Chapter 10: The Brother Who Wanted Revenge
The photograph on my phone was impossible to ignore.
A man standing beneath a streetlight.
Dark hair.
Sharp features.
The same eyes as my father.
My brother.
For fifteen years, I had believed I was an only child.
For fifteen years, I believed my family’s biggest tragedy was losing my mother.
Now I was learning that the people I trusted had been hiding an entire person from me.
I looked at Alexander.
“Who is he?””
My father didn’t answer.
That hurt more than anything.
Because silence was becoming his favorite language.
“Dad.””
He looked at the photograph.
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“His name is Adrian.””
The room went quiet.
Victoria whispered:
“Adrian Vale.””
My eyes moved to her.
“You knew his name?””
She looked away.
“My mother talked about him.””
Alexander’s expression hardened.
“Victoria.””
“What?”” she snapped.
“You hid him from everyone. You don’t get to act surprised that people found out.””
The tension between them was different now.
Not jealousy.
Not rivalry.
Pain.
I looked back at my father.
“Why did you erase him?””
His jaw tightened.
“I didn’t.””
“You said there was another child.””
“Yes.””
“And you said nobody knew.””
“I said I didn’t want him involved.””
“That’s not an answer.””
Alexander walked toward the window.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then:
“Adrian was my son.””
The obvious statement somehow made the truth heavier.
“He was born before you.””
I frowned.
“Then why wasn’t he part of the family?””
My father closed his eyes.
“Because his mother took him away.””
Marianne suddenly spoke.
“That’s not the whole story.””
Everyone turned.
Alexander looked at her.
“Marianne.””
“No more half-truths.””
Her voice was calm but firm.
“Eleanor deserves everything.””
My father looked defeated.
Marianne continued.
“Adrian’s mother, Clara, discovered something about Alexander’s business partners.””
Thomas leaned forward.
“What kind of thing?””
“Fraud.””
The room became silent.
“She found evidence that several executives were stealing from Vale Holdings.””
I looked at Alexander.
“And?””
“And Alexander tried to handle it quietly.””
My father said nothing.
Marianne continued.
“He thought he could control the situation.””
“And he couldn’t,” I whispered.
She nodded.
“The people involved threatened Clara and Adrian.””
My stomach tightened.
“So they disappeared.””
“Yes.””
I looked at my father.
“You let them disappear.””
His eyes filled with regret.
“I searched for them.””
“But you never found them.””
“No.””
The answer was painful.
Because I knew what it meant.
Somewhere in the world, my brother grew up believing his father abandoned him.
The same way I grew up believing I was alone.
Two children.
One father.
Two completely different wounds.
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
*You want the truth? Come alone.*
A location appeared.
I immediately knew.
Daniel noticed.
“Where are you going?””
I locked my phone.
“Nowhere.””
He stepped closer.
“You’re lying.””
I looked at him.
“You should know. You’ve had practice.””
The words hurt him.
Good.
But before he could respond, Alexander took my phone.
He read the message.
“No.””
I pulled it back.
“You don’t get to decide.””
“I’m your father.””
“And I’m not a child.””
The room went silent.
For years, everyone had treated me like someone who needed protection.
But nobody had protected me from the truth.
Alexander looked at me.
“You think you’re ready for him?””
“I think I’m ready for everyone who thinks they can control my life.””
For a moment, my father looked proud.
Then afraid.
“Adrian is dangerous.””
I looked at the photograph.
“Why?””
Alexander’s voice dropped.
“Because he doesn’t want answers.””
He looked directly at me.
“He wants revenge.””
The meeting place was an abandoned warehouse outside the city.
I ignored everyone’s warnings.
I brought one person with me.
Not Daniel.
Not Victoria.
Marianne.
She understood secrets.
And she understood what it meant to carry them.
Inside the warehouse, the air smelled like dust and rain.
A figure stood in the shadows.
“Eleanor Vale.””
I froze.
The voice was calm.
Controlled.
Not angry.
Which somehow made it worse.
The man stepped forward.
Adrian.
My brother.
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then smiled sadly.
“You really do look like her.””
“My mother?””
He nodded.
“The woman who tried to save us.””
I stared at him.
“Why did you bring me here?””
His expression changed.
“Because I wanted to see if you were like him.””
“Like who?””
“Our father.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“And?””
Adrian walked closer.
“I haven’t decided yet.””
Then he handed me a file.
Inside was a photograph.
My father.
Richard Hale.
And another man.
A man I didn’t recognize.
Adrian pointed at him.
“That man is the reason your mother disappeared.””
I looked at the photo.
“Who is he?””
Adrian smiled.
“The person who has been controlling Daniel, Victoria, and your entire family.””
My fingers tightened around the file.
“Who?””
Adrian leaned closer.
Then whispered a name.
May you like
A name I never expected.
A name that changed everything.
