CHAPTER 5 — THE BROTHER
“You were born in 1983.”
My mother's words stayed in the room long after she stopped speaking.
I stared at her.
Then at Daniel.
Then at Elias.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Finally, I laughed.
It was a small sound.
Empty.
“You're lying.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
“My birth certificate says 1995.”
“I know.”
“My passport says 1995.”
“I know.”
“Every school record I've ever had says 1995.”
“I know.”
I stepped toward her.
“Then how can I be born in 1983?”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Because the girl born in 1983 wasn't called Claire Vale.”
My stomach dropped.
“What was she called?”
My mother looked at Daniel.
He lowered his eyes.
Then she said:
“Eleanor.”
I stared at her.
The name from the night.
The name that had made everyone afraid.
Eleanor.
My first name.
But now it meant something else.
“Why did you change my birth year?”
My mother swallowed.
“Because you were never supposed to exist on paper.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don't get to keep saying that.”
My voice rose.
“You don't get to tell me my entire life is a lie and then ask me to wait for an explanation.”
My mother flinched.
I didn't stop.
“I want the truth.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You deserve it.”
My mother looked at him.
He nodded.
“She deserves everything.”
My mother closed her eyes.
Then she sat down.
“The girl in that photograph wasn't you.”
I stared.
“What?”
“She was.”
My mother pointed at the photograph.
“But she wasn't the only girl.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel walked toward the wall.
He pulled down another photograph.
This one was older.
Much older.
It showed my grandfather standing beside a woman and two children.
A boy.
And a girl.
I looked at the boy.
Daniel.
Then the girl.
Me.
But something was wrong.
The girl looked about eight.
The photograph was dated 1991.
I stared.
“That can't be me.”
“No,” Daniel said.
“It isn't.”
I looked at him.
“Then who is she?”
He didn't answer.
My mother did.
“Your sister.”
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“I don't have a sister.”
“You did.”
“Where is she?”
My mother's face collapsed.
“She died.”
I looked at the photograph again.
“How?”
“An accident.”
“When?”
“1994.”
My stomach twisted.
“And what does that have to do with me?”
My mother looked directly at me.
“Everything.”
Daniel came closer.
“The girl who died wasn't your sister.”
I stared.
“What?”
“She was.”
He paused.
“But not the girl in the photograph.”
I couldn't follow anymore.
“Explain.”
Daniel took a breath.
“Meridian had a problem.”
“What problem?”
“Two heirs.”
He pointed at me.
“You.”
Then at himself.
“Me.”
I frowned.
“We were both direct descendants of Thomas Vale.”
“So?”
“So Meridian couldn't decide who should control the trust.”
“Why would they care?”
“Because whoever controlled the trust controlled billions.”
I looked at my mother.
“Then what happened?”
“Your grandfather created two identities.”
I stared.
“One for me?”
“One for Daniel.”
She shook her head.
“One for the family.”
She pointed at the photograph.
“And one for the network.”
I felt dizzy.
“I don't understand.”
Daniel sat down.
“Neither did I until I found the records.”
He opened the black drive again.
A folder appeared.
SUCCESSION PROTOCOL
He clicked it.
Two profiles appeared.
DANIEL THOMAS VALE
Then:
ELEANOR CLAIRE VALE
Beneath mine was a line of text.
PRIMARY SUCCESSOR.
Beneath Daniel's:
SECONDARY SUCCESSOR / PROTECTIVE AUTHORITY.
I stared.
“What is protective authority?”
Daniel looked at me.
“It means if something happened to you, I controlled the trust until you returned.”
“Returned from where?”
He hesitated.
“From wherever they sent you.”
“Who?”
“Meridian.”
I shook my head.
“They never sent me anywhere.”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
Daniel looked at my mother.
She whispered:
“You were hidden.”
“Where?”
“Inside another identity.”
I felt cold.
“My entire life?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because the memory had to be removed.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“Not removed.”
“Buried.”
“What does that mean?”
“When you were young, something happened.”
“What?”
“You witnessed something you weren't supposed to see.”
“What?”
My mother looked at Daniel.
He answered.
“Your grandfather's murder.”
I stopped breathing.
“My grandfather died of a heart attack.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“He was killed.”
I stared at him.
“By whom?”
“We don't know.”
“You don't know?”
“We know who ordered it.”
“Who?”
He looked at the screen.
“Meridian.”
My hands began to shake.
“And I saw it?”
“You were in the room.”
“How old?”
“Five.”
I closed my eyes.
A strange image flashed through my mind.
A hallway.
Dark wood.
A broken glass.
Someone shouting.
My grandfather's hand.
Blood.
I opened my eyes.
Daniel was watching me.
“You remember.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“You just reacted.”
“I've had nightmares.”
“About that night?”
I didn't answer.
My mother reached for my hand.
I pulled away.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I had memories.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me believe they were nightmares.”
“Yes.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because the people who killed your grandfather were looking for the person who witnessed it.”
“Me.”
“Yes.”
I walked away.
I needed air.
But there was nowhere to go.
The vault suddenly felt like a cage.
I looked at Daniel.
“You knew all of this.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Sixteen years.”
I froze.
“You've known for sixteen years?”
“Yes.”
“Where were you?”
He looked down.
“Watching you.”
My anger surged.
“You watched me?”
“Yes.”
“From where?”
“Everywhere.”
“School?”
“Yes.”
“University?”
“Yes.”
“The gala?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“You were there tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“On the roof.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why didn't you come to me?”
“Because I wasn't supposed to.”
“By whose order?”
“Dad's.”
My father again.
Always my father.
I felt something inside me crack.
“Why does he get to decide everything?”
Daniel didn't answer.
I turned toward my mother.
“Why did Dad hide you?”
“To protect me.”
“Why did he hide Daniel?”
“To protect him.”
“And me?”
“To protect you.”
I laughed.
“Everyone keeps using that word.”
Daniel stood.
“Because it was true.”
“Then why am I still angry?”
“Because protection without consent becomes control.”
I looked at him.
For the first time, he smiled.
“That sounds like something Dad would hate hearing.”
I almost smiled too.
Then the vault door shook.
We all turned.
Elias was still standing near the entrance.
He looked amused.
“You're wasting time.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Get out.”
Elias looked at me.
“Your brother has been telling you a very convenient version of history.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Leave.”
Elias ignored him.
“Ask him why he really disappeared.”
I turned.
Daniel's face had changed.
“What does he mean?”
“Nothing.”
Elias smiled.
“Ask him.”
I looked at Daniel.
“Why did you disappear?”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Daniel.”
He lowered the gun.
“Because I made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“I trusted someone.”
“Who?”
He looked at Elias.
“His father.”
Edward Blackwell.
My stomach dropped.
“What did Edward do?”
Daniel walked toward the computer.
“I thought he wanted to help.”
“He told me Meridian was going to collapse.”
“He said he could protect the Vale family.”