Chapter 6: The Brother Who Was Erased From My Memory
The word echoed through the wedding hall.
“Brother.””
For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.
The man standing near the entrance was a stranger.
A stranger with cold eyes.
A stranger wearing a dark coat.
A stranger who looked at me like he knew every secret I had spent years trying to understand.
But he had called me brother.
And nobody in my family moved.
That was what scared me most.
Not his words.
Their reaction.
My mother covered her mouth.
Clara stepped back.
Victoria looked like all the strength had left her body.
And Marco…
Marco looked like he had been waiting for this nightmare to return.
I turned slowly toward him.
“Marco.””
My brother didn’t answer.
The stranger smiled.
“Still hiding behind him?””
The anger in Marco’s face appeared instantly.
“Don’t.””
The man laughed quietly.
Five years.
That number suddenly felt like a wall between the person I was and the person I had forgotten.
I looked at the stranger.
“Who are you?””
He tilted his head.
“You really don’t remember?””
My jaw tightened.
“I asked who you are.””
His smile faded slightly.
Then he said:
“My name is Luca Moretti.””
The room went silent.
The name meant nothing.
And somehow that terrified me.
Because everyone else knew.
Everyone except me.
I looked at my mother.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“Mom?””
The voice on the phone was barely a whisper.
“Adrian…”
She sounded afraid.
Not of him.
Of what I might learn.
“Who is Luca?””
Nobody answered.
Luca stepped forward.
“I was your brother.””
The words hit harder than the first time.
I looked at Marco.
“Brother?””
Marco looked down.
I felt something inside me crack.
“My whole life, I thought I had one brother.””
Luca smiled sadly.
“No.””
He looked around the wedding hall.
“You had two.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
The denial came automatically.
“My father only had two sons.””
Luca’s expression changed.
“Your father had three children.””
The room became silent.
Three.
The word felt impossible.
I looked at Marco.
“Tell me he’s lying.””
Marco didn’t speak.
That was the answer.
I stepped back.
“How?””
Marco finally looked at me.
“Adrian…”
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“How does my entire family know about a brother I don’t remember?””
Luca answered.
“Because they wanted you to forget.””
The accusation landed like a punch.
I looked at Victoria.
Her eyes closed.
At that moment, I understood something.
The secrets weren’t separate.
They were connected.
Every lie.
Every missing memory.
Every person who had looked away.
It all led back to the same night.
“The accident,” I whispered.
Luca smiled.
“Now you’re starting to understand.””
I walked closer.
“Were you there?””
His expression became unreadable.
“Yes.””
The answer came too quickly.
I stopped.
“Were you the one who caused it?””
A strange sadness crossed his face.
“No.””
“Then who?””
He looked around.
At Victoria.
At Elias.
At Marco.
Then back at me.
“That depends on which part of the truth you want first.””
I hated that answer.
Everyone had been giving me pieces.
Nobody wanted to hand me the whole story.
“Start with why I don’t remember you.””
Luca looked at my mother.
Then at me.
“Because after the accident, Victoria made a deal.””
Victoria immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t.””
Luca ignored her.
“A deal to erase me from your life.””
My chest tightened.
I turned toward Victoria.
“Is that true?””
She looked broken.
“Adrian, it wasn’t like that.””
“Then what was it like?””
She didn’t answer.
Luca laughed quietly.
“She always does that.””
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“You don’t know what I did to protect him.””
Luca looked at her.
“No.””
His voice became cold.
“You protected yourself.””
The tension exploded.
I looked between them.
“Someone explain.””
Luca walked toward the center of the hall.
“Five years ago, our father’s company was collapsing.””
I frowned.
“My father’s company was successful.””
“After his death, yes.””
He looked at me.
“Because you fixed what was left.””
I said nothing.
“But before that?””
He shook his head.
“There were people stealing from it.””
My mother’s words came back.
Someone inside the family.
Luca continued.
“Your father discovered the theft before he died.””
My eyes narrowed.
“My father knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
Luca smiled bitterly.
“Because you weren’t supposed to inherit everything.””
A chill moved through me.
“What?””
Luca looked at Marco.
“Tell him.””
