Adrian pulled the phone from beneath Vincent's bed using a gloved hand.

Nobody recognized it.

It contained one video.

Eleven years old.

Vincent refused to watch it without me.

Adrian connected the phone to a secure laptop.

The footage was dark and unstable.

Someone was filming the lake house from outside.

Then a figure appeared near the basement entrance.

A man.

Not Evelyn.

He carried two containers inside.

Minutes later, smoke appeared.

Vincent stared without blinking.

“Pause.”

Adrian stopped the video.

“Zoom in.”

The image pixelated.

But one detail remained visible.

The man wore a ring.

Heavy silver.

Black stone.

Vincent whispered, “I know that ring.”

“Who?”

Before he answered, the hospital alarm sounded.

Not a fire alarm.

A security alert.

Adrian immediately stepped toward the door.

“Stay here.”

He disappeared into the corridor.

Vincent looked at me.

“Nora.”

“I know.”

“No, you don't.”

His eyes were fixed on the doorway.

“That ring belonged to my father.”

I stared at him.

“Your father started the fire?”

“My father died two years before it.”

“Then somebody else had his ring.”

Vincent closed his eyes.

“One person.”

“Who?”

“My brother.”

The words landed heavily.

“Gabriel?”

Vincent looked surprised.

“You know his name?”

“I saw it on the emergency contact information.”

Vincent's face hardened.

“He's been running part of my companies for fifteen years.”

“Could he have—”

“No.”

But he said it too quickly.

The door opened.

Adrian returned.

“We found the source of the alarm.”

“And?”

“Records archive.”

“What happened?”

“Someone accessed your admission file.”

My pulse jumped.

“Why?”

Adrian looked at me.

“Not only his.”

He held up a printed access report.

“Yours too.”

Vincent's eyes went cold.

“What information?”

“Address. Emergency contacts. Employee file.”

Vincent immediately tried to stand.

I stopped him with my voice.

“You're not leaving this bed.”

“They have her address.”

“And you're barely stable.”

He looked at Adrian.

“Put people outside her home.”

“I already did.”

I crossed my arms.

“I don't need bodyguards.”

Both men looked at me.

Apparently they disagreed.

Vincent said, “Until we know who this is, you do.”

“I have a cat.”

Adrian blinked.

“What?”

“If six men in black suits surround my apartment, my neighbors will think I've joined a cult, and my cat will never recover.”

For the first time, Vincent laughed.

It was small and painful.

But real.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

His expression changed as he listened.

“What?”

Vincent watched him.

Adrian ended the call.

“Your brother is downstairs.”

Vincent became still.

“Gabriel?”

“He says he heard what happened.”

“How?”

“He wouldn't say.”

Vincent looked at the laptop.

At the frozen image.

At the ring.

“Bring him.”

Gabriel Mercer entered ten minutes later.

He looked enough like Vincent that the relationship was obvious.

Same dark hair.

Same strong features.

But Gabriel's warmth seemed practiced.

He rushed toward the bed.

“Vincent.”

“Stop.”

Gabriel stopped.

His eyes moved to me.

“And you are?”

“Nora.”

Something flashed across his face.

Recognition.

Too fast for anyone else.

But I saw it.

“So you're the nurse.”

“How do you know about her?” Vincent asked.

Gabriel recovered.

“Everyone downstairs is talking.”

“No, they're not.”

Silence.

Vincent leaned back.

“You knew her name before anyone introduced her.”

Gabriel smiled faintly.

“You're injured and exhausted.”

“Answer me.”

“I called the hospital.”

“Who told you?”

Gabriel didn't answer.

Vincent looked toward his hand.

No ring.

“Where's Father's ring?”

Gabriel's expression changed.

“I haven't worn it in years.”

“Where is it?”

“I lost it.”

“When?”

“Vincent—”

“When?”

Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

“Eleven years ago.”

Nobody spoke.

Vincent's breathing changed.

Gabriel looked from him to Adrian.

“What is this?”

Adrian turned the laptop around.

The old video remained frozen on the man entering the lake house.

Gabriel stared.

His face lost color.

“That isn't me.”

“I didn't say it was.”

“You were thinking it.”

Vincent's eyes sharpened.

“Interesting.”

Gabriel stepped backward.

“You need rest.”

“And you need to answer me.”

“I came because you're my brother.”

“Then tell me why someone wearing Father's ring entered my lake house before it burned.”

Gabriel stared at the screen.

Then at Vincent.

“I can't.”

“Can't?”

“If I tell you…”

He looked toward me.

“…she'll become part of this too.”

“I already am,” I said.

Gabriel shook his head.

“You have no idea.”

Then my phone vibrated again.

Unknown number.

This time the message contained an address.

And four words.

ASK GABRIEL ABOUT NORA.

I showed Vincent.

He read it twice.

Then slowly looked at his brother.

“Who is Nora?”

Gabriel's face collapsed.

Not confusion.

Recognition.

Vincent saw it.

“So you know.”

Gabriel stepped toward the door.

Adrian blocked him.

“Move.”

“No.”

Vincent's voice became frighteningly quiet.

“Who was Nora?”

Gabriel stared at his brother for a long moment.

Then he whispered:

“Your mother.”

Vincent stopped breathing.

“My mother was named Catherine.”

Gabriel shook his head.

“No.”

The door behind us clicked.

Someone had unlocked it from the outside.

A woman's voice came through the darkness of the hallway.

“His mother was never Catherine.”

Vincent turned toward the door.

The handle began to move.