Chapter 8 - The Brother Nobody Knew ExistedDaniel spent the night trying to prove Nora wrong.
He couldn’t.
Victor Hale’s birth certificate listed his father as Daniel’s father.
His mother’s name was different.
The date matched a period when Daniel’s father had been away from home for months.
Margaret had hidden it.
For eighteen years.
Daniel confronted her.
“You had another son.”
Margaret sat silently.
“Victor is my brother.”
No answer.
“Isn’t he?”
Margaret looked up.
“He is.”
Daniel felt the room tilt.
“Why did you hide him?”
“Because your father had already abandoned this family once.”
“And Victor?”
“He was born after your father was supposed to have ended that life.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You used him.”
Margaret looked away.
“I protected him.”
“By paying him?”
“He needed money.”
“By making him spy on my wife?”
“He was loyal.”
“He followed your orders.”
Margaret’s voice hardened.
“Because he owed me.”
Daniel stared.
“That’s what family means to you?”
Margaret stood.
“Family means protecting your own.”
“Then why did you try to destroy mine?”
Margaret’s expression became cold.
“Because Claire is dangerous.”
“You still haven’t told me why.”
“She discovered something.”
“What?”
Margaret hesitated.
“She found the missing account.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“What account?”
“The account Elena found.”
“The one that proves you stole from the trust?”
“No.”
Margaret shook her head.
“The one that proves your father did.”
Daniel went still.
“My father?”
“He was not the man you thought he was.”
Daniel refused to believe it.
“You’re lying.”
“Then ask Victor.”
Margaret walked past him.
“Ask him who really controlled the money.”
Daniel found Victor at an abandoned warehouse.
Victor didn’t resist when Daniel entered.
“I knew you’d come.”
“You’re my brother.”
Victor smiled without humor.
“Apparently.”
“Why did Mom hide you?”
“To protect her reputation.”
“And why did you help her?”
“Because she controlled everything.”
Daniel stared.
“Did Elena know?”
“Yes.”
“What happened between them?”
Victor lowered his eyes.
“Elena found the transfers.”
“She planned to expose Margaret?”
“She planned to expose both of us.”
Daniel froze.
“Why you?”
“Because I moved some of the money.”
Daniel felt sick.
“You stole from the family.”
“I was twenty-two.”
“You still did it.”
“Yes.”
Victor walked to a cabinet.
He opened it.
Inside was a stack of videotapes.
“I kept copies.”
“Of what?”
“Everything.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because I knew one day Margaret would try to blame me.”
“What happened to Elena?”
Victor stared at the tapes.
“I don’t know.”
“You were there.”
“I arrived after.”
“After what?”
“The crash.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What did you see?”
Victor’s voice shook.
“Your mother.”
Daniel stopped.
“She was standing beside Elena’s car.”
The room seemed to become colder.
“What was she doing?”
“She was holding something.”
“What?”
“A folder.”
Victor reached into the cabinet.
He pulled out a videotape labeled with a date.
The date of Elena’s death.
“I copied this from an old security system.”
Daniel stared.
“Why didn’t you show me?”
“Because your mother threatened to kill me.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You believe she would?”
Victor didn’t answer.
Daniel took the tape.
“Where can I watch it?”
“There’s an old player in the office.”
They returned to the building.
The tape began with grainy footage.
A parking lot.
A car.
Elena walking toward it.
Then Margaret entered the frame.
She was holding a folder.
They argued.
The audio was weak.
But one sentence was clear.
“You promised me the money would stay hidden.”
Elena shook her head.
“I’m telling Daniel.”
Margaret grabbed her arm.
The screen jumped.
Then went black.
Daniel froze.
Claire covered her mouth.
“Did she…”
Victor shook his head.
“That’s where the tape ends.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then noticed something.
The timestamp.
The footage ended at 7:42 p.m.
Elena’s accident had been reported at 8:15.
There were thirty-three minutes missing.
Daniel looked at Victor.
“Where is the rest?”
Victor swallowed.
“Margaret has it.”
Daniel felt the old fear return.
Because now the fountain no longer seemed like the beginning of the story.
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It was only the latest move in a game Margaret had been playing for eighteen years.
And she was running out of time.
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