Chapter 2: The Brother Who Knew
Nobody spoke.
Richard stood beneath the chandelier, staring at Elena as if he had seen a ghost.
His expensive leather shoes were surrounded by pieces of broken glass.
I slowly rose to my feet.
"What did you just say?""
Richard blinked.
"I said... she's not supposed to be out.""
"Out of where?""
He looked at Vanessa.
For half a second, they communicated without saying a word.
I saw it.
The tiny movement of his eyes.
The slight tightening of her jaw.
They knew each other.
Not as two people who happened to attend the same party.
They knew something.
Something terrible.
Richard forced a laugh.
"Marcus, come on. I meant she's not supposed to be outside. She's in terrible condition.""
I stepped closer.
"You said she wasn't supposed to be out.""
"You're twisting my words.""
"Then explain them.""
He glanced toward the guests.
"Not in front of everyone.""
I laughed once.
It wasn't because anything was funny.
"Fourteen months, Richard. My wife has been missing for fourteen months. I spent millions searching for her.
I hired private investigators. I paid divers to search the coastline. I held a funeral without a body.""
My voice cracked.
"And you walk into my house and tell me she's not supposed to be out?""
Richard rubbed his forehead.
"You're upset. I understand.""
"Don't tell me how I feel.""
The first police officers arrived before he could answer.
Two uniformed officers entered through the terrace doors, followed by a paramedic carrying an emergency medical bag.
"Everyone step back," the paramedic ordered.
I moved aside, but Elena caught my hand.
"Marcus...""
"I'm here.""
"Don't let him take Ava.""
I looked at her.
"Who?""
She stared directly at Richard.
My brother's face went blank.
The paramedic began checking Elena's pulse and breathing.
"Ma'am, can you tell me your name?""
"Elena.""
"Do you know where you are?""
"My home.""
The paramedic looked at me.
"How long has she been in the water?""
"I don't know. We just found her.""
"Has she been conscious?""
"Only briefly.""
He placed an oxygen mask over her face.
"We need to get her to the hospital immediately.""
Ava began crying.
"Can I go with Mommy?""
I crouched beside her.
"Yes, sweetheart. Daddy will come with you.""
Richard suddenly stepped forward.
"I'll take Ava.""
I turned so quickly that he stopped.
"No.""
"Marcus, you're soaked. You should change.""
"I said no.""
He raised both hands.
"Fine. I'm only trying to help.""
Mrs. Bennett pulled Ava closer.
"Mr. Richard, perhaps you should give the family some space.""
He looked at her sharply.
"Nobody asked you.""
Mrs. Bennett didn't move.
She had worked for our family for twenty-two years. She had helped raise Richard and me. She had been there when Elena gave birth to Ava.
And I had never seen her look at my brother with such open hostility.
"Mrs. Bennett," I said quietly, "stay with Ava.""
She nodded.
The paramedics placed Elena on a stretcher.
As they lifted her, she reached toward me.
"Marcus...""
I grabbed her hand.
"Yes?""
Her voice was barely audible beneath the oxygen mask.
"Don't trust the house.""
I frowned.
"What?""
She squeezed my fingers.
"The house...""
Then her eyes closed.
The paramedics rushed her inside.
I followed.
Behind me, Daniel spoke to one of the officers.
"Officer, I believe there's something you should know. The woman who was found in the pool may have been held against her will.""
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
"That's ridiculous!""
The officer turned.
"Ma'am, please don't interrupt.""
"I live here. I know this family. Elena has been unstable for years.""
I stopped walking.
"What did you say?""
Vanessa's face changed.
She realized what she had said.
Elena had been missing for fourteen months.
She couldn't possibly know what her mental condition had been like during that time.
Unless...
Unless she had seen her.
Unless she had been with her.
I turned toward the officer.
"She needs to be questioned.""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"I'm not going anywhere.""
The officer calmly replied, "Nobody has asked you to leave. Yet.""
Richard moved toward her.
"Vanessa, don't say anything else.""
That was when I understood.
My brother wasn't surprised by her presence.
He was trying to protect her.
I followed the ambulance to the hospital.
At 11:43 p.m., a doctor came out of the emergency treatment area.
"Mr. Hayes?""
I stood so quickly that my chair scraped backward.
"How is she?""
"Your wife is alive. She's severely dehydrated and malnourished. We also found evidence of prolonged physical restraint and several untreated injuries.""
I gripped the back of the chair.
"Can I see her?""
"Briefly. She's exhausted, and we need to run additional tests.""
"Will she recover?""
The doctor hesitated.
"We're doing everything we can.""
I closed my eyes.
For the first time in fourteen months, I allowed myself to believe I might not lose her again.
When I entered her room, Elena was lying beneath a white blanket.
Her hair had been cleaned.
An IV line ran into her arm.
The oxygen mask had been replaced with a small tube beneath her nose.
She looked impossibly fragile.
I pulled a chair beside the bed.
"Hey, beautiful.""
Her eyes opened.
A weak smile appeared.
