Chapter 9 — Marcus Finally Admitted What His Brother Had Done
The next morning, Marcus arrived before sunrise.
He didn't knock.
He had a key.
That irritated me more than it should have.
I opened the door.
“Why do you have a key?”
He looked embarrassed.
“Julian gave it to me.”
“Of course he did.”
Marcus stepped inside.
He looked like he hadn't slept.
Neither had I.
“Where's Julian?”
“Downstairs.”
Marcus nodded.
“I need to talk to you first.”
I crossed my arms.
“About what?”
“About my brother.”
“That could take all day.”
“I know.”
He sat down.
For several seconds, he stared at his hands.
Then he said:
“I helped him.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He looked up.
“You don't know how much.”
I sat across from him.
“Tell me.”
Marcus took a breath.
“The night Julian lost his job, he called me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he had made a terrible mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He had moved the money.”
I frowned.
“You told me he moved it to protect us.”
“He did.”
“Then what's the mistake?”
“He moved it without telling you.”
I looked away.
Marcus continued.
“He thought he could fix everything himself.”
“That sounds like Julian.”
“He also asked me to lie.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
“What did he tell you to say?”
“That he had been laid off because of downsizing.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So you knew.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Twenty-two months.”
The number hit me.
Almost the entire period of my husband's supposed unemployment.
I stood.
“You watched me work extra hours.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me worry about our mortgage.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me tell our children we couldn't afford things.”
Marcus's eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was ashamed.”
“You should be.”
He nodded.
“I am.”
I walked toward the window.
“Why?”
“Because Julian believed silence would keep you safe.”
“And you believed him?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
“I realized he was wrong.”
I turned.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Because by then, Vane knew my name.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“He sent me a photograph.”
“Of what?”
“My daughter.”
I stared at him.
Marcus's daughter was six.
He pulled out his phone.
He showed me the photograph.
A school playground.
His daughter standing beside the fence.
Taken from across the street.
I felt sick.
“They were watching her.”
“Yes.”
“Did Julian know?”
“Yes.”
“And that's why you stayed silent.”
“Yes.”
I sat down.
For the first time, I understood why Marcus had looked guilty instead of defensive.
He hadn't been protecting Julian.
He had been protecting his child.
But that didn't erase what he had done.
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“Maybe together we could have found a way.”
“I know.”
“Instead, you let Julian make every decision.”
Marcus nodded.
“That was my mistake.”
Silence settled between us.
Then Marcus said:
“There is something worse.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“The night Julian moved the $1.2 million, he didn't do it alone.”
“Who helped him?”
“I did.”
My eyes narrowed.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I drove him to the bank.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because he couldn't trust the company vehicles.”
“What happened at the bank?”
Marcus looked down.
“Julian met Daniel.”
“And?”
“Daniel gave him a box.”
“What was inside?”
“Documents.”
“Which documents?”
“Your mother's.”
My heart stopped.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
Marcus continued.
“Daniel told Julian that Vane had found a way to access old records.”
“So Julian moved the money.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Northbridge.”
I nodded slowly.
“And then?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Julian asked me to destroy something.”
“What?”
“A hard drive.”
I felt cold.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I couldn't do it.”
“Where is it?”
Marcus stood.
“I kept it.”
He reached into his jacket.
A small black drive.
I stared at it.
“What is on it?”
“Everything Julian didn't want anyone to see.”
I took it.
My fingers trembled.
“Why give it to me now?”
“Because I'm done choosing between my brother and the truth.”
I looked at him.
“What does it contain?”
“Emails.”
“From whom?”
“Julian.”
“To whom?”
“Daniel.”
“And Vane?”
“Some.”
I looked at the drive.
“Can we open it?”
“Not here.”
“Why?”
“Because if someone is monitoring us…”
He didn't finish.
We both looked toward the ceiling.
Then the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The entire house went dark.
Marcus stood immediately.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Emma.”
“I am tired of people telling me to stay somewhere.”
He smiled faintly.
“Fair.”
We moved downstairs.
Julian was standing in the hallway.
His face was pale.
“You gave her the drive?”
Marcus nodded.
Julian looked at me.
“I didn't want you to see that.”
“I know.”
He closed his eyes.
“Then you know what it means.”
“I know it means you lied.”
“There's more.”
“Of course there is.”
He looked at Marcus.
“You shouldn't have given it to her.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“I'm not protecting you anymore.”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“Do you know what happens if she opens it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know what happens to us.”
Marcus looked at me.
“What happens?”
Julian didn't answer.
I did.
“Whatever happens next, it happens because I deserve the truth.”
Marcus nodded.
We went into the basement.
There was an old computer Julian hadn't used in years.
Marcus connected the drive.
The screen lit up.
Hundreds of folders appeared.
Dates.
Names.
Payments.
Then one folder.
MARGARET VALE — FINAL FILE
I clicked it.
A video opened.
The picture was grainy.
Black and white.
A woman sat at a desk.
My mother.
Twenty-four years younger.
I covered my mouth.
She looked directly into the camera.
And then she spoke.
“If my daughter ever sees this…”
I stopped breathing.
My mother's voice.
A voice I hadn't heard since childhood.
She continued:
“Emma, if you're watching this, then Julian has failed to keep you away from Vane.”
I looked at my husband.
He looked shattered.
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
“You will want to hate him.”
She paused.
“Don't.”
I stared at the screen.
“Because he didn't choose this.”
My heart pounded.
My mother continued:
“He chose you.”
The video suddenly glitched.
The screen went black.
Then one final sentence appeared.
FILE CORRUPTED — 1 MINUTE REMAINING
Marcus looked at me.
“There may be another copy.”
“Where?”
He didn't know.
Julian did.
I turned toward him.
“Where is the backup?”
He looked at me.
May you like
And whispered:
“In the house you never knew I owned.”
