Chapter 13 Brother
Derek felt a cold shiver run through him.
The photo showed him and Reena in bed, taken from outside the apartment's bedroom window.
Someone had been watching them.
His hands shook as he turned the photograph over.
On the back, someone had written in elegant script:
"Do you think your secret can be hidden till the end – C."
For a moment, Derek noticed a faint, familiar smell he couldn't quite place. It made him uneasy, as someone he should remember had just left the hallway.
It was the same scent that clung to the letters he'd received years ago, the ones he could never figure out. His skin prickled with unease.
C.
Who the hell was C?
"Derek?" Reena appeared in the hallway, her expression curious. "What is it?"
Derek stuffed the photograph into his pocket as quickly as he could.
"Nothing." His voice sounded strained. "Wrong address."
As he closed the door, a sense of dread settled over him.
Someone knew.
Someone was watching.
Eva spent the rest of the morning at her father's house.
Ethan was excited to see both his mother and his sister. The twins quickly ran off to play in the garden, their laughter echoing through the house like music.
Eva watched them from the terrace, smiling with a mix of happiness and sadness.
They were so innocent, so unaware of the trouble building around them. She would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect that innocence.
"You look like you're carrying the weight of the world."
Eva turned and saw a familiar figure step onto the terrace.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, with brown eyes like hers and a smile that always made her feel safe.
"Daniel."
Her brother.
Technically, Daniel was her adopted brother. Eva's father adopted him because her mother had trouble conceiving.
A few years later, Eva was born, but Daniel was still treated as their son and always remained her brother.
He was ten years older than Eva and was raised to take over the Fransis family business. He was studying in another country when their mother died and only came back after Eva got married.
As a child, Eva always noticed the difference. Daniel was part of the family, but sometimes it felt like something invisible separated them.
Even now, she couldn't shake the feeling of distance that came from knowing he was family, but not by blood.
It was a bond she wanted to understand, but never knew how to reach for.
They had never been close. Too many years and too much distance stood between them.
But now, seeing him there, Eva felt a wave of relief.
"I heard what happened." Daniel's expression was serious as he approached. "Dad told me everything."
"Did he?" Eva turned to watch the children. "Then you know my life is falling apart."
"I know your husband is a bastard who doesn't deserve you." Daniel leaned on the terrace railing beside her. "I also know you're stronger than you think."
Eva let out a bitter laugh. "Am I?"
"Yes." Daniel's voice was firm. "You've survived seven years in that marriage. Seven years of being treated like garbage by people who weren't fit to clean your shoes. Most people would have broken. But you're still standing."
Eva felt her throat tighten.
"I don't feel strong, Daniel," she admitted quietly. "I feel... tired. Scared. Like I'm drowning and can't find the surface."
"That's okay." Daniel put a hand on her shoulder. "That's what family is for. To hold you up when you can't hold yourself."
Eva looked at him, surprised by how sincere he seemed.
She and Daniel had barely spoken over the years. He was always traveling, busy with work abroad. She had thought he didn’t care, that she was just the sister he put up with because he had to.
But the warmth in his eyes made her think otherwise.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked.
Daniel's expression changed, and she saw a hint of guilt.
"Because I should have been there for you a long time ago." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I remember Eva, I remember getting Dad's call on that day, he just announced you would marry Derek."
He held her hands in his. "I was in London, working nonstop, but I could have booked a flight that same night. I could have come for you. Instead, I turned off my phone, told myself it was just another family drama."
Daniel let go of her hand and turned around, continuing, "and the night of your engagement, I sat alone in my flat listening to the rain, knowing I should have been here. I could have talked some sense into Dad, maybe changed his mind. But I didn't. I told myself it wasn't my place to interfere. I wasn't family."
"Daniel—"
"Let me finish." He looked her in the eyes. "I failed you, Eva. As a brother, I failed you. And I'm sorry. I'm going to spend the rest of my life making up for that."
Eva stared at him, her eyes filling with tears she tried to hold back.
First, her father. Then Adrian. Now Daniel.
For so long, she had felt completely alone. She was surrounded by enemies and abandoned by everyone she trusted.
But now, one by one, people were stepping forward, standing by her side, and promising to fight for her, to be with her.
Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Daniel smiled, a rare, genuine smile that softened his usually serious face.
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me when that bastard is rotting in prison." His eyes grew hard with resolve. "Now, tell me everything. I want to know exactly what we're dealing with."
While Eva confided in her brother, Adrian Cavanaugh was conducting his own investigation.
His office was on the top floor of Cavanaugh Tower, a tall skyscraper in the city center that served as his family's main office. Huge windows looked out over the city, but Adrian didn't care about the view.
He was interested in the woman on his computer screen.