Chapter 5: The Man Who Was Dead
Emily couldn't move.
For ten years, she had carried a photograph of Marcus in the back of a drawer.
A brother who had supposedly died before Ethan was born.
A brother whose funeral she had attended.
A brother whose name had just appeared on her son's birth certificate.
And now his voice was coming from downstairs.
Ryan moved toward the hallway.
Emily grabbed his arm.
“You're not leaving.””
Ryan looked at her.
“Let go.””
“No.””
“Emily, you don't understand.””
“Then explain.””
He tried to pull away.
She held on.
Natalie stood against the wall, breathing rapidly.
Ethan peeked into the hallway.
The footsteps stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Then a man appeared.
Black.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
A dark coat hanging open over a gray shirt.
His hair was shorter than Emily remembered.
There were lines around his eyes.
But there was no mistaking him.
Emily's knees nearly gave out.
“Marcus…”
He looked directly at her.
“Hey, Em.””
The sound of that nickname broke something inside her.
Emily covered her mouth.
“No.””
Marcus gave a sad smile.
“I know.””
“You're dead.””
“I was supposed to be.””
Ryan stepped between them.
“Marcus, you shouldn't have come here.””
Marcus looked at him.
“You shouldn't have touched my nephew.””
Emily's head snapped toward Ryan.
Marcus continued up the stairs.
Ryan blocked him.
“You need to leave.””
Marcus didn't stop.
“I've been gone long enough.””
Natalie whispered,
“Marcus…”
He looked at her.
“You knew?””
Natalie couldn't answer.
Marcus's expression hardened.
“You knew.””
Ryan turned toward her.
“Don't.””
Marcus stepped around him.
Emily stared at her brother.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Why?””
Marcus stopped.
“I wanted to come home.””
“Then why didn't you?””
“Because Ryan made sure I couldn't.””
Ryan scoffed.
“That's not true.””
Marcus pulled a folded document from his coat.
He handed it to Emily.
She opened it.
A restraining order.
Her name was on it.
Emily looked up.
“I never filed this.””
“I know.””
Marcus pointed at the signature.
“That isn't yours.””
Emily studied it.
It looked like her handwriting.
Almost.
But not quite.
“Ryan?””
Ryan said nothing.
Emily's voice became barely audible.
“You forged my signature.””
Ryan's expression hardened.
“I was protecting you.””
“From my brother?””
“From what he knew.””
Marcus laughed once.
“You still use that line.””
Ryan stepped closer.
“You were unstable.””
Marcus's eyes flashed.
“I was exposing you.””
Emily looked between them.
“What were you exposing?””
Marcus reached into his coat again.
This time he pulled out a small flash drive.
“Everything.””
Ryan lunged.
Marcus moved aside.
Ryan's shoulder slammed into the wall.
Ethan screamed.
Emily pulled him against her.
“Stay behind me!””
Ryan regained his footing.
“Give me that.””
Marcus held up the drive.
“No.””
“You don't know what you're doing.””
“I know exactly what I'm doing.””
Marcus looked at Emily.
“There's a reason Ethan's name was changed.””
Emily's stomach dropped.
“Changed?””
Marcus nodded.
“When you were pregnant, Ryan told you the baby was his.””
Emily stared at him.
“What are you saying?””
Marcus looked at Ethan.
Then back at Emily.
“Ethan is my son.””
The room went silent.
Emily's face collapsed.
“No.””
Ryan shook his head.
“Don't listen to him.””
Marcus continued.
“You and I were together before Ryan married you.””
Emily's breathing became shallow.
Memories she had buried behind grief and confusion suddenly collided.
The timing.
The secrets.
The strange insistence Ryan had always shown about controlling Ethan's records.
Emily whispered,
“You knew.””
Marcus nodded.
“I knew the truth.””
“And Ryan?””
“He knew too.””
Ryan stepped forward.
“That isn't why I raised him.””
Marcus stared at him.
“Then tell her why.””
Ryan said nothing.
Emily looked at Ryan.
“Why?””
Ryan's eyes moved toward Ethan.
The boy was crying silently.
Ryan's voice lowered.
“Because I loved him.””
Emily stared.
“You loved him?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you hurt him?””
Ryan's face tightened.
“I never wanted him hurt.””
“You put him outside.””
“I didn't—”
“You replaced his room.””
“I needed the nursery.””
“You took his belongings.””
“I was trying to make him understand that things were changing.””
Emily's voice shook.
“He's nine.””
Ryan fell silent.
Marcus stepped closer.
“You didn't want a son.””
Ryan glared at him.
“You don't know what I wanted.””
Marcus's answer was immediate.
“You wanted control.””
Emily looked at the flash drive.
“What is on it?””
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
“Proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Ryan didn't just hide my identity.””
Marcus paused.
“He changed Ethan's entire life.””
Ryan suddenly looked frightened.
Emily noticed.
“What did you do?””
Ryan backed away.
Marcus answered for him.
“He changed the custody records.””
Emily's eyes widened.
Marcus continued.
“And that's not the worst part.””
A phone began ringing.
Ryan reached into his pocket.
Emily saw the screen.
His face went white.
The caller ID displayed a name Emily had never seen before.
*Ethan Moretti — Emergency Contact.*
Ryan answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
“Mr. Moretti, we're at the school.””
Ryan's eyes flicked toward Ethan.
Emily stepped closer.
“What school?””
The woman continued.
“We found something in Ethan's file that requires your immediate attention.””
Ryan said nothing.
“Sir?””
Emily grabbed the phone from his hand.
“What did you find?””
The woman hesitated.
“Ma'am… who are you?””
“His mother.””
Another pause.
Then the woman's voice changed.
“Mrs. Moretti…”
“Yes?””
“We have a sealed medical record here.””
Emily's heart stopped.
“What kind of record?””
May you like
The woman took a breath.
“It concerns Ethan's identity.””
