Chapter 16: The Brother We Never Met
The hospital smelled like disinfectant and burnt coffee.
I hated it immediately.
Not because of what had happened to me there, but because every hospital seemed to hold another piece of my family's past.
Ethan Brooks was in the intensive care unit.
A doctor told us he had suffered a serious head injury and several broken ribs. He was unconscious when the ambulance arrived, but his condition was stable.
Stable.
It was the only word I could hold on to.
Olivia sat beside me in the waiting room, her fingers wrapped tightly around a paper cup she hadn't touched.
"Do you think he knows?"" she asked.
"About us?""
She nodded.
"I don't know.""
I looked at the photograph Daniel had shown us.
Our faces.
A threatening message.
Richard's signature.
"Someone wanted us to find that.""
Nathan stood near the corridor, speaking quietly with a police detective. Daniel was reviewing the information Peter had provided.
When Nathan returned, his expression was grim.
"The police haven't established who attacked Ethan," he said.
"But the garage cameras show a black sedan leaving shortly before he was discovered.""
"Richard's car?"" I asked.
"No. A vehicle registered to Hale Legacy Holdings.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The company Richard had planned to use to seize our inheritance.
"Has he been arrested?""
"Not yet. The police want to question him, but his attorney says he's unavailable.""
I laughed bitterly.
"He's always unavailable when someone needs answers.""
Daniel approached us with his laptop.
"There's another development. Peter has agreed to provide a formal statement. He's also given us access to an email account Richard used for the adoption arrangements.""
Olivia looked up.
"Does it contain anything about Ethan?""
Daniel nodded.
"Several messages. One from three days ago.""
He turned the screen toward us.
The email was addressed to a private account.
Ethan,
Your sisters have contacted people who intend to destroy everything your grandfather built. They will claim they are entitled to money that belongs to you.
Meet me tonight. I can explain the truth.
The message had been sent by Richard.
Olivia shook her head.
"He was preparing him.""
"Yes," Daniel said.
"But there's something more concerning.""
He opened an attachment.
It was a draft statement written in Ethan's name.
It accused Olivia and me of attempting to manipulate the Whitaker inheritance through fraudulent family claims.
At the bottom was a blank signature line.
"He wanted Ethan to sign this," I whispered.
Nathan looked at the screen.
"And if Ethan refused?""
Daniel didn't answer.
The detective approached.
"Ms. Cole?""
I stood.
"We've identified a witness who saw Ethan arguing with another man shortly before the attack.""
"Who?""
The detective hesitated.
"Your uncle, Peter Hale.""
I looked toward Daniel.
"Peter?""
The detective nodded.
"He says he arrived after receiving a message from Ethan. He claims he found him already injured.""
"Does he know who attacked him?""
"He says he saw someone leaving.""
"Who?""
The detective checked his notes.
"Richard Hale.""
I felt my stomach twist.
"Then why hasn't he said that before?""
"He's cooperating now. But we need to verify his account.""
Daniel's phone buzzed.
He read the message and looked up.
"Peter has sent something else.""
He opened an audio file.
A man's voice filled the waiting room.
Richard.
"If the boy starts asking questions, remind him who paid for his education. Remind him who gave him a life. He owes me.""
A second voice responded.
Peter.
"He deserves to know about the girls.""
Richard laughed.
"He deserves nothing. He's useful because he doesn't know who he is.""
Then another sentence.
"Once he signs the statement, the three of them become a problem we can manage.""
The recording ended.
Olivia looked sick.
"He called us a problem.""
I stared at the floor.
For thirty years, Richard had treated us as possessions.
Emma, the daughter he could control.
Olivia, the daughter he could keep hidden.
Ethan, the son he could use.
None of us had been allowed to be children.
A nurse appeared at the doorway.
"Mr. Brooks is beginning to regain consciousness.""
I stood so quickly that my chair fell backward.
"Can we see him?""
"One at a time. Please keep it brief.""
Olivia squeezed my hand.
"You go first.""
I entered the room alone.
Ethan looked pale beneath the hospital lights. His face was bruised, and a bandage covered part of his forehead.
His eyes were open.
He turned toward me.
"Who are you?""
I swallowed.
"My name is Emma.""
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then he looked toward the door.
"You're one of them.""
"One of whom?""
He tried to move, winced, and stopped.
"Richard said you'd come.""
I pulled a chair beside his bed.
"I'm not here to take anything from you.""
He laughed weakly.
"That's what he said you would claim.""
I felt my heart break.
"Ethan, I think we're related.""
His expression changed.
"How?""
I reached into my bag and removed the hospital photograph of the three newborn babies.
I placed it where he could see.
"Because you were born with us.""
He stared at the picture.
His lips parted.
"No.""
"Your birth name was Daniel Hale. You were one of three babies.""
He looked at me.
"You're lying.""
"I wish I were.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"Who am I?""
I reached for his hand.
"You're our brother.""
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he turned his face toward the window.
"Richard told me my parents died when I was a baby.""
Olivia appeared at the doorway.
She didn't enter until Ethan looked at her.
"Hello," she whispered.
He studied her face.
Then mine.
His voice broke.
"You look exactly alike.""
I nodded.
"We're twins.""
He closed his eyes.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"Why did he do this?""
I had no answer.
Before I could speak, Ethan looked back at me.
"There's something you need to know.""
"What?""
He swallowed.
"Richard didn't just tell me you were dangerous.""
He reached beneath his pillow and pulled out a small folded paper.
"I found this in his office.""
I opened it.
It was a copy of a bank transfer.
The recipient was an account belonging to a private investigator.
The payment description read:
*LOCATE THOMAS WHITAKER — PERMANENT SOLUTION.*
The date was three weeks earlier.
I looked up.
"Ethan, where is Thomas?""
He stared at me.
"That's what I was trying to tell you.""
May you like
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Richard said he was going to make sure your biological father never came back.""
