Chapter 6 — The Brother Who Chose the Wrong Side
Chapter 6 — The Brother Who Chose the Wrong Side
For eleven years, I had believed I was an only child.
Then I discovered Elena.
Then Rebecca.
And now there was Lucas.
A brother I had never known existed.
A brother my father had mourned in secret.
A brother my grandfather had supposedly murdered.
And a brother who was standing in the doorway of the hidden archive with Victor Vale behind him.
He looked at me as though we were strangers.
Perhaps we were.
But something about his face felt disturbingly familiar.
The shape of his eyes.
The slight tilt of his head.
The way he watched people before speaking.
I had seen those things before.
In the mirror.
In my father.
In myself.
Lucas smiled.
“Do you know what the worst part is?”
I said nothing.
“You spent your whole life believing you were the victim.”
My father raised his gun.
“Lucas.”
Lucas looked at him.
“Put it down.”
“No.”
“You always were stubborn.”
“And you always were a coward.”
Lucas laughed.
“That's what he told you?”
My father stepped forward.
“I know what you became.”
“No.”
Lucas's smile disappeared.
“You know what they made me.”
Adrian moved closer to me.
“Margaret, stay behind me.”
Lucas looked at him.
“Still playing the hero?”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Who are you?”
Lucas smiled.
“Ask your father.”
Adrian looked at my father.
My father said nothing.
Lucas walked into the archive.
His shoes clicked against the concrete floor.
He looked around.
“The archive.”
He nodded.
“Still here.”
“You knew about this place?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“How?”
“I built it.”
I stared.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make sure the truth survived.”
I looked at Victor.
“Then why are you working with him?”
Lucas laughed.
“Working with him?”
He turned toward Victor.
“Do you really think I work for Victor?”
Victor's expression hardened.
“Careful.”
Lucas smiled.
“You still think you're important.”
For the first time, Victor looked genuinely angry.
“Watch yourself.”
Lucas stepped closer.
“You're nothing but a name on a list.”
I looked at the computer.
“The Circle.”
Lucas nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Are you one of them?”
“No.”
“Then what are you?”
He looked at me.
“The reason they are afraid.”
My father lowered his gun slightly.
“Don't listen to him.”
Lucas looked at him.
“You're still protecting her.”
“Yes.”
“After everything?”
“Yes.”
Lucas shook his head.
“You never learn.”
My mother stepped forward.
“Lucas.”
He froze.
For a moment, the anger disappeared from his face.
“Mom.”
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
“You're alive.”
“So are you.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“You let them believe it.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
My mother stepped closer.
“I tried to find you.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I did.”
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“You stopped looking.”
“I never stopped.”
“You stopped after six months.”
“Because your father told me you were dead.”
Lucas looked at my father.
My father's face was devastated.
“I was protecting you.”
Lucas shook his head.
“You were protecting the trust.”
“No.”
“You chose the girls.”
My father looked at him.
“Yes.”
Lucas's eyes hardened.
“And left me.”
Silence.
That one sentence explained more than any document could.
I stepped forward.
“Why did Grandpa kill you?”
Lucas looked at me.
“He didn't.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“He tried.”
“Then how did you survive?”
Lucas looked toward Victor.
“He found me.”
Victor said nothing.
Lucas continued.
“I was twelve.”
He glanced at my father.
“Your father had just discovered the Circle.”
My father closed his eyes.
“They wanted me dead.”
“Why?”
“Because I was the first beneficiary.”
I frowned.
“The first?”
“Yes.”
Lucas pointed toward the trust document.
“Your grandfather created the trust for me.”
“Then why was I made an heir?”
“Because I disappeared.”
“And Elena?”
“Backup.”
“Rebecca?”
“Another backup.”
I stared.
“And me?”
Lucas smiled sadly.
“You were the final one.”
I felt sick.
“The final one?”
“The one they could never control.”
Victor interrupted.
“You're wasting time.”
Lucas looked at him.
“That's rich.”
“Give me the drive.”
