CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
ALEXANDER

The elevator dinged with a cheerful sound, indicating family drama was imminent.

I observed Elena getting tense alongside me as the doors opened. My brother Marco stood in the doorway, looking disheveled.
His dark hair was messy, and his attire was rumpled as if he had been wearing it for a week.
Under his eyes were dark circles, indicating he was tense and tired.

I was initially happy because he was alive and healthy. Afterwards, I became angry

"Thanks for coming," I spoke, my voice icy enough to freeze a lake. "Where did you travel to in Italy?"

Marco approached the lounge slowly, as if he knew how I was feeling, as one would soothe a ferocious beast. That was clever of him to do.

"Greetings to you as well, brother," he replied, though he was not joking. His eyes were on Elena, who was standing and observing us like one would follow a fascinating tennis match.

"Don't," I said, stepping slightly in their path.
I didn't think Marco would hurt Elena, but I didn't want her to be in harm's way either.
"Don't sidestep it. Tell us the answer to my question."

Elena placed a gentle hand on my arm. She was attempting to soothe me, but it only served to remind me of how much protection she needed. It reminded me of the amount of danger Marco's disappearance had brought.

"I had to leave," Marco answered bluntly. "It was complicated."

"Complicated?" I exclaimed, my voice louder than intended, but politeness was no longer important. "We were going to do this together, Marco. We had our plan in place. Then you up and left the day after Father showed up and left me to—"

"To what?" Marco repeated, this time harshly. "Since when have you ever required my assistance, Alexander? You proved a long time ago that you were capable of doing everything on your own."

I experienced a pang in my chest. "This has nothing to do with me needing help. This has everything to do with your leaving again. Whenever things get difficult, whenever I need someone I can rely upon, you disappear like a magician."

"Perhaps I wouldn't need to leave if, when I'm attempting to assist, you don't view me as a problem," Marco spoke up.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Elena's expression turn from perplexity to concern.
She was probably wondering what she had gotten herself into, going out with someone from a family that couldn't have a conversation without it turning into a battle.

"You want to discuss problems?" I stepped nearer to Marco, with the old anger welling up in me. "Let's discuss who is always absent when you most need him. Let's discuss the brother who cannot be bothered to be where he is needed."

Marco's face whitened and immediately became red with rage.
"That's a lie, and you know it."

"Do I? I notice you also ran away from here, as you also ran from Italy. Perhaps, you will also run from this place once this gets awkward."

The silence that followed was dense. Elena gripped my arm more firmly, and I could sense her tranquility attempting to hold me in place before I uttered something I would come to regret.

But I gave zero fucks about the weight of my words.

"Marco, now that you are here, I have some family news to share with you. Dad visited today."

"Yeah. I had seen him leave the building."

"He went on saying some quite interesting things about Margaret." I glanced at my brother's expression, trying to gauge if he had an idea what was going to be revealed. "Apparently, she was not quite family."

Marco seemed puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"She was adopted, Marco. Our beloved cousin, the lady we collectively considered a Moretti by blood, was in fact Vincent Carter's sister. She became a part of this family as a little girl."

Marco was surprised immediately. Whatever he was keeping a secret, the news seemed to pain him a great deal.

"No way," he uttered in a low voice. "Dad's lying."

"Is he? How do you know for certain?" I pressed, hoping to discover whether Marco was aware of anything more regarding this enigma. "Perhaps Margaret discovered it. Perhaps that's the reason she's gone."

"No." Marco was certain now. "No, Alexander. Father doesn't always speak the entire truth when it suits him. You know this. This might be one of his tricks."

"It may be the truth, and we have lived a lie our whole lives."

I could sense Elena gazing at me, perhaps contemplating why this information wounded me as deeply as it did. How do I make her understand that Margaret was the sole positive thing in our family? That the only person after our mother who loved us unconditionally, beyond our family's dark history, was her? What if it was all a lie, though?

"Even if it's the truth," Marco whispered, "Nothing changes. Margaret was family because we decided to make her family, because we loved her."

"Simple words from a person who was absent when she required his presence."

Marco recoiled as though I had punched him. "That's not true."

"Isn't that the truth? You've established a career on not being present when it mattered, Marco. When the family required your assistance, you were fighting us. When I required my brother's assistance in discovering what happened in Italy, for a moment you were there and suddenly nowhere to be found."

"Alexander, do you really wanna know why I do not stick around?", Marco's voice rising louder, frustration years in the making bursting forth at last. "Do you wish to know?"

The manner in which he spoke drew my attention. I knew this expression and the way he kept his shoulders squared. Marco was going to tell us something serious.

"Whenever I attempt to assist this family and do what in my judgment was the right thing, you bring up the trial. You are yet to forgive me for standing up for what was right rather than complying with what you desired."

The words struck like blows. He was right, and we both knew it.

"Leave, please," I spoke softly.

"Alexander—" Elena started, but was interrupted by me.

"Leave, Marco. We are done here."

My brother stared at me for a brief moment, and I noticed sadness in his eyes.
He nodded, and he headed for the elevator again. As the doors closed, I felt Elena's gaze fixed on me with interest. "What trial?" She asked softly.