Chapter 4 - Hannah Admitted Julian Had Feared His Own Brother—And the Reason He Disappeared Made Me Question Everything I Believed About His DeathI wanted to hate Hannah.
I wanted to demand answers.
Instead, I asked one question.
“Why was Julian hiding from me?”
She cried.
“He believed you had become like your father.”
The words hurt.
More than any insult.
I had spent eighteen months avenging Julian because I thought I loved him.
Maybe I had loved the version of him that needed me.
But he had been afraid of me.
Hannah explained.
Julian had discovered what our father built.
He wanted out.
I wanted control.
We fought.
He believed I would choose the empire over him.
So he disappeared.
He staged his death with help from Elena.
The burned car had belonged to someone else.
The body wasn't Julian.
I had been fooled.
My revenge had been against ghosts.
“Who helped him?”
“Marcus.”
I froze.
“The man who is hunting the girls?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Marcus was protecting him.”
“Then why is he after us?”
“He isn't.”
“Who is?”
Hannah looked terrified.
“The man using his name.”
I stared.
“So Marcus is dead?”
“Yes.”
“Then who has been using his identity?”
She whispered,
“Vincent.”
Everything clicked.
Vincent had access.
Vincent had money.
Vincent had motive.
He had helped fake Julian's death.
He had altered Grace's records.
He had disappeared after I discovered the note.
And he was now using Marcus's name to frighten us.
But why?
Because he wanted the evidence.
Because my father had built something.
And Julian had discovered it.
The girls were part of the inheritance.
Not financial.
Information.
Their mothers had unknowingly carried evidence.
The children had been used as living keys.
I hated every word.
We found Julian's real location.
A monastery in Maine.
He had been living under another name.
I went alone.
The door opened.
There he was.
Alive.
Older.
Scarred.
But alive.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he said,
“You took your time.”
I laughed.
“Eighteen months.”
“I know.”
I punched him.
He accepted it.
Then we hugged.
I hated that too.
Because I had spent eighteen months believing I would never feel his arms again.
“You're an idiot.”
“Yes.”
“You let me bury you.”
“I know.”
“You watched me destroy everything.”
“I tried to stop you.”
“You failed.”
“I did.”
He told me the truth.
The crash had been staged.
He had survived.
He wanted to disappear because he discovered Vincent's plan.
Vincent had been loyal to my father.
He believed the family should remain criminal.
Julian wanted to expose him.
I was caught between them.
Julian believed Vincent would manipulate me.
He was right.
Vincent had convinced me that Julian's death was a betrayal.
He had fueled my revenge.
He had used my anger to eliminate Vincent's enemies.
I had unknowingly done his work.
The realization nearly destroyed me.
“What about Grace?”
“She's yours to protect.”
“And Sofia?”
“Her too.”
“Why two?”
“Because their mothers were witnesses.”
Witnesses to what?
A hidden financial archive.
Their identities were the passwords.
The children weren't keys literally.
Their names.
Birth dates.
Bloodlines.
Everything was part of an encrypted system.
Vincent needed them.
We returned to Vermont.
Julian reunited with Grace.
She looked at him.
For a second, she didn't recognize him.
Then she smiled.
He cried.
I had never seen my brother cry.
Grace reached for him.
“Daddy.”
The word destroyed him.
Sofia watched.
Then she said,
“Uncle?”
Julian nodded.
“Yes.”
I stood nearby.
My family was finally together.
But Vincent attacked that night.
He had tracked us.
The safe house was breached.
Julian fought.
I fought.
Hannah fought.
The children were moved.
Vincent escaped.
He left one message.
YOU HAVE THREE DAYS.
And below:
BRING ME THE GIRLS, OR I BURN THE FAMILY.
I looked at Julian.
“What do we do?”
He smiled.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“It's time you choose.”
“What?”
“Not the family business.”
May you like
He looked at Grace.
“The family.”
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