Chapter 14 - THE DEAD COME HOMEBrianna returned home with Damian.
But neither of them could sleep.
The appearance of their supposedly dead father had shattered everything again.
Ariana stood by the window.
"If he's alive, then who died?"
Nobody answered.
Then the front door opened.
Their mother walked inside.
Their father followed.
Brianna froze.
Damian stood beside her.
The man looked older.
Thinner.
But unmistakable.
Ariana whispered,
"Dad."
He looked at his daughters.
"I'm sorry."
Brianna laughed bitterly.
"You're sorry?"
"We had no choice."
"You always had a choice."
He lowered his eyes.
Richard had threatened him years ago.
He had faked his death to escape.
But he had also made deals with Richard.
Those deals had helped create the disaster.
Brianna's mother stepped forward.
"We were trying to protect you."
"You lied."
"Yes."
"You let me believe I was abandoned."
Her mother cried.
"We thought keeping you away from the family was the only way."
Damian looked at Brianna.
"At least we know the truth now."
But then their father said something that silenced the room.
"Not all of it."
Brianna turned.
"What now?"
He removed a folder.
"The real reason Richard created the trust."
He opened it.
The documents showed a hidden clause.
The trust had never belonged to Victor.
It had never belonged to the Blackwoods.
It belonged to Brianna's grandmother.
But she had created it for one reason.
To protect a secret worth far more than money.
Damian frowned.
"What secret?"
Their father hesitated.
"The identity of Victor Hale's heir."
Ariana looked confused.
"That's Brianna."
"No."
Everyone froze.
Their father continued.
"Victor had another child."
Brianna's heart raced.
"Who?"
He looked toward Damian.
Damian went still.
"You."
Silence.
Brianna stared at him.
"No."
Their father nodded.
"Victor was your biological father."
Damian looked at Brianna.
"But that would make..."
"Yes."
Their father closed his eyes.
"Damian and Brianna are half-siblings."
The room seemed to disappear.
Brianna couldn't breathe.
Damian stepped away.
"No."
Their mother started crying.
"We didn't know at first."
Brianna shook her head.
"Our marriage..."
"It was never supposed to happen."
Damian stared at her.
All the memories.
The wedding.
Their love.
Everything.
Brianna's eyes filled with tears.
"This can't be true."
Their father handed them a DNA report.
"Check it yourselves."
Damian couldn't move.
Then another voice came from the doorway.
"You should have known."
Everyone turned.
Richard stood there.
He had escaped custody.
A gun was in his hand.
Police sirens sounded outside.
Richard smiled.
"You thought the story was over."
Damian stepped in front of Brianna.
"Stay away from her."
Richard pointed the gun.
"You ruined everything."
Their father stepped forward.
"It was always my fault."
Richard laughed.
"Yes."
A shot rang out.
Their father fell.
Brianna screamed.
Richard ran toward the back exit.
Damian chased him.
Ariana and their mother rushed to their father.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Brianna knelt beside him.
"Dad."
He looked at her.
Then he whispered:
"The DNA report is fake."
Brianna stared at him.
"What?"
He grabbed her hand.
"Damian is not your brother."
His eyes closed.
"He never was."
Brianna gasped.
Outside, another gunshot echoed.
Then silence.
Richard was gone.
Damian returned moments later.
His hands were shaking.
"He escaped."
Brianna looked at him.
"What did you find?"
Damian held up something.
A small flash drive.
"It was in Richard's pocket."
They opened it.
One video file appeared.
Damian pressed play.
Their grandmother appeared on screen.
Her face was calm.
And her first words were:
"If you are watching this, then Richard has failed."
She paused.
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"Now I can finally tell you who Damian's real father is."
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