"You're still here.""
"Where else would I be?""
She looked toward the door.
"Is Ava safe?""
"She's with Mrs. Bennett. They're bringing her upstairs as soon as the doctors allow it.""
Elena nodded.
Then she reached for my hand.
"Marcus, listen to me carefully.""
I leaned closer.
"I'm listening.""
"Vanessa didn't find me by accident.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What happened?""
She stared at the ceiling.
"Do you remember the night of the boat accident?""
"Every second.""
"I wasn't on the boat when it sank.""
I went still.
"What?""
"I was already in the water before the explosion.""
My mouth went dry.
"Explosion?""
She nodded.
"I heard someone coming behind me. I turned around, and someone hit me. When I woke up, I was in a room with no windows.""
I held her hand tighter.
"Who took you?""
"Vanessa.""
I felt something inside me break.
"Are you sure?""
Elena looked at me.
"She was wearing your wedding ring.""
I swallowed.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"She told me you gave it to her.""
I stared at my wife.
My wedding ring.
I had given it to Elena on our anniversary. She had worn it every day until the night she disappeared.
It was recovered from the boat.
Or so I had been told.
"Why would she have it?""
Elena began crying.
"Because she was there when I disappeared.""
I stood up.
"Richard?""
She nodded.
I felt dizzy.
"Did he know?""
"Marcus, he was the one who brought me to the house.""
I gripped the bed rail.
"Which house?""
She looked at me.
"Your house.""
I couldn't speak.
"The first room was underneath the old garage," she continued.
"Then they moved me. They built something beneath the pool.""
I looked toward the hospital window.
Our mansion.
The infinity pool.
The underground hatch.
Everything suddenly seemed different.
"Why?""
Elena closed her eyes.
"Because of the money.""
"What money?""
She turned her face toward me.
"Your father's estate.""
My father had died six years earlier.
His estate had been divided between Richard and me, with the controlling interest in our family's construction company placed under a trust.
Elena had been responsible for managing some of the financial records because she was an accountant before we married.
I remembered the arguments.
The missing documents.
The strange questions Richard had started asking.
"Elena, what did you find?""
She tried to sit up.
I gently pressed her shoulder.
"Don't move.""
"I found the second set of accounts. Richard had been transferring money out of the company for years.""
My jaw tightened.
"How much?""
"Almost thirty million dollars.""
I stared at her.
"That's impossible.""
"I found the transfers. I copied the records. I told Richard I was going to report him.""
"And he attacked you?""
"He begged me to stay quiet. He said the company would collapse if anyone found out.""
She looked away.
"Then Vanessa came.""
I remembered Vanessa moving into my home.
Her insistence that I sell the old company shares.
Her questions about the trust.
Her sudden interest in Elena's jewelry.
I had dismissed every warning sign.
"What did she do?""
Elena's voice dropped.
"She told me you had chosen her.""
My throat tightened.
"What?""
"She said you knew about the money. She said you were tired of me. She said you'd agreed to let them handle everything.""
I shook my head.
"Elena, I never—"
"I know.""
She touched my cheek.
"I know now.""
I bent down and kissed her forehead.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?""
She looked at me with exhausted eyes.
"Because they showed me photographs.""
"What photographs?""
"Of you and Vanessa.""
My stomach twisted.
"They told me you were together before the accident. That you were going to divorce me.""
"That wasn't true.""
"I know.""
She started crying again.
"They told me Ava had forgotten me.""
I couldn't hold back my tears.
"She never forgot you.""
Elena covered her mouth.
"She kept asking for me?""
"Every day.""
"Did you tell her I loved her?""
I kissed her fingers.
"Every night.""
For several moments, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered something that made my blood freeze.
"Marcus, the hatch wasn't supposed to open from the pool.""
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?""
"They told me nobody would ever find it.""
"Who told you?""
"Richard.""
She grabbed my wrist.
"But that's not the worst part.""
I leaned closer.
"What else?""
Elena looked directly into my eyes.
"There's another room underneath the mansion.""
My heart pounded.
"Where?""
She swallowed.
"Behind your father's old study.""
I frowned.
"My father's study?""
She nodded.
"They keep something there.""
"What?""
She opened her mouth.
Then her eyes widened.
Someone had stopped outside the hospital room.
A shadow appeared beneath the door.
The handle slowly turned.
I stood.
"Who's there?""
The door opened.
A nurse entered carrying a small paper bag.
"Mr. Hayes?""
"Yes?""
She looked at the bag.
"Someone left this at the reception desk for your wife.""
I didn't move.
"Who?""
The nurse glanced at the label.
"It says it's from her family.""
I stared at the bag.
My family.
Then I saw the handwriting.
Richard's.
And underneath the bag was a small folded note.
I opened it.
There were only seven words.
*Ask Elena what happened to your firstborn.*
I looked at my wife.
Her face had gone completely white.
"Marcus," she whispered.
I could barely breathe.
"Elena... what firstborn?""
May you like
She closed her eyes.
And began to sob.
