Chapter 4: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
David ran.
He didn't remember leaving the chapel.
He didn't remember knocking over the flower arrangement by the doors or hearing someone shout his name behind him. He remembered only the sound of his daughter's shoes striking the marble somewhere ahead.
Then the corridor turned.
A service door slammed open.
David stopped.
Ethan stood at the far end.
Six years vanished in an instant.
Same dark eyes.
Same crooked scar cutting through his left eyebrow.
Same habit of leaning slightly to one side when he was angry.
But older.
Thinner.
There was gray in his beard, and a hard line had formed around his mouth that hadn't been there before.
David couldn't breathe.
“Ethan?””
His brother looked at him.
“Hello, David.””
David took one step.
Then another.
“Where is Sophie?””
Ethan's eyes moved toward the stairwell.
“She’s safe.””
“Where?””
“With someone you trust.””
David's voice rose.
“I don't trust anyone right now.””
“I know.””
“Then tell me where my daughter is.””
Ethan hesitated.
“Your daughter is with Maya.””
David spun around.
Maya was standing at the corridor entrance, pale and breathless.
“Sophie’s with me.””
David stared at her.
Then he heard something.
A tiny giggle.
Behind Maya, Sophie peeked out.
David crossed the hallway in three strides and dropped to his knees.
“Sophie.””
She threw herself into his arms.
“I thought you were leaving.””
“I would never leave you.””
He held her so tightly she squeaked.
“Daddy.””
“I've got you.””
Ethan stood several yards away.
David looked over Sophie's shoulder.
His brother was watching them.
Not with anger.
Not with guilt.
Something worse.
Regret.
David stood, keeping one arm around Sophie.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“Why did everyone tell me you were dead?””
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“Because that was the only way to keep you alive.””
David stared at him.
“Who?””
“Not here.””
“You said you were in this city.””
“I was.””
“My father said you were here the night Anna died.””
Ethan's face changed.
“I was.””
David's grip tightened around Sophie.
“You saw her.””
“Yes.””
“You knew someone killed her.””
“Yes.””
“And you let me believe she died in an accident.””
Ethan looked away.
“I couldn't tell you.””
“Couldn't?””
“There were people watching you.””
David laughed bitterly.
“There are always people watching me, apparently.””
Ethan stepped closer.
“Listen to me.””
“No.””
“David.””
“You vanished.””
“I had to.””
“You let me bury you.””
“I know.””
“You let me spend six years believing my brother was dead.””
“I know.””
“You let me hate you.””
Ethan looked directly at him.
“That part was necessary.””
David went still.
“Necessary?””
“If you hated me, you wouldn't look for me.””
David lowered his voice.
“Why would I look for you?””
“Because you loved me.””
The words hung between them.
David looked at the scar on Ethan's eyebrow.
A childhood memory came back.
Two brothers behind their father's garage.
Ethan at thirteen.
David at eleven.
Their father had caught them stealing cigarettes from his desk.
Ethan had taken the punishment.
You stay behind me, he'd whispered to David.
Why?
Because I'm your brother.
David swallowed.
That boy was standing in front of him now, but he looked as if the world had beaten every soft thing out of him.
“You knew about Sophie.””
Ethan nodded.
“How long?””
“Since before she was born.””
David's heart slammed against his ribs.
“Are you her father?””
Ethan didn't answer.
David stepped toward him.
“Look at me.””
Ethan did.
“Are you Sophie’s biological father?””
Ethan's eyes flicked toward the little girl.
Sophie was holding Maya's hand.
Ethan looked back at David.
“I don't know.””
David stared.
“What do you mean, you don't know?””
“Anna never confirmed it.””
“Anna wrote that you were.””
“I know what she wrote.””
“How?””
Ethan reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a folded envelope.
David recognized the handwriting immediately.
Anna.
Same looping letters.
Same blue ink.
David whispered, “Where did you get that?””
Ethan held it out.
“Anna gave it to me two nights before she died.””
David didn't take it.
“Why?””
“Because she knew she might not survive.””
David looked at the envelope.
“What does it say?””
“You should read it.””
David finally took it.
The paper was warm from Ethan's hand.
He opened it.
Only three lines were written inside.
*Ethan,*
*If David ever finds out, tell him the truth about the baby—but not until you know who is watching him.*
Then:
*And don't trust my husband’s father.*
David looked up.
“My father?””
Ethan nodded.
