Chapter 11 - The Brother Adrian Never Knew
Adrian did not remember standing.
He only remembered the chair striking the floor behind him.
"My what?"
Celeste remained behind the glass.
"Your brother."
"I don't have a brother."
"Thomas said you did."
"My father had one child."
"Apparently not."
Adrian picked up the phone again.
"Exact words."
Celeste closed her eyes as if returning to the room where Thomas died.
"He said, 'If anything happens to me, tell Adrian his brother is still alive.'"
"Did you ask who?"
"Thomas could barely breathe."
"Did he say a name?"
"No."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought he was delirious."
"For seven months?"
"I had bigger problems."
Adrian slammed the phone down.
He left the detention center and drove straight to Lucas Grant's office.
The lawyer took one look at his face and poured two glasses of whiskey.
Adrian did not touch his.
"Did my father have another son?"
Lucas stopped pouring.
That was answer enough.
Adrian's voice became very quiet.
"Tell me."
Lucas sat down.
"Before Evelyn, Thomas was married to a woman named Margaret Wren."
Adrian remembered Celeste's comment about the tunnel code.
"How long?"
"Four years."
"Children?"
Lucas looked at him.
"One."
Adrian felt strangely calm now.
Too calm.
"Name."
"Daniel."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not."
"How old?"
"Five years older than you."
"What happened?"
"Margaret left Thomas."
"Why?"
"Because of Roman."
Adrian frowned.
"Roman?"
"She discovered Orchard."
"How?"
"Thomas told her."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted out."
Lucas stared at the whiskey.
"Margaret threatened to go to federal authorities."
"What happened?"
"She disappeared."
Adrian went still.
"Disappeared?"
"Her car was found near Lake Champlain."
"Body?"
"No."
"And Daniel?"
"He was with her."
Adrian stared at the lawyer.
"So my father lost a wife and son."
"Yes."
"And then married my mother."
"Three years later."
"Did Evelyn know?"
"I don't think she knew everything."
Adrian laughed bitterly.
"Apparently nobody knew anything."
Lucas opened his desk.
"Thomas asked me to keep this too."
He removed a photograph.
A boy about six stood beside Thomas.
Dark hair.
Serious expression.
Adrian's chest tightened.
The resemblance was undeniable.
"Daniel."
"Yes."
Adrian turned the photograph over.
One sentence was written on the back.
My first son. My first failure.
"What did Dad think happened?"
"Roman told him Margaret was dead."
"And Daniel?"
"Sent away."
"Where?"
"He never learned."
"Until recently?"
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Thomas began searching again two years ago."
"Did he find him?"
"He thought so."
Adrian's pulse quickened.
"Where?"
Lucas walked toward a cabinet.
"I have something you need to see."
He removed another folder.
Inside were surveillance photographs of a man in his early forties.
Dark hair.
Strong jaw.
He looked disturbingly familiar.
Not identical to Adrian.
But close enough that no one would question that they shared blood.
"Who is this?"
"His name is David Wren."
Wren.
Margaret's surname.
"Where?"
"Boston."
"What does he do?"
"Trauma surgeon."
Adrian stared at the photograph.
"Does he know?"
"We don't know."
"Did Dad contact him?"
"Once."
"What happened?"
"David refused to speak with him."
"Why?"
"Thomas wouldn't tell me."
Adrian looked through the photographs.
Then one image caught his attention.
David entering a restaurant.
Beside him was a woman.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Adrian stopped.
"Who is she?"
Lucas leaned closer.
"I don't know."
Adrian did.
He had seen the face in corporate photographs from decades earlier.
Helena Cross.
The former Vale Meridian CFO.
The woman Celeste claimed worked for Roman.
Adrian looked at Lucas.
"David knows Helena."
Lucas went pale.
Adrian grabbed his coat.
"Where does David live?"
"Adrian."
"Address."
"Boston."
"I know."
Lucas wrote it down.
Three hours later, Adrian's driver stopped outside a narrow brownstone in Beacon Hill.
Adrian climbed the steps.
He hesitated.
Then knocked.
The door opened.
The man from the photographs stood there.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
David Wren looked at Adrian's face.
Then at his eyes.
Something changed in his expression.
"You."
Adrian's stomach tightened.
"You know who I am?"
David gave a humorless smile.
"Of course."
"Are you Daniel Vale?"
David's eyes became cold.
"That boy died thirty-six years ago."
He started closing the door.
Adrian stopped it with his hand.
"Thomas is dead."
David froze.
"You know."
"I know."
"Then why didn't you come to the funeral?"
David looked at him.
"Because Thomas Vale wasn't my father."
"He was."
"No."
"Blood says otherwise."
David laughed.
"You think blood makes someone a father?"
Adrian had no answer.
"Did he find you two years ago?"
"Yes."
"What did he want?"
"Forgiveness."
"Did you give it?"
"No."
"Did he tell you Roman was alive?"
David's expression changed.
"Come inside."
The living room contained no photographs of Thomas.
But on the mantel stood one photograph of a younger Margaret Wren holding a little boy.
"Your mother?"
David nodded.
"Is she alive?"
"No."
"How did she die?"
"Car accident. Twenty years ago."
"Did she ever tell you about Orchard?"
David looked sharply at him.
"How do you know that name?"
"Because Dad left records."
David walked toward the window.
"Then burn them."
"Why?"
"Because people die around that word."
"Helena Cross."
David turned.
"You know her."
"She treated my mother after we disappeared."
"Treated?"
"Helena helped us escape."
Adrian stared.
"Celeste says Helena worked for Roman."
David laughed softly.
"Celeste believes whatever Helena wants her to believe."
"Then who does Helena work for?"
David looked toward the street.
"No one."
"Everyone works for someone."
"Not Helena."
David faced him.
"She built her own faction."
Adrian felt another layer open beneath the mystery.
"What does she want?"
"The same thing Roman wants."
"The ledger?"
"No."
David shook his head.
"The shutdown protocol."
Adrian's phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A woman's voice spoke.
"Hello, Adrian."
He recognized her from old Vale Meridian recordings.
Helena Cross.
"Where are you?"
She laughed.
"Closer than you think."
Adrian looked at David.
Helena continued.
"You finally found your brother."
David's face tightened.
"Don't listen."
Helena heard him.
"Hello, Daniel."
David went pale.
Then Helena said.
"Adrian, if you want to know who actually killed your father, ask your brother where he was at 10:23 p.m. that night."
The call ended.
Adrian slowly looked at David.
May you like
David said nothing.
That silence changed everything.
