Chapter 13: The Brother Behind the Betrayal
My father read the sentence again.
Then again.
Like somehow the words would change if he looked at them long enough.
*Never trust your own brother.*
The paper shook slightly in his hand.
I had never seen my father afraid of anything.
Not storms.
Not emergencies.
Not losing money.
But this was different.
This wasn’t about business.
This was about family.
“Your brother?”” Emily asked quietly.
Dad looked up.
“What do you know?””
Emily sat down slowly.
“I knew Sarah was getting close to the truth.””
“About my father?””
She nodded.
“And about your brother.””
Dad walked away from the table.
“My brother couldn’t have done this.””
Emily didn’t argue.
She simply said:
“Your mother said the same thing at first.””
That sentence hurt.
Because it meant my mother had once trusted him too.
Dad looked at her.
“What happened?””
Emily took a deep breath.
“Your brother, Andrew, knew about the company’s financial problems.””
Dad frowned.
“Andrew didn’t work for the company.””
“No. But he wanted to.””
I looked at Dad.
“Why?””
“Because your grandfather promised him control one day.””
Dad stared at the floor.
“My father promised him the company?””
“Yes.””
Emily opened her bag.
She pulled out another folder.
“Your mother found documents showing Andrew was moving money through fake accounts.””
Dad grabbed the folder.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
Emily looked sad.
“She wanted proof first.””
“That sounds like Sarah.””
Dad smiled for half a second.
Then the smile disappeared.
“What happened?””
Emily looked at me.
“Your mother found out Vanessa was helping Andrew.””
The room went quiet.
“So Vanessa really was involved.””
“Yes.””
“But she wasn’t the leader.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at Dad.
“She was just someone Andrew knew he could manipulate.””
My father closed his eyes.
Everything was finally making sense.
Vanessa had been cruel.
She had lied.
She had hurt me.
But someone else had been pulling the strings.
Someone who knew exactly where to push.
Someone who understood my father.
“Where is Andrew now?”” Dad asked.
Emily hesitated.
That hesitation answered before her words did.
“He’s nearby.””
Dad’s expression changed.
“What does that mean?””
“He never left.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Never left?””
Emily shook her head.
“He’s been watching everything.””
Dad immediately stood.
“Watching us?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because he needed to know if you found Sarah’s evidence.””
My father looked toward the window.
For the first time, I saw something I had never seen before.
He looked worried for our safety.
Not just our family.
Our lives.
That night, Dad moved us to another hotel.
He contacted the police.
He changed all passwords.
He did everything he could.
But there was one thing he couldn’t change.
The past.
The next morning, Andrew called.
Dad stared at the phone.
He didn’t answer.
It rang again.
And again.
Finally, Dad picked up.
“Hello, Andrew.””
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I sat nearby listening.
“Michael.””
Andrew sounded relaxed.
Almost friendly.
“I heard things got complicated.””
Dad looked at me.
“You could say that.””
A small laugh came through the phone.
“You always were dramatic.””
Dad’s jaw tightened.
“You know about Vanessa.””
A pause.
Then:
“Vanessa made her own choices.””
Dad’s expression hardened.
“You used her.””
“No.””
Andrew’s voice changed.
“She wanted what Sarah had.””
I felt sick.
Dad stood.
“You were there when Sarah died.””
Silence.
A long silence.
Then Andrew answered:
“Yes.””
My heart stopped.
Dad gripped the phone.
“Why?””
Andrew sighed.
“You wouldn’t understand.””
“Try me.””
“You had everything.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Everything?””
“Yes.””
Andrew’s voice became bitter.
“Dad chose you. Sarah chose you. Everyone chose you.””
I looked at my father.
Andrew wasn’t talking about money.
He was talking about jealousy.
“You destroyed my family because you were jealous?””
Andrew laughed softly.
“No, Michael.””
Then his voice became cold.
“I destroyed your family because I wanted mine back.””
The call ended.
Dad stared at the phone.
Then another notification appeared.
A message.
From Andrew.
One photo.
My house.
Taken that morning.
May you like
With a caption underneath.
*You should have stayed away.*
