Chapter 5: The Brother Who Played Hero
I drove straight to my mother’s house.
I don’t remember the traffic lights.
I don’t remember the turns.
I only remember one thought repeating over and over.
Ethan.
The person who told me to be careful.
The person who acted like he was protecting me.
The person who had always been there.
Could he really have been the one pulling the strings?
When I arrived, my mother immediately knew something was wrong.
“You found out something.””
I walked inside.
“Mom, where is Ethan?””
Her expression changed.
“Why?””
“Where is he?””
“He called yesterday.””
My stomach tightened.
“What did he say?””
She hesitated.
“He asked if you were okay.””
I laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“Of course he did.””
My mother studied me.
“Robert?””
I showed her the documents.
She read them slowly.
The color disappeared from her face.
“I don’t understand.””
“Neither do I.””
I grabbed my phone.
I called Ethan.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
Then a message appeared.
Unknown number.
Stop digging.
I stared at the screen.
My mother saw my face.
“What is it?””
I showed her.
She covered her mouth.
“He knows.””
“Yes.””
A second message came.
You don’t know what you’re getting into.
I typed back.
Who are you?
The response came immediately.
You really want to know?
Then another message.
Ask Danielle why she married you.
My eyes moved toward the folder.
That question.
The one I had avoided.
Why me?
Why did Danielle choose me?
I drove back to the apartment.
But when I arrived, Danielle was gone.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, everything had been searched.
The boxes were open.
Papers scattered everywhere.
Someone had been looking for something.
I walked slowly through the apartment.
Then I noticed something.
The folder.
The one Danielle gave me.
Gone.
My phone rang.
Danielle.
I answered.
“Where are you?””
Her voice was shaking.
“Robert, listen carefully.””
“Where are you?””
“I made a mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“I thought I could fix everything.””
My heart started pounding.
“Danielle, what happened?””
“He knows you have the documents.””
“Who?””
Silence.
Then:
“Ethan.””
I closed my eyes.
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because if I tell you, he’ll know I warned you.””
I looked around the apartment.
“Danielle, stop playing games.””
“I’m not.””
Her voice cracked.
“Robert, you think I’m the worst thing that ever happened to you.””
I said nothing.
“But Ethan has been destroying people for years.””
“Why?””
“Money.””
I frowned.
“What money?””
“The same thing Michael found.””
My mind raced.
“The accounts?””
“Yes.””
“Explain.””
“He doesn’t steal directly.””
She paused.
“He creates problems. Then he profits from the damage.””
A chill went through me.
“What does that mean?””
“He finds people with something valuable. He gets close. He creates conflict. He makes them lose everything.””
“And you?””
“I was supposed to be another person he used.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“He approached me first.””
The room went silent.
“What are you saying?””
Danielle’s voice became barely audible.
“Robert, I didn’t meet you by accident.””
My heart dropped.
“What?””
“Ethan introduced us.””
Everything stopped.
I remembered.
The party.
The night I met Danielle.
Ethan had been the one who brought her over.
“She’s a friend,” he had said.
“She’s perfect for you.””
I had laughed.
I had trusted him.
“You knew.””
“I didn’t know everything.””
“You knew enough.””
“Yes.””
Anger rose inside me.
“So all of this started because of Ethan?””
“Yes.””
“Then why hurt my mother?””
Silence.
The question hung there.
When Danielle answered, her voice broke.
“Because I was becoming like him.””
I closed my eyes.
That was the first honest thing she had said.
Maybe the only one.
“Robert?””
I didn’t answer.
“I know I don’t deserve forgiveness.””
“No.””
“I know.””
“But you need to tell the police everything.””
“I will.””
“Then why call me?””
Another pause.
“Because Ethan is coming for you.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he knows about the camera.””
My blood ran cold.
“How?””
“He installed it.””
I froze.
“What?””
“The camera in your mother’s room.””
“No.””
“Robert, think.””
I remembered.
The camera.
The one I installed.
The one I thought was my idea.
But Ethan had helped me set up security after I mentioned my concerns.
He knew the system.
He knew the passwords.
He knew everything.
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
From Ethan.
I opened it.
You finally figured it out.
My hands went numb.
Another message appeared.
I always wondered how long it would take.
Then the final message.
Meet me where it started.
I stared at the screen.
One location appeared.
The old family house.
The place where my father died.
May you like
The place Ethan and I grew up.
The place where every lie began.
