Chapter 9 - THE LAST THING HE COULD TAKE
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We returned to the townhouse at midnight.
Every light was off.
The front door was open.
My heart stopped.
“Mom?”
No answer.
Marcus drew his weapon.
We entered.
The kitchen was empty.
The living room empty.
Then I heard a chair scrape upstairs.
I ran.
My mother was sitting on the bedroom floor.
Julian stood behind her.
A knife at her throat.
I froze.
“You.”
He smiled.
“You ruined everything.”
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Put it down.”
Julian laughed.
“Shoot me and she dies.”
I stared at my mother.
Her eyes were steady.
Fearless.
Julian looked at me.
“You think this was about money?”
“I know it wasn't.”
“It was about respect.”
“No.”
“It was about my family.”
“You never loved your family.”
His face tightened.
“I gave you everything.”
“You took everything.”
He stepped closer.
“I protected you.”
“You hit my mother.”
“That was a mistake.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“That was the moment you showed me the truth.”
He pressed the knife harder.
“Give me the drive.”
I looked at Marcus.
Then my mother.
Then Julian.
I took a breath.
“Fine.”
I pulled the digital drive from my pocket.
Julian smiled.
“Drop it.”
I held it over the railing.
“Come get it.”
He moved toward me.
Marcus watched silently.
Julian stepped closer.
Then I let the drive fall.
It shattered on the floor.
Julian screamed.
“You stupid—”
My mother kicked his knee.
He lost balance.
Marcus moved.
Within seconds, Julian was on the floor.
Handcuffed.
My mother stood.
I ran to her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
Then she hugged me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Julian stared at us.
“You think this ends everything?”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
He smiled bitterly.
“No.”
He pointed toward the hallway.
“Your father had another heir.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
“You think you were the only daughter?”
My mother went pale.
Julian laughed.
“Ask her.”
I turned to Mom.
She closed her eyes.
“Serena…”
“No.”
“There was a baby.”
“Who?”
“A boy.”
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?”
My mother began crying.
“I thought he died.”
Julian smiled.
“But he didn't.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Where is he?”
Julian stared at me.
“That's the one thing your father never told you.”
He was taken away.
But the words remained.
Another heir.
A son.
Alive.
Maybe.
Or another lie.
The next morning, we opened the final archive.
There was one folder left.
PROJECT SON.
Inside was a photograph.
A newborn.
My father.
My mother.
And another man.
The man's face had been blacked out.
But beneath it was a name.
Evan Carter.
My mother's hands began shaking.
I looked at her.
“Who is Evan?”
She whispered:
“Your brother.”
“Where is he?”
She stared at the photograph.
Then she said something that broke my heart.
May you like
“He's the reason your father died.”
I couldn't breathe.