“No.”
“The archive belongs to the Circle.”
Lucas laughed.
“No.”
He pointed at me.
“It belongs to her.”
Victor's expression changed.
“Not yet.”
Lucas looked at me.
“Exactly.”
I frowned.
“What happens when the trust activates?”
Lucas smiled.
“The Circle loses everything.”
“Everything?”
“Every account.”
“Every property.”
“Every company.”
“Every political connection.”
I stared.
“Then why haven't they stopped me?”
“They have.”
I looked at the screen.
The trust status remained active.
Lucas continued.
“But they can't stop the process anymore.”
My heart raced.
“What process?”
“The transfer.”
“Transfer to whom?”
He looked at me.
“To the three surviving daughters.”
My mother suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Margaret.”
“What?”
“We need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because Lucas isn't telling you everything.”
Lucas smiled.
“Of course she knows.”
My mother looked at him.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because you're making the same mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“Thinking power will protect you.”
Lucas's face hardened.
“It protected you.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“It destroyed us.”
A loud crash came from above.
Everyone froze.
My father looked toward the ceiling.
“They're here.”
“Who?” I asked.
He didn't answer.
Lucas did.
“The Circle.”
“How many?”
“All seven.”
I stared at him.
“You said some were dead.”
“They were.”
“Then who are the seven?”
Lucas smiled.
“The dead ones don't matter.”
A second crash.
Then a third.
The lights flickered.
Victor pulled his weapon.
Adrian moved beside me.
My father stood between us and the door.
Lucas looked at me.
“You have two choices.”
“What?”
“Run.”
“And the other?”
“Stay.”
“What happens if I stay?”
“You find out why your grandfather was willing to murder his own grandson.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
Lucas's expression became cold.
“Because he knew what I would become.”
The basement door exploded inward.
Men flooded the room.
Security uniforms.
Black suits.
No insignias.
My father fired.
Lucas ducked.
Adrian pulled me down.
My mother grabbed Rebecca.
The room became chaos.
Gunfire.
Screaming.
Smoke.
I crawled toward the computer.
The archive screen flashed.
SECURITY BREACH.
Then:
TRUST TERMINATION IN PROGRESS.
“No.”
I reached for the keyboard.
A hand grabbed my wrist.
Lucas.
“Don't touch it.”
“Why?”
“Because they're trying to erase it.”
“Then help me.”
He hesitated.
“Why?”
“Because if they erase it, everyone loses.”
He looked at me.
“No.”
“What?”
“Not everyone.”
He pulled a flash drive from his pocket.
“The evidence is already copied.”
I stared.
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
My father shouted:
“Margaret!”
I looked up.
A gunman was aiming at me.
My father fired.
The man dropped.
Then my father collapsed.
“Dad!”
I ran to him.
Blood covered his shirt.
“I'm fine.”
“You're not.”
He grabbed my wrist.
“Listen to me.”
“What?”
“Don't trust Lucas.”
Lucas heard him.
He laughed.
“Still?”
My father glared at him.
“He chose them.”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I chose survival.”
“Same thing.”
Lucas's expression darkened.
“Is it?”
He walked toward my father.
“Do you remember the night I disappeared?”
My father looked away.
“You remember what you did?”
“I saved you.”
“You handed me to them.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always say that.”
Lucas stopped.
Then pulled something from his pocket.
A photograph.
He placed it on the floor.
I picked it up.
It showed my grandfather.
My father.
Lucas.
And another man.
A much younger Victor.
On the back was a date.
October 14.
And a sentence:
ONE SON WILL DIE. THE OTHER WILL RULE.
I looked at my father.
“What does this mean?”
He said nothing.
Lucas answered.
“Your grandfather chose me to die.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because I refused to join the Circle.”
“And Dad?”
Lucas looked at my father.
“He did.”
My father shook his head.
“I infiltrated them.”
“You stayed.”
“To protect you.”
“You stayed eleven years.”
“Because they had your sisters.”
Lucas laughed.
