Chapter 12: The Brother Who Returned
The emergency lights turned on.
A red glow filled the room.
And standing in the doorway was a man I had never met.
But my father knew him.
I could hear it in his breathing.
"Marco.""
The man smiled.
"I wondered when you would finally find the truth.""
Nobody moved.
Elena stepped closer to me.
My father stayed between us and the stranger.
"You died.""
Marco laughed softly.
"That's what everyone believed.""
My mind raced.
His brother.
A man who had supposedly died twenty years ago.
A man connected to the files.
A man who knew everything.
"Why?"" my father asked.
Marco walked into the room.
"Why what?""
"Why fake your death?""
The smile disappeared.
"Because being Vincent Moretti's brother was a prison.""
My father looked at him.
"I gave you everything.""
"No.""
Marco's voice sharpened.
"You gave me what you thought I deserved.""
Silence.
"I watched everyone respect you.""
"I protected this family.""
Marco laughed.
"Family?""
The word sounded bitter.
"You always loved that word.""
My father didn't answer.
Marco looked at me.
Then smiled.
"So this is Emily.""
I moved closer to my father.
Marco noticed.
"Isabella's daughter.""
My father immediately stepped forward.
"Do not say her name.""
Marco tilted his head.
"Still protecting her?""
My father's voice became dangerous.
"Leave.""
"No.""
Marco looked around the room.
"You finally found my archive.""
"Your archive?""
"Yes.""
The files.
The students.
The information.
My stomach turned.
"You created this?""
Marco smiled.
"Not all of it.""
My father stared.
"Explain.""
"Bellmont was useful.""
"For what?""
"Information.""
Marco walked past the folders.
"Rich families send their children here. Powerful families. Families with secrets.""
My father understood.
"You collected leverage.""
"Exactly.""
I felt sick.
Children were just pieces in his game.
Marco continued.
"When Caroline found out what I was doing, she helped me.""
"She was afraid.""
"Everyone is afraid.""
My father said nothing.
Then Marco looked at me.
"But you were the interesting one.""
My fingers tightened around my cane.
"Why?""
"Because Isabella would have destroyed me if she knew.""
My father froze.
"What did you do?""
Marco smiled.
"Ask your brother.""
The room became silent.
My father took one step forward.
"What did you do to Isabella?""
Marco didn't answer.
Instead, he reached into his coat.
Elena immediately moved.
But Marco only pulled out a small object.
A necklace.
My father stopped breathing.
I heard him whisper.
"That was hers.""
My heart dropped.
My mother.
Marco held the necklace.
"She trusted me.""
My father sounded broken.
"Where did you get that?""
Marco looked at him.
"She gave it to me.""
"No.""
"She begged me to help her.""
My father went completely still.
"Help her with what?""
Marco smiled.
"The truth about you.""
I felt the air leave the room.
My father looked like someone had hit him.
"You're lying.""
"Am I?""
Marco stepped closer.
"Isabella discovered what you had done years ago.""
My father whispered,
"She knew.""
"Yes.""
"What did she want?""
Marco looked at me.
"She wanted Emily to grow up away from you.""
I saw my father's face change.
Not anger.
Pain.
Because maybe those words were the ones he feared most.
Marco continued.
"She was going to take Emily and disappear.""
My father shook his head.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"You're lying.""
"Then why did she contact me?""
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Marco smiled.
"Because she knew I was the only person who could help her escape.""
My father's voice broke.
"What happened?""
Marco looked at him.
Then at me.
"The night Isabella disappeared...""
He paused.
"She wasn't running from your enemies.""
My father stared.
"She was running from you.""
I felt my father's hand tighten around mine.
And for the first time, I wondered if the biggest secret in our family...
May you like
Wasn't who wanted to hurt us.
It was what my father had done before I was born. :::
