Chapter 5 - THE BROTHER WHO STOLE EVERYTHING

The police arrived within minutes.

But Daniel was gone.

Just like before.

He always disappeared before anyone could catch him.

Ethan stood outside the coffee shop, staring at the broken glass covering the sidewalk.

His hands were shaking.

Not from fear.

From anger.

“He was here.”

An officer looked at him.

“Do you know who did this?”

Ethan didn’t answer immediately.

Because saying the truth out loud made it real.

“My brother.”

The officer frowned.

“Your brother?”

“Yes.”

“Why would your brother attack you?”

Ethan looked back at Emma.

At Lena.

At the family he almost lost forever.

“Because he wanted my life.”

That afternoon, Ethan took them to his house.

Not the mansion.

Not the place filled with memories.

A private apartment in the city.

Somewhere secure.

Somewhere Daniel couldn’t easily reach.

Lena walked through the door slowly.

She looked around.

“So this is where you live?”

Ethan smiled.

“Yes.”

She looked at the pictures on the wall.

Most were business photos.

Awards.

Events.

But there was one empty frame.

Lena pointed.

“Why is that one empty?”

Ethan looked at it.

Because he had always imagined filling it one day.

A picture of his family.

A picture of the three of them.

“I was waiting for the right picture.”

Lena looked confused.

“Why?”

Ethan smiled gently.

“Because I didn’t have my family.”

The little girl looked down.

Then quietly asked:

“Did you miss me?”

Ethan sat beside her.

“Every single day.”

Lena played with her fingers.

“Did you know I existed?”

The question hurt.

Ethan answered honestly.

“No.”

She looked surprised.

“Why?”

“Because someone kept you away from me.”

Her eyes moved toward Emma.

But Ethan shook his head.

“Not your mom.”

Emma looked at him.

He was defending her.

After everything.

That meant more than she expected.

That night, Ethan made a promise.

“I’m going to protect both of you.”

Emma looked worried.

“You don’t know what Daniel is capable of.”

Ethan’s expression changed.

“I know exactly what he’s capable of.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t.”

She walked to the window.

“Daniel isn’t just dangerous.”

Ethan stared.

“What does that mean?”

Emma turned around.

“He has people inside your company.”

Ethan went quiet.

“My company?”

“He spent years preparing.”

She lowered her voice.

“He didn’t just want to hurt you.”

“He wanted to replace you.”

Ethan walked toward his desk.

Opened his laptop.

Checked the company records.

Then stopped.

Because something was wrong.

A transfer.

Millions of dollars.

Approved under his name.

But he never made it.

His face changed.

“When did this happen?”

Emma looked.

“What?”

Ethan turned the screen toward her.

“Two weeks after you disappeared.”

Emma stepped closer.

Her eyes widened.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because…”

She looked terrified.

“Because that was the day Daniel told me you were dead.”

The room became silent.

Ethan stared at the screen.

Someone had used his identity.

Someone had stolen from his company.

Someone had planned everything.

Then his laptop received a video file.

No message.

No sender.

Just a video.

Ethan clicked.

The screen showed Daniel.

Sitting in a dark room.

Smiling.

“Hello, Ethan.”

Everyone froze.

Daniel continued.

“I know you’re watching.”

Ethan clenched his fist.

“You son of a…”

Daniel laughed.

“You always thought you were the smart one.”

The video moved closer.

Daniel leaned toward the camera.

“But you never noticed the people standing behind you.”

Ethan’s face changed.

Because behind Daniel…

Someone else appeared.

Someone Ethan knew.

Someone he trusted.

Daniel smiled.

“You’re going to love finding out who helped me.”

The video ended.

CLIFFHANGER:

Ethan thought Daniel was the enemy.

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But the video revealed something worse.

The enemy had been inside his own home.