Chapter 5 - The Hidden Testament
The encrypted drive contained one final file.
A video.
Created by Luca.
The timestamp was six years ago.
The night before he disappeared forever.
Nobody spoke as the screen loaded.
Then his face appeared.
My brother.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.
Because seeing a person you buried come back to life was its own kind of pain.
“Sebastian.”
His voice filled the room.
“If you’re watching this, then I failed.”
I looked down.
My hands clenched.
Luca continued.
“I know you’re angry.”
A weak smile appeared on his face.
“You always hated when I made decisions without telling you.”
A painful memory surfaced.
The two of us as children.
Fighting over everything.
Laughing five minutes later.
Being brothers.
“I wanted to come home.”
His expression changed.
“But home wasn’t safe anymore.”
The room was silent.
“Someone inside our family created Project Wolf.”
The screen flickered.
“I discovered that the council had been manipulating inheritance for years.”
Daniel looked at me.
I didn’t move.
Luca continued.
“They removed anyone who threatened their control.”
Then he said the words I would never forget.
“Sebastian, if you find Emma…”
The video paused for a second.
His eyes filled with emotion.
“Protect her.”
I looked at the little girl sleeping nearby.
“She is the last innocent thing left in this family.”
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Not even Victor.
---
Later that day, Victor asked to speak with me privately.
I almost refused.
Almost.
But I needed answers.
We met in the old family library.
A room where generations of Vales had made decisions.
Good ones.
And terrible ones.
“You knew about Project Wolf.”
I didn’t ask.
I accused.
Victor looked exhausted.
“Yes.”
The honesty surprised me.
“Then you helped them.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I tried to stop them.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Thirteen years ago, my brother was shot.”
Victor looked down.
“I know.”
“You know?”
His face changed.
Because I had touched the one subject he feared.
“I was the one who found out too late.”
I stared at him.
“Explain.”
Victor walked toward an old bookshelf.
Behind it was a hidden compartment.
Inside was a file.
A very old file.
He handed it to me.
“This belonged to Luca.”
I opened it.
Inside were documents.
Letters.
Photos.
And one name repeated over and over.
Richard Hale.
“The man who attacked us.”
Victor nodded.
“He was never my advisor.”
My eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“He was planted inside the family years ago.”
I looked at the documents.
“By who?”
Victor hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Someone closer than you think.”
---
That night, someone entered the underground residence.
Not through the door.
Through the security system.
The alarms never activated.
Which meant only one thing.
They had internal access.
I reached the hallway seconds later.
A figure was standing beside Emma’s room.
My weapon was already raised.
“Don’t move.”
The figure froze.
Slowly turned.
And my blood ran cold.
Because I knew him.
A man I thought died years ago.
A man who should have been impossible.
“Sebastian.”
His voice was weak.
Broken.
“Your brother sent me.”
I lowered the weapon slightly.
“Who are you?”
The man stepped into the light.
And I realized why Luca had trusted him.
Because this man was carrying the same wolf mark.
“My name is Adrian Vale.”
My heart stopped.
Another Vale.
Another secret.
“Who are you?”
He looked at Emma’s door.
Then back at me.
May you like
“I’m the brother your family erased.”
---
