Chapter 4 — The Man Dominic Called Brother
Chapter 4 — The Man Dominic Called Brother
The darkness lasted three seconds.
For Dominic, it felt like three years.
He stood inside the hidden laboratory with his weapon raised, staring at the steel doorway where the voice had disappeared.
Alexander Vale.
His father's second son.
His brother.
A man who supposedly did not exist.
A man whose photograph had just appeared in a laboratory that had been hidden beneath Dominic's home for twelve years.
Dominic lowered the gun.
"Daniel."
"I'm here."
"Close every exit."
"Already done."
"No."
Dominic's voice became colder.
"Not just the estate."
Daniel looked at him.
"Every road. Every private airstrip. Every tunnel. Every vehicle."
"You think he's still on the property?"
"I know he is."
Daniel nodded.
Then Dominic looked down at the photograph again.
The baby.
The handwriting.
MY SECOND SON.
He turned the photograph over.
Nothing.
No date.
No mother's name.
No explanation.
Just the image.
Dominic clenched his jaw.
"Find him."
Daniel hesitated.
"Sir..."
"What?"
"There's something else."
He pointed toward the computer terminal.
The screen had turned on by itself.
A single message appeared.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOUR BROTHER.
Dominic stared.
Then another line appeared.
HE'S BEEN ANSWERING YOU FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS.
Dominic's eyes slowly moved toward the laboratory door.
Nathan.
His oldest friend.
The man who had been beside him for seventeen years.
The man who had saved his life.
The man who had known his father.
The man who had known Mia.
Dominic whispered:
"Nathan."
Nathan Cross was standing alone in the library when Dominic returned.
He didn't look surprised.
That was the first thing Dominic noticed.
The second was the blood.
Nathan's left hand was bleeding.
A thin line of red ran from his palm to his wrist.
Dominic stopped in the doorway.
"You knew."
Nathan looked up.
"About what?"
"Don't insult me."
Nathan slowly stood.
Dominic threw the photograph onto the desk.
It landed face-up.
Nathan looked at it.
His face collapsed.
Not surprise.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
Dominic saw it.
And something inside him finally broke.
"You knew."
Nathan didn't deny it.
"I knew about Alexander."
"How long?"
"Seventeen years."
Dominic laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"Seventeen years."
Nathan lowered his eyes.
"Yes."
"You knew my father had another son."
"Yes."
"You knew Alexander was alive."
Nathan hesitated.
"Yes."
"You knew Mia."
"Yes."
"You knew Harper."
Nathan's voice became quieter.
"Yes."
Dominic crossed the room.
He grabbed Nathan by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"You knew everything."
Nathan didn't resist.
"I knew enough."
"Enough?"
Dominic's face was inches from his.
"You watched me build my life on a lie."
Nathan swallowed.
"Because your father ordered me to."
Dominic tightened his grip.
"My father is dead."
"He still gave me orders."
"Then tell me what they were."
Nathan stared at him.
"Protect you."
Dominic laughed bitterly.
"You call this protection?"
"Yes."
"You let Mia disappear."
"I didn't."
"You knew she was being watched."
"Yes."
"You knew Claire was involved."
"Yes."
"You knew Harper was the target."
"Yes."
Dominic shoved him harder.
"Then you failed."
Nathan's expression broke.
"I know."
Dominic released him.
Nathan slid against the wall until he sat on the floor.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Nathan looked up.
"You want the truth?"
Dominic stared at him.
"Every word."
Nathan nodded.
"Then start with your father."
Richard Vale had not been the man Dominic remembered.
At least, not entirely.
Nathan explained that Richard had built the Vale empire in two layers.
The first was legitimate.
Hotels.
Real estate.
Shipping.
Construction.
Investments.
The second was hidden.
Money laundering.
Illegal weapons.
Political influence.
Blackmail.
The kind of operations that made powerful men afraid to say the Vale name aloud.
Dominic already knew most of that.
What he didn't know was why.
"Your father believed the empire would eventually destroy itself," Nathan said.
"So he created a backup."
Nathan nodded.
"Alexander."
Dominic looked at the photograph.
"Why him?"
"Because Alexander was different."
"How?"
"He wasn't interested in money."
"Then what did he want?"
"Control."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"Control of what?"
"Everything."
Nathan looked toward the window.
"Your father discovered Alexander had a talent for manipulation."
"That isn't exactly rare in this family."
"It was more than manipulation."
