Chapter 5: The Brother Behind The Secret
I found Michael at the old family house.
He didn’t run.
That scared me more.
He sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee like he had been expecting me.
“You finally figured it out,” he said.
I stared at him.
“How long?””
Michael looked away.
“Long enough.””
My hands shook.
“You helped Vanessa.””
“No.””
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
“I helped myself.””
I stepped closer.
“What does that mean?””
Michael sighed.
“You never understood, Daniel. Everything came easy for you.””
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“My wife was kidnapped because you were jealous?””
He looked up.
“Not jealous.””
Angry.
The word hung between us.
“You had the company. The family. The perfect life.””
“You destroyed that because you wanted what I had?””
Michael laughed quietly.
“No.””
He opened a drawer and pulled out a small envelope.
“I destroyed it because I knew what Emily found.””
I didn’t touch it.
“What?””
He slid it across the table.
“Your father’s old records.””
I frowned.
“My father?””
Michael nodded.
“The company wasn’t built the way you thought.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a copy of a document.
My father’s signature.
A secret account.
And one sentence that made my entire body freeze.
*Transfer ownership to Michael if Daniel discovers the truth.*
I looked at my brother.
“What did you do?””
Michael stood.
“I fixed a mistake.””
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Emily.
I opened it.
My blood turned cold.
*Daniel, don’t come back. Michael knows I found the original document. He knows where Lily is.*
I looked up.
“Where’s Lily?””
May you like
Michael smiled.
And the front door behind me slowly locked.