“Anna believed he was involved.””
“In what?””
“The money.””
David's eyes hardened.
“Tell me everything.””
Ethan glanced toward the chapel.
“Your father wasn't stealing from the company.””
“Then what was he doing?””
“He was paying someone.””
“Who?””
“I never found out.””
“You're telling me after six years you still don't know?””
“I know enough.””
“That isn't an answer.””
Ethan's voice lowered.
“I know your father wasn't the one who ordered Anna's death.””
David frowned.
“Then who was?””
Ethan looked at Sophie.
“I think Lauren knows.””
David went still.
Behind him, Maya inhaled sharply.
“Lauren?””
Ethan nodded.
“She contacted me.””
David stared.
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
“Why?””
“She wanted me to disappear again.””
David felt sick.
“She knew you were alive?””
“Yes.””
“Since when?””
“A long time.””
“Did she know before Anna died?””
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
David stepped forward.
“Did she?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Anna told her.””
David closed his eyes.
Everything seemed to circle back to Lauren.
The letter.
The locket.
The motel photograph.
Her reaction when Ethan's name appeared.
Her panic.
The way she'd tried to stop him from reading.
“She knew you were alive.””
“Yes.””
“She knew about Sophie.””
“Yes.””
“She knew Anna was murdered.””
“Yes.””
David opened his eyes.
“And she still wanted to marry me.””
Ethan's expression hardened.
“That's the part I don't understand.””
Maya stepped closer.
“Maybe she wanted access.””
“To what?””
Ethan looked at David.
“To the company.””
David remembered something.
A week earlier, Lauren had asked him to sign several documents.
She had said they were standard paperwork for merging their finances after the wedding.
He hadn't read every page.
He trusted her.
The thought made his stomach twist.
“What documents did she ask me to sign?””
Ethan looked sharply at him.
“Did you sign a power of attorney?””
David said nothing.
Maya's eyes widened.
“David?””
“I signed something.””
Ethan swore under his breath.
“What?””
“I don't know.””
“You don't know?””
“It was a stack.””
“Where are they?””
“Lauren has them.””
Ethan looked toward the chapel.
“Then you have a bigger problem than a canceled wedding.””
A crash echoed from behind them.
Everyone turned.
The chapel doors had opened.
Lauren stood there.
Her veil was gone.
Her face was wet with tears.
But she wasn't looking at David.
She was looking at Ethan.
For several seconds, the brothers said nothing.
Then Lauren whispered his name.
“Ethan.””
David moved in front of Sophie.
“Don't come closer.””
Lauren stopped.
“I need to explain.””
“You've had years.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You were trying to marry me.””
“Yes.””
“You lied to me.””
“Yes.””
“You knew my brother was alive.””
“Yes.””
David's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Did you know who killed Anna?””
Lauren's lips trembled.
“I know who gave the order.””
The corridor went silent.
Ethan stepped forward.
“Lauren.””
She looked at him.
“You shouldn't have come back.””
“I didn't have a choice.””
“You always have a choice.””
“Not when they have the proof.””
David looked between them.
“What proof?””
Lauren's face crumpled.
“The reason Anna died.””
She reached into the small satin purse hanging from her wrist.
Ethan moved immediately.
“Lauren, don't.””
She pulled out a flash drive.
David stared.
“What is that?””
Lauren held it tightly.
“Everything.””
“Everything what?””
“Every payment. Every account. Every conversation.””
David took one step toward her.
“About my father?””
Lauren shook her head.
“About Anna.””
David's blood turned cold.
“What did my wife do?””
Lauren looked at Sophie.
Then at David.
“She didn't betray you.””
David swallowed.
“Then what?””
Lauren's fingers tightened around the drive.
“She found out why your father wanted Ethan gone.””
Ethan said quietly, “Lauren.””
She looked at him.
“And she found out why the accident had to happen.””
David's voice broke.
“Why?””
Lauren opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, the chapel lights went out.
Every light in the corridor died.
Sophie screamed.
David grabbed her.
A second later, glass shattered somewhere behind them.
Ethan shouted, “Down!””
David dropped to the floor with Sophie in his arms.
Another crash.
Then footsteps.
Fast.
Running away.
When the emergency lights flickered on, Lauren was gone.
So was the flash drive.
And on the floor where she had been standing was a single bloodstained wedding ring.
David stared at it.
May you like
He recognized it instantly.
It belonged to Anna.