Chapter 7: The Brother Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
For several seconds, nobody reacted.
Not because they didn’t understand.
Because they did.
My father was the first person to speak.
“Daniel…”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
I looked at him.
“You knew.””
He shook his head quickly.
“No.””
But his face betrayed him.
And I was tired of faces.
Tired of people looking guilty.
Tired of people carrying pieces of my life like they belonged to them.
“Tomas is dead,” I said.
My father closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
“Then whose voice was that?””
Nobody answered.
Lily looked between us.
“Daddy?””
I immediately softened.
I crouched down beside her.
“What is it, sweetheart?””
“Why is everyone scared?””
That question hurt more than anything.
Because she was right.
The adults in her life had spent months making her afraid.
And now we were doing it again.
I took her hand.
“Because sometimes grown-ups make mistakes.””
She looked at me.
“But you’ll fix it?””
I swallowed.
“Yes.””
This time, I wasn’t making a promise to her.
I was making one to myself.
I stood up.
“Mason.””
He looked at me.
“Can you check the recordings again?””
He nodded.
“For what?””
“Anything about Tomas.””
His eyes widened slightly.
“You think he’s alive?””
“I think I don’t know anything anymore.””
My father walked toward the kitchen table.
“Daniel, before you do anything…”
I turned.
“Before I do anything?””
“Yes.””
His expression was desperate.
“You need to hear the rest of the story.””
I stared at him.
“You’ve been saying that all night.””
“Because I was afraid.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You were afraid?””
My father nodded.
“Yes.””
“Of what?””
He looked at Lily.
“Of losing you.””
The answer almost made me angry.
Almost.
Because I understood fear.
I understood wanting to protect someone.
But fear did not excuse years of silence.
“You don’t protect someone by keeping them blind.””
“I know.””
“Do you?””
His shoulders dropped.
“No.””
That was the first time my father looked like the person I knew.
Not the man holding secrets.
Just my dad.
“I made the wrong choice.””
I looked away.
“Tell me about Tomas.””
My father sat down.
“When Emily and Tomas were children, he was always protective of her.””
I nodded.
I remembered Tomas.
Emily’s older brother.
A loud, confident man who treated everyone like family.
When Emily and I separated, he hated me.
Not because he thought I was a bad person.
Because he thought I had broken his sister’s heart.
“He blamed me,” I said.
My father nodded.
“Yes.””
“He told me I ruined her life.””
“Yes.””
I remembered those words.
They stayed with me.
Especially after Emily died.
“I didn’t see him after the funeral.””
My father looked down.
“Because he disappeared.””
“What?””
“He left town.””
I frowned.
“No one told me that.””
“Emily knew.””
“Why?””
My father hesitated.
“Because she was looking for him.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Why would she look for a man who hated me?””
“Because she found out something.””
“What?””
My father looked at the tablet.
“She found out Tomas had been meeting Vanessa.””
The room went silent.
Mason stopped searching.
“What?””
I stared at my father.
“Say that again.””
“Tomas and Vanessa knew each other before Emily died.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“I wish it wasn’t true.””
“How?””
“I don’t know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
My father looked at me.
“I expect you to believe what Emily found.””
He reached into his pocket.
Then placed an old photograph on the table.
I picked it up.
My hands froze.
The picture showed Vanessa.
Standing beside Tomas.
They looked younger.
The date was written on the back.
Three years before Emily died.
My stomach turned.
“Where did you get this?””
“Emily gave it to me.””
“Why didn’t you show me?””
“Because she told me not to.””
I stared at him.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
My father lowered his eyes.
“She was trying to gather proof.””
“Proof of what?””
He didn’t answer.
I looked at the picture again.
Vanessa and Tomas.
Together.
Smiling.
Like they shared a secret.
Mason spoke quietly.
“Dad.””
I turned.
“I found something.””
He rotated the tablet.
A folder appeared.
The title:
*TOMAS.*
My heart stopped.
“You had this?””
Mason nodded.
“It was on Emily’s phone backup.””
I sat down.
“How?””
“When I connected the phone, it restored some files.””
My son opened the folder.
There were messages.
Photos.
Documents.
My hands shook.
The first message was between Vanessa and Tomas.
The date was six months before Emily’s death.
Vanessa:
*She still trusts me.*
Tomas:
*Then don’t rush.*
I felt sick.
I scrolled.
Another message.
Vanessa:
*Daniel is easier than I expected.*
Tomas:
*He feels guilty. Use that.*
I stopped.
I couldn’t breathe.
Mason looked away.
My father covered his face.
I kept reading.
Vanessa:
*What about Lily?*
Tomas:
*She’s the reason he won’t let go.*
Vanessa:
*Then we need to change that.*
My hands started shaking.
No.
No.
Not my daughter.
Not again.
I looked at Vanessa’s name.
Then at my father.
“Did Emily know about this?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“And she died.””
The room became silent.
My father whispered:
“Yes.””
I stood up.
A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind.
The accident.
The secrets.
The recordings.
The hunger.
The documents.
Everything connected.
Except one thing.
The biggest question.
“What happened the night Emily died?””
My father looked at me.
“I don’t know.””
I stared at him.
“You don’t know?””
“I know pieces.””
“Then tell me.””
He took a deep breath.
“Emily called me that night.””
“When?””
“An hour before the accident.””
My heart stopped.
“What did she say?””
“She said she had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
My father looked at the photograph.
“She said Vanessa and Tomas were planning something.””
“Then why didn’t you stop her?””
His face collapsed.
“Because I didn’t understand how serious it was.””
Silence.
The kind of silence that comes after a disaster.
Then Mason spoke.
“Dad.””
I turned.
He was looking at the tablet.
“There’s another video.””
“What video?””
He looked pale.
“I don’t know.””
“Play it.””
He hesitated.
“Dad…”
“Play it.””
The screen showed a video file.
No title.
No date.
Just one word.
*LAST.*
Mason pressed play.
The image was dark.
A street.
Rain falling.
A car parked near the road.
Then Emily appeared.
Alive.
Terrified.
She was holding the phone camera herself.
Her breathing was uneven.
“Daniel,” she whispered.
My knees almost gave out.
Because I was hearing her voice again.
“But if you’re watching this…”
She looked behind her.
“I didn’t make it home.””
The video shook.
Then Emily said the sentence that froze my blood.
“I know who is trying to take Lily from you.””
A shadow moved behind her.
Emily turned.
The video captured only a glimpse of the person approaching.
Then Emily whispered:
“Oh my God.””
The screen went black.
But before it ended, one final sound came through.
A man’s voice.
A voice I recognized.
Not Tomas.
Not my father.
Someone else.
Someone who had been in my house.
Someone who had kissed my daughter goodnight.
May you like
The voice said:
“Emily, you were never supposed to find out.””
