Chapter 5 - The Brother Who Hated Her Father
They found Elias three days later.
Not because he contacted them.
Because he wanted to be found.
He left a message inside the café.
A coffee cup.
A napkin.
Three words.
MISS ME, SISTER?
Cassia recognized the handwriting from her mother's old letters.
She started crying before Adrian could stop her.
“It's him.”
“How do you know?”
“My mother wrote about his handwriting.”
Adrian looked at the message.
A second line appeared beneath it.
MIDNIGHT. OLD RAIL STATION.
Adrian immediately objected.
“No.”
Cassia stared.
“That's my brother.”
“It could be bait.”
“I don't care.”
“I do.”
She looked at him.
“You spent five years making decisions for me.”
“I know.”
“Don't start again.”
He exhaled.
“You're right.”
At midnight, the old station was empty.
At least it looked empty.
Cassia stood beside Adrian.
Then a man emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Gray-green eyes.
He looked at her.
She looked at him.
Neither moved.
Then Elias whispered:
“Cassia.”
She ran to him.
They hugged so hard neither could breathe.
“I've wanted to meet you my entire life.”
“I've wanted to find you.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because I wasn't there.”
“You were a baby.”
He laughed through tears.
“So were you.”
Adrian approached carefully.
Elias looked at him.
“You're him.”
“Adrian.”
“My mother trusted your family.”
“She did.”
“Then why did you abandon my sister?”
Adrian took the accusation without defending himself.
“I believed I was protecting her.”
Elias studied him.
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
Cassia stepped between them.
“Not tonight.”
Elias nodded.
They moved into an abandoned office.
Elias told them everything.
Graham had found him when he was ten.
He had pretended to be protecting him.
He taught Elias how to read financial records.
How to hide money.
How to disappear.
But Elias eventually discovered the truth.
Graham had separated him from his family to use him as leverage.
At nineteen, Elias escaped.
He spent years moving from city to city.
He eventually learned about the second trust.
“What is inside?”
Elias looked at Adrian.
“Ownership.”
“Of what?”
“Several Vale companies.”
Adrian frowned.
“My father put company shares in a trust?”
“Yes.”
“For Cassia and me.”
“And Ellie?”
Elias shook his head.
“No.”
“Why is Graham after Ellie?”
“Because the trust has a succession clause.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“What kind?”
“If Cassia dies, her share passes to her direct descendant.”
The room went silent.
“Ellie.”
“Yes.”
“That means if Graham can't control me, he can control Ellie.”
Elias nodded.
“That is why he wants you.”
Cassia felt sick.
“I thought he wanted revenge.”
“Revenge is part of it.”
“What is the rest?”
“He wants the Vale empire.”
Adrian stared.
“How much?”
“Enough to make Graham one of the richest men in the country.”
A sound came from outside.
Gunshots.
The windows exploded.
Elias pushed Cassia down.
Adrian drew his weapon.
Men rushed the building.
Marco and security returned fire.
Elias grabbed a fire extinguisher and smashed an attacker aside.
They escaped through a service tunnel.
Outside, Cassia looked at Elias.
“You knew this was coming.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Graham knew I was contacting you.”
“Then why come?”
Elias smiled sadly.
“Because you're my sister.”
Cassia cried.
“Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
“Make me love you and then disappear.”
He looked at her.
“I'm not disappearing.”
They returned to Adrian's house.
For the first time, Ellie met Elias.
She studied him.
“Are you Mama's brother?”
“Yes.”
“Then you're my uncle?”
Elias smiled.
“I guess I am.”
Ellie thought for a moment.
“Do you like pancakes?”
Elias laughed.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She hugged him.
Elias froze.
Then looked at Cassia.
His eyes filled.
“She looks just like you.”
Cassia smiled.
“People say she looks like him.”
She glanced at Adrian.
Elias followed her gaze.
The truth hit all three of them.
Adrian had never held his daughter.
Until that night.
Ellie climbed onto the couch beside him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why do you look at Mama like that?”
Cassia nearly choked.
Elias laughed.
Adrian looked helpless for the first time in his life.
“Like what?”
“Like she is your favorite person.”
Adrian looked at Cassia.
“She is.”
Ellie nodded.
“Okay.”
She returned to her coloring book.
Cassia stared at Adrian.
Neither spoke.
Later that evening, after Ellie fell asleep, Cassia found Adrian outside.
“You were good with her.”
“She made it easy.”
“She likes you.”
“I like her.”
Cassia swallowed.
“She has your stubbornness.”
“So you admit it.”
She smiled.
Then Adrian stepped closer.
“I never stopped loving you.”
“I know.”
“I don't expect forgiveness.”
“I don't know if I can give it.”
“That’s fair.”
She looked at him.
“But I haven't stopped loving you either.”
His expression broke.
Then she kissed him.
It was not like the first time.
There was no innocence.
There were five missing years between them.
Five years of anger.
Fear.
Loneliness.
And one child they had both loved separately.
When they separated, Adrian rested his forehead against hers.
“We do this slowly.”
“Yes.”
“No secrets.”
“No secrets.”
“No disappearing.”
She smiled.
“No disappearing.”
They thought the worst was behind them.
They were wrong.
At 3:17 a.m., every light in the house went out.
May you like
A message appeared on Adrian's phone.
I HAVE ELLIE.
