Chapter 6: The Father Who Never Died
Damian had imagined his father's return a thousand different ways.
In some versions, Alexander Cross stood at the front door, older but smiling, ready to explain why he had disappeared.
In others, Damian confronted him in a courtroom, surrounded by the men who had helped conceal the truth.
But he had never imagined his father walking into his study while Vivian lay bleeding on the floor.
For several seconds, Damian couldn't speak.
Alexander looked at him.
"Hello, son.""
Damian slowly stood.
"No.""
His father frowned.
"Damian—"
"No.""
The second time, his voice was louder.
"You don't get to call me that.""
Alexander glanced at the fallen Victor.
"Your uncle has always been dramatic.""
Damian stared at him.
"He's dead.""
"Unfortunately.""
"You've been alive for twelve years.""
"Yes.""
"You let me bury you.""
Alexander removed his gloves.
"I had no choice.""
Damian laughed once.
It wasn't amusement.
It was the sound of something breaking.
"You had no choice?""
"I was protecting the family.""
"You let me bury an empty coffin. You let me spend six years believing Ethan was dead. You watched me turn this organization into a fortress because I thought I had lost everyone.""
Alexander's expression hardened.
"And look what you became. You survived.""
Damian took one step forward.
"At what cost?""
His father said nothing.
Behind them, Marcus was calling for the doctor. Sofia knelt beside Vivian, pressing a folded cloth against the wound.
Damian looked toward her.
"Get her out of here.""
Sofia shook her head.
"She's losing too much blood.""
"Marcus will handle it.""
"Damian, please.""
Something in her voice made him pause.
Then he looked back at his father.
"Why are you here?""
Alexander walked toward the desk.
"Because Victor has finally outlived his usefulness.""
Damian moved to block him.
"You don't touch anything.""
Alexander looked almost amused.
"You're pointing your anger in the wrong direction.""
"Then tell me where to point it.""
"At your brother.""
Damian's expression changed.
"What?""
"Ethan.""
Alexander picked up the photograph of the hospital corridor.
"He was never the innocent boy you remember.""
Damian shook his head.
"You're lying.""
"Ask him what happened on the highway.""
"I already know what happened. Victor arranged the accident.""
"Victor arranged part of it.""
Alexander leaned closer.
"Ethan arranged the rest.""
Damian felt the room tilt.
His father continued.
"Six years ago, your brother discovered that I intended to sell the family's legitimate businesses and move our operations overseas. He thought he could stop me.""
"By killing you?""
"By replacing me.""
Alexander took a photograph from his pocket.
It showed Ethan standing beside a black car.
A second man stood behind him.
Damian recognized the man immediately.
His father's former driver.
Frank Miller.
The same man who had testified that Ethan was driving alone when the crash occurred.
"Frank helped Ethan stage the accident," Alexander said.
"But something went wrong. The car exploded before the second vehicle arrived.""
"Why would Ethan do that?""
"Because he believed I had ordered the attack on Sofia's mother.""
Damian looked toward Sofia.
She was still trying to keep pressure on Vivian's wound.
Alexander followed his gaze.
"That girl knows nothing about what her mother did.""
Sofia's head lifted.
"Don't talk about my mother.""
Alexander looked at her.
"Elena Voss stole from me.""
"She saved people from you.""
"She betrayed the family.""
"She was protecting her daughter.""
Alexander's expression became colder.
"Your mother was given a choice. She could return the ledger, or she could disappear.""
Sofia's voice trembled.
"She refused.""
"Yes.""
"And you tried to kill me.""
Alexander didn't deny it.
Damian stepped forward.
"Enough.""
His father turned.
"You wanted the truth. I'm giving it to you.""
"No. You're giving me the version that makes you look like the victim.""
Alexander's jaw tightened.
For the first time, the older man seemed genuinely angry.
"You think this empire runs itself? You think your mother and I built everything by shaking hands and signing contracts? I did what was necessary.""
"And Ethan?""
"He was weak.""
Damian's hand closed into a fist.
"He was my brother.""
"He was a liability.""
The words hung between them.
Then Sofia spoke.
"That's not what happened.""
Alexander looked at her.
"What would you know?""
Sofia reached into the pocket of her uniform.
She pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
"I know because my mother left me something.""
Damian stared.
"What is it?""
"A copy of the original ledger.""
Alexander's expression changed instantly.
"Give it to me.""
"No.""
He took one step forward.
Marcus raised his weapon.
"Stay where you are.""
Alexander stopped.
Sofia unfolded the paper.
It wasn't a ledger.
It was a photograph of a handwritten page, covered with account numbers, dates, and names.
At the bottom was a signature.
Alexander Cross.
And beneath it, a second signature.
Victor Cross.
But there was something else.
A third name.
*DAMIAN CROSS.*
Damian stared at the page.
