Chapter 4 - The Eleven Minutes My Brother Lived
I didn't scream.
I should have.
Instead, I stepped backward and slipped into the shadow beside the staircase.
The office door remained open.
A figure moved inside.
Male.
Dark jacket.
Gloves.
He bent over Maxwell's desk.
I recognized the silver shape around his wrist.
The snake ring.
Julian.
My heartbeat thundered.
I couldn't see his face clearly, but I knew.
He opened a drawer.
Removed a folder.
Then turned.
I ducked.
His footsteps moved toward the hallway.
I waited.
He walked past me without seeing me.
I didn't breathe until the front door downstairs closed.
Then I ran to Maxwell.
He was awake.
The lights in his bedroom were off.
“You saw someone?”
“Julian.”
His expression tightened.
“What did he take?”
“I don't know.”
He pushed himself forward.
“Come.”
We entered the office.
The desk drawer was open.
Maxwell checked it.
“Nothing is missing.”
I stared at him.
“Then why was he here?”
“Because he was searching for something.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“Daniel's final evidence.”
My mouth went dry.
“The eleven-minute evidence?”
He nodded.
“How did you know about that?”
“I received the same photograph.”
“Who sent it?”
“I don't know.”
Maxwell looked toward the dark window.
“Someone wants you to know.”
“What if they're lying?”
“Then they still know something.”
We spent the next hour reviewing Daniel's death report.
The report stated he had been pronounced dead immediately.
But the photograph showed blood on his shirt.
A bullet wound near the shoulder.
Not the chest.
“That isn't necessarily fatal,” I said.
Maxwell nodded.
“It wasn't.”
“You knew?”
“I found him.”
My breath caught.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know whether you were involved.”
I stared at him.
“Involved in what?”
“Your brother had a drive.”
“What drive?”
“A flash drive containing shipment records.”
“Did he give it to you?”
“No.”
“Then who has it?”
Maxwell looked at me.
“I thought you did.”
I stared.
“Why would I?”
“Because Daniel tried to contact you before he died.”
I remembered the voicemail.
One missed call.
Then another.
Then nothing.
I'd assumed he had been busy.
“You never told me that.”
“You didn't ask.”
I stood.
“You've been investigating my brother's death for two years.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew he tried to reach me.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since the night he died.”
Rage burned through me.
“You lied to me.”
“I protected you.”
“You don't get to decide that.”
He looked away.
“You're right.”
The words surprised me.
He rarely apologized.
That made the moment feel important.
Then the power went out.
The entire house went black.
Security alarms did not activate.
Maxwell immediately reached under his desk.
“Stay behind me.”
“You're in a wheelchair.”
“And still more dangerous than anyone in this house.”
He pulled a handgun from beneath the desk.
I froze.
“Don't stare.”
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
A noise came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Maxwell moved toward the door.
I followed.
The hallway was empty.
Then we heard a crash downstairs.
We hurried toward the staircase.
Halfway down, we found Miss Delaney unconscious.
A small cut on her forehead.
Maxwell knelt.
“She's alive.”
I checked her pulse.
“Yes.”
Then a voice came from the kitchen.
“Looking for someone?”
Julian stood beneath the doorway.
He wasn't holding a weapon.
That made him more dangerous.
“Turn the lights back on,” Maxwell said.
Julian smiled.
“In a moment.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Mother?”
“Sleeping.”
“You drugged her.”
“I helped her rest.”
Maxwell's face hardened.
“You're losing control.”
Julian laughed.
“I never had control.”
He stepped closer.
“You did.”
He pointed toward Maxwell's legs.
“You had the throne.”
“And now?”
“Now you're sitting on the floor waiting for me to take it.”
I looked between them.
“This is about the company.”
Julian looked at me.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Legacy.”
He laughed softly.
“People like us don't inherit money. We inherit sins.”
He turned to Maxwell.
“Father chose you because you were obedient.”
Maxwell said nothing.
“You were always the favorite.”
Julian's smile disappeared.
“I hated you for it.”
Then he looked at me.
“Daniel hated you.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“He thought you were the weakness Maxwell couldn't see.”
“What are you talking about?”
Julian smiled.
“Ask Maxwell who hired your brother.”
I turned.
Maxwell's expression was unreadable.
“Who?”
Silence.
“Maxwell.”
He looked at me.
“Me.”
I felt as if the floor had vanished.
“You hired Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“To help me uncover the trafficking operation.”
“He died because of you.”
“Yes.”
I stepped backward.
“You put my brother in danger.”
“I thought I could protect him.”
“You were wrong.”
“Yes.”
Julian laughed.
“Finally.”
He walked away.
Then stopped.
“There's something else, Martha.”
I stared.
“Daniel didn't die because he found the shipment.”
“What then?”
“He died because he found out who was paying for it.”
“Who?”
Julian smiled.
“You're standing next to him.”
I turned toward Maxwell.
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”
Julian walked into the darkness.
Maxwell didn't move.
“Tell me.”
He looked at me.
“I was paying.”
My heart stopped.
“For the shipment?”
“No.”
He lowered his head.
“To stop it.”
I didn't understand.
“I was buying the containers before they reached the traffickers.”
“What?”
“I intercepted them.”
“You used your company.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the legitimate system was too corrupt to stop them.”
I stared.
“And Daniel?”
“He found out.”
“Then why did he die?”
“Because someone inside my organization told the traffickers where we were.”
“The traitor.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He looked at me.
“We're very close.”
Then the lights returned.
A scream echoed from upstairs.
We ran.
Mrs. Bell was standing in the hallway.
Her face was pale.
She pointed toward the master bedroom.
“Maxwell…”
We entered.
The bed was empty.
On the pillow lay a bloodstained piece of paper.
May you like
Three words were written in red.
“YOU CHOSE WRONG.”