Nathan's voice lowered.
"Alexander could make people turn against each other without ever appearing involved."
Dominic thought of Claire.
Of Mia.
Of the missing ledger.
Of the hidden laboratory.
"Psychological warfare."
Nathan nodded.
"Your father was afraid of him."
"Then why keep him alive?"
"Because Alexander was useful."
Dominic stared.
"Useful?"
"Your father used him to deal with problems that couldn't be solved publicly."
"People."
Nathan said nothing.
Dominic understood.
"Alexander killed for him."
"Sometimes."
"How many?"
"I don't know."
Dominic looked away.
"And when did it change?"
Nathan sighed.
"When Alexander realized he didn't need your father's permission anymore."
The room seemed colder.
"What happened?"
"Alexander began building his own network."
"Inside the Vale organization?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Through people your father trusted."
Dominic stared at him.
"Who?"
Nathan didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"Claire's father."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"Of course."
"Claire grew up around this."
"Did she know?"
"Not everything."
"But enough."
Nathan nodded.
"She knew Alexander existed."
"And she knew about Harper."
"Yes."
Dominic looked toward the door.
"Where is she now?"
"Still under guard."
"Bring her here."
Nathan shook his head.
"She won't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because she's terrified."
"Of Alexander?"
Nathan nodded.
"He owns something she can't afford to lose."
Dominic frowned.
"What?"
Nathan looked at him.
"Her life."
Mia woke again.
This time, there was no shadow outside the door.
No Alexander.
No footsteps.
Only Harper sleeping beside her.
Mia touched her daughter's hair.
Her hand trembled.
She remembered the photograph.
Her mother.
Richard Vale.
Alexander.
The same secret had followed her family for decades.
She had spent years believing she was protecting Harper from a dangerous world.
But perhaps she had been protecting her from something much closer.
Something inside the Vale family.
A soft knock came.
Mia froze.
The door opened.
Dominic stood there.
Alone.
His expression was different.
More exhausted.
More human.
"Mia."
She looked at him.
"Where's Harper?"
"Here."
Dominic entered.
He saw the fear in her eyes.
"What happened?"
Mia didn't answer.
Dominic moved closer.
"I found the key."
Her face changed.
"You did?"
"Yes."
"And the laboratory?"
"Yes."
Mia closed her eyes.
"I hoped you never would."
"Why?"
"Because once you see the truth, you can't go back."
Dominic sat beside the bed.
"Tell me anyway."
Mia looked at him.
"Your father didn't hire me."
"I know."
"He ordered me to come here."
"I know."
"He told me to protect Harper."
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"From Alexander?"
Mia nodded.
"Yes."
"Who is Harper's father?"
Mia looked away.
"I don't know."
Dominic studied her.
"You know something."
"I know what your father told me."
"What?"
"He said Harper's father was dangerous."
"That's not an answer."
"He said the child carried something."
"What?"
Mia hesitated.
"His blood."
Dominic frowned.
"Whose?"
Mia whispered:
"Alexander's."
Dominic went still.
"You said you didn't know who Harper's father was."
"I don't."
"Then why did you say his blood?"
"Because your father believed it."
Dominic stared.
Mia continued.
"He told me Harper was conceived as part of Project Seventeen."
Dominic's blood ran cold.
"What does that mean?"
Mia looked toward Harper.
"It means someone planned her birth."
Dominic didn't speak.
Mia's eyes filled with tears.
"I was twenty-four."
"Your father summoned me."
"He showed me medical records."
"He told me there was a woman who needed protection."
"That woman was me."
Dominic listened.
"He said someone wanted my unborn child."
"Why?"
"He didn't tell me."
"Then what happened?"
"I gave birth to Harper."
"And?"
"Your father disappeared."
Dominic frowned.
"Disappeared?"
"He left the country."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Then how did you end up here?"
Mia looked at him.
"Because three years later, I received a letter."
"From whom?"
"Richard."
Dominic stared.
"My father was dead."
"I know."
"The letter was written before he died."
"What did it say?"
Mia swallowed.
"He said, 'If they find you, go to my son.'"
Dominic's voice became quiet.
"Me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he believed you were the only person Alexander couldn't control."
Dominic almost laughed.
"He was wrong."
Mia looked at him.
"Was he?"
Dominic didn't answer.
Downstairs, Claire was sitting in the dining room.
Her shoulder had been bandaged.
She looked exhausted.
Daniel stood behind her.