"That's impossible.""
Sofia shook her head.
"Your mother signed this.""
"My mother?""
"Yes.""
"My mother died before I was born.""
Sofia looked at him.
"No, Damian. Your mother didn't die in childbirth.""
The room fell silent.
Damian felt the blood drain from his face.
Alexander's expression hardened.
"Where did you get that?""
"From Elena.""
"She had no right to keep it.""
Sofia continued.
"Your mother discovered that your father and uncle were using the family accounts to fund illegal operations. She tried to leave. They told everyone she had died.""
Damian turned toward Alexander.
"Is that true?""
His father didn't answer.
"Is my mother alive?""
Alexander looked away.
That was answer enough.
Damian took a step backward.
He remembered the funeral.
The closed coffin.
The relatives who had told him that his mother had died peacefully.
The photographs his father had removed from the family house.
The strange silence whenever Damian asked about her.
All of it had been a lie.
"Where is she?"" he whispered.
Alexander's voice softened.
"She's somewhere safe.""
"Where?""
"I can't tell you.""
Damian grabbed his father's coat.
"WHERE IS SHE?""
Marcus moved closer, but Damian didn't notice.
Alexander looked directly into his eyes.
"You're making the same mistake your brother made. You're letting emotions destroy everything we've built.""
Damian released him.
"Everything you built is rotten.""
Alexander's face darkened.
"Be careful, son.""
"Or what? You'll have me killed like Ethan?""
Alexander said nothing.
Then, from the medical room, a voice interrupted them.
"Damian?""
Ethan stood in the doorway.
His arm was bandaged, and his face was pale.
But he was standing.
He looked at Alexander.
For the first time, the two men were face-to-face after six years.
Alexander smiled faintly.
"My youngest son.""
Ethan's eyes were filled with hatred.
"You should have stayed dead.""
Alexander chuckled.
"Is that what you tell yourself every night?""
Ethan stepped into the room.
"Where is she?""
Alexander tilted his head.
"Who?""
"Mother.""
Damian turned sharply toward his brother.
"You knew?""
Ethan looked at him.
"Yes.""
The admission hurt more than Damian expected.
"How long?""
"Six years.""
"Six years?""
"I was trying to find her.""
"You could have told me.""
"I couldn't.""
"Why?""
Ethan looked toward Alexander.
"Because the last time I tried to contact her, someone sent me a photograph of you sleeping in your bedroom.""
Damian went still.
Ethan continued.
"They told me that if I came back, you'd be next.""
Alexander adjusted his cufflinks.
"Family reunions are always so emotional.""
Marcus moved to restrain him.
But Alexander suddenly reached inside his jacket.
A gun appeared.
Everything happened at once.
Marcus shouted.
Ethan lunged.
A shot rang out.
Sofia screamed.
Damian felt something strike his chest.
He stumbled backward, hitting the desk.
For one terrible second, he couldn't breathe.
Then he looked down.
Blood was spreading across his shirt.
Ethan caught him.
"Damian!""
Alexander lowered his weapon.
His face showed no remorse.
"Now perhaps you'll understand why I did what I had to do.""
Marcus fired.
Alexander dropped his gun and collapsed against the wall.
But Damian barely noticed.
Ethan pressed both hands against his brother's chest.
"Stay with me!""
Damian tried to speak.
His vision blurred.
Sofia appeared beside them.
She was crying.
"Get the doctor!""
Ethan shouted toward Marcus.
"NOW!""
Then Damian heard Sofia whisper something.
Three words.
Three words that made Ethan stop pressing against the wound.
"You're not hit.""
Damian blinked.
Sofia pointed toward the small blood-covered device beneath his shirt.
A hidden bulletproof panel.
The blood wasn't his.
It belonged to someone else.
And when Damian looked toward the floor, he saw Vivian lying motionless beside the desk.
Her hand was still wrapped around the small knife she had used to cut the emergency release on Damian's protective vest.
She had taken the bullet meant for him.
Ethan looked at Sofia.
His expression changed.
"How did you know?""
Sofia stared at the unconscious Vivian.
"Because she wasn't trying to kill Damian.""
She swallowed.
"She was trying to stop the real killer.""
Damian looked toward his father.
Alexander was gone.
The window behind the desk stood open.
And on the floor, beside the fallen gun, lay a small white envelope.
Damian picked it up.
His father's handwriting covered the front.
*FOR MY SON — WHEN HE FINALLY LEARNS WHO HIS MOTHER REALLY IS.*
Inside was a photograph.
A woman stood outside a small house near the coast.
She was older, with silver beginning to appear in her dark hair.
But Damian recognized her eyes.
His mother.
On the back, someone had written an address.
And beneath it, a message that changed everything.
May you like
Your mother isn't the only Cross woman who survived.
Your sister is waiting for you.
