CHAPTER 7 — THE BROTHER WHO SHOULD NOT EXIST
Claire Bennett could not move.
The phone remained pressed against her ear.
The voice on the other end was calm.
Too calm.
Like a man who had waited years for this exact moment.
Like someone who already knew how the conversation would end.
“My brother married you.”
A pause.
“But I was the one who was supposed to.”
Claire’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who are you?”
The man did not answer immediately.
Instead, she heard a faint sound.
A glass being placed on a table.
A quiet breath.
Then:
“My name is Damian Hale.”
The room seemed to become colder.
Claire looked at Victoria.
The woman who had faced powerful businessmen.
The woman who had manipulated an entire family.
The woman who had walked into a bridal suite like she owned the world.
Victoria Hale was afraid.
Not pretending.
Not calculating.
Afraid.
Claire noticed.
And Damian noticed too.
Because he laughed softly.
“Is she there?”
Claire remained silent.
“Victoria?”
The older woman stepped forward.
“Hang up.”
The command was immediate.
Claire looked at her.
“Why?”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“Because you don’t know who you’re speaking to.”
Damian heard her.
“Still protecting everyone from the truth, Mother?”
The word made Claire freeze.
Mother.
Damian called Victoria his mother.
But according to everything Claire knew…
Adrian was her only son.
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Damian.”
His voice changed.
Not angry.
Worse.
Personal.
“You always hated that name.”
Claire watched Victoria.
For the first time, she looked older.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like every year she had spent hiding had finally caught up with her.
“You were never supposed to come back.”
Damian laughed.
“Neither was Adrian supposed to marry Claire.”
Silence.
Claire felt her stomach tighten.
Again.
Her name was connected to everything.
Not because of who she was.
But because of what everyone wanted from her.
“What do you want?”
Claire asked.
Damian answered immediately.
“The truth.”
She almost laughed.
“Everyone says that.”
“Because everyone has a different version.”
His voice lowered.
“Your father’s.”
“Your mother’s.”
“Victoria’s.”
“Adrian’s.”
“And mine.”
Claire looked at the letter in her hand.
“What is your version?”
Damian paused.
Then:
“The version where I was erased.”
The words carried something she did not expect.
Pain.
Not just anger.
Pain.
“What happened to you?”
Victoria stepped closer.
“Claire, do not listen.”
Damian laughed.
“Of course she says that.”
He sounded almost amused.
“She spent twenty years making sure nobody listened.”
Claire looked between them.
“Victoria.”
The older woman remained silent.
“Tell me.”
Nothing.
“Tell me who Damian Hale is.”
Victoria’s face tightened.
“He is my son.”
The answer shocked Claire.
Because Victoria admitted it.
No denial.
No manipulation.
Just the truth.
“Then why did everyone think he died?”
Victoria looked away.
“Because he was supposed to.”
Claire felt a chill.
“What does that mean?”
Damian answered.
“It means my mother decided one child was enough.”
The words hung in the room.
Claire slowly turned toward the phone.
“What?”
Damian’s voice became colder.
“When I was born, there were complications.”
Claire listened.
“My father wanted both children.”
“Victoria wanted one heir.”
“Adrian was healthy.”
“I was not.”
Claire felt sick.
“What happened?”
A long silence.
Then Damian said:
“She left me.”
Victoria’s expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Claire saw guilt.
Real guilt.
“I was four years old when I learned my own mother had chosen a life without me.”
Victoria whispered:
“That is not what happened.”
Damian laughed.
“You told them I died.”
“I protected you.”
“No.”
His voice became sharper.
“You protected yourself.”
The silence afterward was unbearable.
Claire looked at Victoria.
“Where were you?”
Victoria did not answer.
“Where was Damian?”
Again.
Nothing.
Damian answered.
“In a hospital.”
Claire looked at the phone.
“By yourself?”
“No.”
A pause.
“There was someone there.”
“Who?”
Damian’s voice changed.
“Your mother.”
Claire froze.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
The room went completely silent.
Victoria looked away.
Claire felt like the floor had disappeared.
“My mother knew you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because your parents discovered what Victoria had done.”
Claire looked at Victoria.
“What did you do?”
Victoria remained silent.
Damian continued.
“She created a story.”
“A story where I never existed.”
Claire swallowed.
“And my mother helped you?”
“No.”
His voice became softer.
“Your mother tried to help me.”
The words created another impossible question.
“If she helped you, why did she disappear?”
Damian did not answer immediately.
When he did…
His voice was different.
“He killed her.”
Claire froze.
“Who?”
A pause.
Then:
“Adrian.”
The world stopped.
“No.”
Claire’s response came instantly.
Impossible.
Not Adrian.
Not the man who had held her hand.
Not the man who looked at her like she mattered.
Damian continued.
“That is why Victoria chose you.”
Claire looked at the older woman.
Victoria looked horrified.
Not because Damian lied.
Because Claire was hearing it.
“Your family was destroyed because of what Adrian did.”
“No.”
Claire shook her head.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
Damian asked quietly.
“Ask him.”
Claire’s breathing became uneven.
“Ask Adrian what happened the night your parents died.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“Claire, don’t.”
That was the moment Claire knew.
Something was hidden.
Because Victoria was not trying to stop Damian from hurting her.
She was trying to stop her from finding out.
Claire ended the call.
The room was silent.
Then her phone immediately rang again.
Adrian.
She stared at his name.
Victoria watched her.
“Do not answer.”
Claire looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because if he knows Damian contacted you, everything changes.”
Claire answered.
“Adrian.”
His voice came instantly.
“Where are you?”
The concern was obvious.
Real.
But Claire could not forget Damian’s words.
“You knew about Damian.”
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
That was all she needed.
“You did.”
Adrian’s breathing changed.
“Claire…”
“You knew.”
“I can explain.”
“No.”
Her voice became colder.
“You knew my mother was alive.”
Silence.
“You knew your brother existed.”
Silence.
“You knew something about my parents.”
“Claire, listen to me.”
“Did you know what happened the night they died?”
Another silence.
A terrible one.
Then Adrian whispered:
“Yes.”
Claire closed her eyes.
A tear almost escaped.
Not from sadness.
From betrayal.
“How long?”
“Since before we met.”
The answer destroyed the last piece of trust she had left.
“Why marry me?”
Adrian’s voice broke slightly.
“Because I wanted to protect you.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“You all keep saying that.”
“Claire—”
“No.”
She looked at Victoria.
Then at the old letter.
Then toward the darkness outside.
“Tell me the truth.”
Adrian was silent.
So Claire asked again.
“What happened that night?”
A long pause.
Then Adrian finally spoke.
“The night your parents died…”
His voice became almost a whisper.
“I was there.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“What?”
“I was seventeen.”
“No.”
“I saw what happened.”
The room spun.
“Adrian…”
“I tried to stop it.”
“Stop what?”
His answer came quietly.
“The fire.”
Claire’s face went pale.
Because her parents had not died in a car accident.
They died in a fire.
And Adrian Hale had been there.
Before Claire could speak…
Adrian said the sentence that changed everything.
“I was the person who pulled you out of the burning house.”
The phone slipped slightly in her hand.
Claire could barely breathe.
Because suddenly…
The man she thought was her enemy…
Was also the person who saved her life.
But then Adrian added:
“And I was also the reason your parents never came home that night.”
The call went silent.
And Claire Bennett finally understood.
The truth was not black and white.
May you like
It was much worse.
It was Adrian Hale.