Nathan sat across from her.
Dominic entered.
Claire immediately looked up.
"Where is Mia?"
"Safe."
Claire exhaled.
"Thank God."
Dominic sat down.
"You know Alexander."
Claire's eyes filled with fear.
"I knew him."
"When?"
"Before I met you."
"How?"
"He came to my father's house."
"Why?"
"He wanted information about your family."
"What information?"
"Everything."
Dominic stared.
"What did he offer you?"
Claire looked away.
"Freedom."
"From what?"
"My father."
Dominic waited.
Claire finally spoke.
"My father abused me."
Nathan looked down.
Dominic's expression softened slightly.
"I didn't know."
"Nobody did."
"Alexander knew."
"Yes."
"He used it."
"Yes."
"How?"
"He told me if I helped him, he'd make my father disappear."
Dominic stared.
"Did you believe him?"
"I believed he could."
"And did he?"
Claire nodded.
"Yes."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"How?"
"He killed him."
Silence.
Claire continued:
"After that, I owed Alexander."
"You became his spy."
"At first."
"And later?"
"I became his fiancée."
Dominic's expression changed.
"Why?"
"Because he told me to marry you."
The room went silent.
Nathan closed his eyes.
Dominic stared at Claire.
"You were never in love with me."
Claire shook her head.
"I was."
He said nothing.
"I loved you."
Her voice cracked.
"But Alexander made sure I understood that loving you wouldn't save you."
Dominic looked away.
"What did he want?"
"The Vale empire."
"Then why didn't he take it?"
"Because he couldn't."
"Why?"
"Your father placed a condition in the inheritance."
Dominic frowned.
"What condition?"
Claire whispered:
"The empire could only pass to a direct heir."
Dominic stared.
"I am the direct heir."
"Not if Alexander could prove he was."
Dominic understood.
"That's why Harper matters."
Claire nodded.
"Exactly."
A sudden alarm sounded.
Daniel rushed inside.
"Sir."
Dominic stood.
"What?"
"Someone breached the north gate."
"Who?"
"We don't know."
"How many?"
"One."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"Alexander."
Daniel shook his head.
"No."
"Then who?"
Daniel handed him a security photograph.
Dominic stared.
The intruder was walking through the snow.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Hat pulled low.
But the face was visible.
Dominic recognized him.
He had seen that face before.
In his father's photograph.
But this wasn't Alexander.
This was someone else.
Someone Dominic had known for years.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Nathan."
Nathan looked up.
"Yes?"
Dominic placed the photograph on the table.
"Who is that?"
Nathan stared.
His face drained of color.
"I don't know."
Dominic smiled coldly.
"That's the first lie you've told me tonight."
Nathan looked at the photograph again.
Then whispered:
"That's Alexander's son."
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Alexander has a son?"
Nathan nodded.
"And he's here."
Outside, the stranger stopped beneath the security lights.
He slowly removed his gloves.
Then looked directly toward the house.
He smiled.
A phone rang inside Dominic's pocket.
Unknown number.
Dominic answered.
No one spoke.
Then a man's voice came through.
"Your brother wants to meet you."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"Where?"
"Come alone."
"When?"
"Now."
"Why?"
The voice laughed softly.
"Because Mia has been lying to you."
Dominic's grip tightened around the phone.
"What did she lie about?"
The stranger outside looked directly toward the window.
Then he lifted one hand.
He was holding a small silver key.
Exactly like the one Dominic had found under Mia's pillow.
The voice continued:
"Ask her who Harper's real father is."
The line went dead.
Dominic slowly lowered the phone.
Behind him, Mia appeared at the doorway.
She had heard enough.
Her face was white.
Dominic looked at her.
"Who is Harper's father?"
Mia stared at him.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then Harper appeared beside her.
The little girl looked up at Dominic.
"Mommy says I don't have a daddy."
Dominic looked at Mia.
Mia's eyes filled with tears.
"I never said that."
Harper frowned.
"You did."
Dominic stepped closer.
"Mia."
She shook her head.
"Don't."
"Tell me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because if I tell you..."
She looked toward the dark window.
"...he'll come for her."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"Who?"
Mia whispered:
"Your brother."
Dominic stared.
"Alexander?"
Mia shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
She looked at Harper.
Then back at Dominic.
"The man outside."
A second later, every light in the estate went out.
May you like
And from somewhere beyond the gates...
a child's voice began laughing.