Marco looked terrified.
“Tell me what?””
My brother swallowed.
“Your father changed the will.””
Silence.
“He changed it before he died.””
I felt confused.
“What does that have to do with anything?””
Luca answered.
“Everything.””
He stepped closer.
“The original plan was for all three sons to share control of the company.””
Three sons.
The phrase still sounded unreal.
“But after your father discovered the theft, he changed his decision.””
I stared.
“Who did he remove?””
Luca looked at me.
“Me.””
The room went quiet.
“Why?””
His expression darkened.
“Because he thought I was involved.””
I looked at him.
“Were you?””
“No.””
The answer was immediate.
But I had learned one thing today.
People could say anything.
“What happened?””
Luca looked away.
“Someone framed me.””
The silence afterward felt heavy.
“And my father believed it?””
“Yes.””
“Then why don’t I remember you?””
Luca looked at Victoria.
“Because after the accident, she convinced you I never existed.””
Victoria’s eyes filled.
“That’s not true.””
Luca turned.
“Isn’t it?””
She looked away.
I stared at her.
“Victoria?””
She whispered:
“I didn’t erase him.””
“Then explain.””
Her hands shook.
“After the accident, Adrian had severe memory gaps.””
I nodded slowly.
“I know.””
“No.””
She looked at me.
“You know what I told you.””
The room went silent.
My heart sank.
“What does that mean?””
Victoria swallowed.
“It wasn’t just forgetting.””
She paused.
“You were having episodes.””
“Episodes?””
“You would wake up terrified. You would ask where Luca was.””
My breath stopped.
“What?””
She nodded.
“You remembered him.””
I looked at Luca.
The stranger who claimed to be my brother.
“Then why don’t I now?””
Victoria’s voice became smaller.
“Because the doctors said your mind was protecting you.””
I stared at her.
“And you helped it?””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
Luca stepped forward.
“She didn’t just help.””
His eyes turned cold.
“She made sure you never looked for me.””
I looked at Victoria.
“Why?””
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered:
“Because Luca was the reason you almost died.””
The room froze.
Luca’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Pain.
“That’s what she told you?””
Victoria looked at him.
“You know what happened.””
“Yes.””
He stepped closer.
“And I know you changed the story.””
I looked at both of them.
“Enough.””
My voice cut through the room.
“I don’t want pieces anymore.””
Everyone went quiet.
“I want the truth.””
I looked at Luca.
“Were you involved in the accident?””
“No.””
I looked at Victoria.
“Did you know my mother was alive?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Marco.
“Did you know about Luca?””
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“Did everyone in this room know more about my life than I did?””
Nobody answered.
I nodded slowly.
“Fine.””
I turned toward Luca.
“You said you were my brother.””
He nodded.
“Then prove it.””
His expression softened.
“I knew something only your family would know.””
He reached into his coat.
Pulled out a small object.
And placed it on the table.
A childhood bracelet.
Old.
Worn.
With three small metal charms attached.
One for each son.
My fingers touched it.
And suddenly…
A memory flashed.
A summer afternoon.
A lake.
A boy laughing.
A voice saying my name.
“Adrian, don’t let Marco cheat.””
I stepped back.
My head started spinning.
I knew that voice.
I knew that laugh.
I knew that face.
Luca.
My brother.
The memory vanished as quickly as it came.
But it was enough.
I looked at him.
And whispered:
“I remember you.””
For the first time, Luca looked hurt.
Because remembering him wasn’t the victory he expected.
It was proof of everything I had lost.
Then my phone rang.
Everyone froze.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A voice spoke immediately.
A voice I recognized.
My mother.
But not from the phone.
From somewhere else.
From a recording.
“Adrian, if you are hearing this…”
My blood ran cold.
“This means Luca has found you.””
I looked at Luca.
His face changed.
Because he knew what was coming.
My mother continued:
“And it means the person who betrayed our family is still close to you.””
The recording paused.
Then came the sentence that made every person in the room turn toward one another.
“Adrian, do not trust the person who saved your life.””
The call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone knew the question.
Everyone knew the name.
May you like
Who saved my life?
And why was my mother warning me not to trust them?