“And when they had me?”
My father looked at him.
“I thought you were dead.”
“You believed them.”
“I had no choice.”
Lucas leaned toward him.
“You never even came looking.”
My father whispered:
“I did.”
Lucas stopped.
“What?”
“I found you.”
Lucas's face changed.
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
Silence.
“You knew I was alive?”
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing?”
My father looked at me.
“I was protecting Margaret.”
Lucas laughed.
A broken, furious laugh.
“Of course.”
I turned toward my father.
“You knew?”
He nodded.
“You knew Lucas was alive for three years?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he was working with them.”
Lucas stepped forward.
“I was undercover.”
My father shook his head.
“You stopped being undercover.”
“No.”
“You killed people.”
“To survive.”
“You betrayed the family.”
“To survive.”
“You gave them information.”
“To keep them from killing you.”
I stared at Lucas.
“Is that true?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Did you betray Dad?”
“No.”
“Did you betray Mom?”
“No.”
“Did you betray Elena?”
“No.”
“Then who did you betray?”
Lucas smiled.
“The Circle.”
A voice came from the doorway.
“Liar.”
Everyone turned.
Victor stood there.
Blood covered his sleeve.
He was smiling.
“You didn't betray the Circle.”
Lucas raised his gun.
“You should leave.”
Victor ignored him.
“You betrayed us because you wanted the trust.”
Lucas's eyes narrowed.
Victor continued.
“You knew the trust would activate.”
“You're wrong.”
“You knew Margaret would return.”
Lucas looked at me.
Victor smiled.
“You needed her.”
I looked at Lucas.
“Is that true?”
He didn't answer.
My stomach tightened.
“Lucas.”
He looked at me.
“I needed you alive.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the only one who can activate the final clause.”
“What final clause?”
Victor laughed.
“Ask him.”
Lucas closed his eyes.
I stepped closer.
“What final clause?”
He whispered:
“The trust doesn't belong to the daughters.”
I frowned.
“Then who?”
He looked at Rebecca.
“Whoever controls the youngest.”
My mother screamed.
“No!”
Lucas grabbed Rebecca.
Everything happened at once.
My mother lunged.
My father raised his gun.
Adrian shouted.
“Lucas!”
Lucas pulled Rebecca against him.
“Don't come closer.”
I froze.
Rebecca was crying.
“Margaret.”
I held out my hands.
“Let her go.”
Lucas's face twisted.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because they're coming.”
“Who?”
“The Circle.”
“Then give her to me.”
“I can't.”
“Lucas.”
He looked at me.
“They'll kill her.”
“Then we'll protect her.”
“You can't.”
“Why?”
He looked toward Victor.
“Because one of them is already inside this room.”
Everyone froze.
I looked around.
My mother.
My father.
Adrian.
Victor.
Lucas.
The guards.
Then Lucas whispered:
“The traitor isn't who you think.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
My father raised his weapon.
Adrian turned toward the door.
My mother grabbed Rebecca.
And the lights went out.
Again.
But this time, I heard something.
A click.
A safety being released.
Right beside me.
I turned.
A gun was pressed against my ribs.
A voice whispered into my ear.
“You should have stayed ignorant.”
I recognized it.
Adrian.
My blood froze.
“Adrian?”
His voice was barely audible.
“I'm sorry.”
Then he pushed the gun harder against my side.
Across the darkness, Lucas shouted:
“Margaret, don't move!”
And I realized the worst part.
I didn't know which brother had chosen the wrong side.
Lucas—
or Adrian.
Then the emergency lights came on.
And I saw who was holding the gun.
It wasn't Adrian.
It was my father.
His weapon was pressed against my ribs.
He looked into my eyes.
And whispered:
“I'm sorry, sweetheart.”
The basement doors slammed shut.
The archive locked.
And every monitor in the room displayed the same message:
FINAL BENEFICIARY IDENTIFIED.
Then my name disappeared.
May you like
And another name appeared in its place.
LUCAS REYNOLDS.
