who had been beside me from the beginning.
May you like
The final name on the list was:
*Richard Vance.*
