Chapter 11 - THE BROTHER MY FATHER TRIED TO SAVE
My father had been protecting Julian for years.
That discovery changed everything again.
Julian explained from his hospital bed.
“David knew Thomas was my biological father.”
“How?”
“Your dad kept everyone’s books.”
Of course.
“He found payments from Thomas to my school, medical accounts, things Dad thought were family gifts.”
I looked at Colleen.
She lowered her eyes.
Julian continued.
“David confronted Mom privately.”
“What did he do?”
“Nothing.”
That surprised me.
“He told her biology didn’t change who raised me.”
My father.
The quiet accountant.
Apparently one of the only emotionally mature adults in this entire mess.
“When did you meet him?”
“Years ago.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
“Because he was helping me investigate Thomas.”
Julian had suspected corruption before Adrian.
My father became his source.
Then David discovered Senator Langley was involved.
That was when things became dangerous.
“Dad wanted to adopt you?”
Julian smiled faintly.
“Not literally at first.”
He had offered Julian a legal fallback identity if the Parkers turned against him.
A trust.
A safe house.
Documents.
My father had even joked:
“If they throw you out, Meredith always wanted a brother.”
I cried.
Julian did too.
I hated how many people had known pieces of my father I never saw.
Then Julian handed me an envelope.
“David gave me this six years ago.”
My name.
My father’s handwriting.
Meredith,
If you ever read this, then I probably failed to keep business out of your life.
That sounds like me.
I laughed through tears.
He explained he had made mistakes.
Accepted money he should not have.
Stayed silent too long.
Then tried to fix it.
One sentence stood out:
Do not marry a man because he needs you. Marry one because he respects what it would cost to lose you.
I stopped.
Adrian stood at the doorway.
He had heard.
He did not enter.
Good.
Then my father’s letter continued:
Adrian is not his father, his uncle, or his family name. Judge him only by what he chooses when nobody is forcing him.
I closed the letter.
That was harder.
Because right now Adrian was finally choosing truth.
But too late did not automatically mean never.
It also did not mean yes.
Rebecca walked in.
She had removed her wedding dress.
Jeans.
Sweater.
No veil.
“I’m leaving Boston.”
I looked at her.
“Where?”
“New York.”
“Why?”
“My father is going to prison. My wedding was a lie. Seems like a good week to move.”
Fair.
She looked at Adrian.
“I don’t hate you.”
He swallowed.
“You should.”
“No.”
Her voice hardened.
“I just don’t want you.”
That landed.
Good.
Then she looked at me.
“You shouldn’t take him back just because he finally learned consequences.”
“I know.”
Adrian nodded too.
“I know.”
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“Maybe there’s hope for you after all.”
Then Owen entered.
“We have the medical examiner’s report on David Cole.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Your father wasn’t poisoned by Langley.”
I stared.
“But the recording—”
“Langley planned it.”
“Then who killed him?”
Owen looked at Colleen.
Her face went white.
“The toxin in his blood came from medication prescribed by Dr. Parker.”
Adrian’s father.
May you like
The man who had raised Julian as his own.
And who supposedly died six years ago.
