Chapter 7: The Brother Who Disappeared
“His brother?””
Aaliyah stared at her mother, the letter trembling between her fingers.
Denise nodded slowly.
“Darius had an older brother. His name was Andre.””
Marcus turned toward the windows, his shoulders suddenly rigid.
Robert, who had spent the last several minutes trying to regain control of the conversation, went strangely quiet.
Aaliyah noticed both reactions.
“You know him,” she said to Marcus.
It wasn't a question.
Marcus looked back at her.
“Yes.””
“Who is he?””
“My brother.””
The answer landed harder than anything else that morning.
Aaliyah stared at him, then at the letter.
“Your brother was my biological father's brother?””
Marcus nodded.
“Darius and I shared the same mother. Andre was our older half brother.””
She sank into a chair.
“So my father had a brother, your brother, who was somehow involved in all of this?””
“Yes.””
“And nobody thought to mention that to me?””
Marcus pulled out the chair across from her.
“I wanted to tell you when you were older.””
“I'm twenty-six!””
“I know.””
“No, I don't think you do.”” She held up the letter.
“I'm standing here in my wedding dress, discovering that the man who raised me knew my biological father, my biological uncle, and apparently half the history of my family. How much more is there?””
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Denise reached for Aaliyah's hand, but Aaliyah moved it away.
“Please don't touch me right now.””
Her mother withdrew.
Marcus looked down at the letter.
“Darius and Andre had a difficult relationship. Andre was older, ambitious, and convinced that he knew what was best for everyone. When Darius started building a life with your mother, Andre disagreed with almost every decision he made.””
“Why?””
“Money. Family obligations. Old resentments. The kind of things that seem small until people let them grow for years.””
Aaliyah glanced at the document bearing Robert's signature.
“Was Andre involved with the money?””
Marcus's silence answered before he did.
“Yes.””
Robert suddenly stood.
“This is ridiculous. We have a wedding scheduled, guests arriving, and a family argument that should have happened years ago.””
Aaliyah turned toward him.
“Then leave.””
Robert blinked.
“What?””
“You heard me.””
“I'm your father.””
“You told me I wasn't your daughter when it was convenient to take my money. You told me I was your daughter when you wanted to walk me down the aisle. I'm done letting you use that word to control me.””
Robert's mouth tightened.
He grabbed his phone from the table.
“Fine. When you discover what Marcus has done, don't come crying to me.””
He strode toward the entrance, but he stopped beside the wedding coordinator, who was carrying a tray of champagne glasses.
“Make sure my name is on the family seating card,” he demanded.
“I'm the bride's father.””
The coordinator glanced uncertainly toward Aaliyah.
Aaliyah didn't look away from Robert.
“Remove his name.””
Robert's face reddened.
“You can't be serious.””
“I've never been more serious about anything.””
He stared at her, apparently waiting for her to soften.
When she didn't, he shoved his phone into his pocket and walked out.
The glass doors swung shut behind him.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Aaliyah looked at Marcus.
“Tell me about Andre.””
Marcus rubbed a hand across his face.
“After Darius died, Andre believed he should have control over the estate. He argued that he was the closest remaining male relative and understood Darius's financial affairs better than anyone else.””
“That sounds ridiculous.””
“It was. But he was persuasive, and your mother was grieving. He convinced people that he was trying to protect you.””
Denise spoke quietly.
“He came to my house carrying flowers. He offered to help with the paperwork. He said Darius had trusted him.””
“Did Darius trust him?””
Denise looked at Marcus.
“No,” Marcus answered.
“Not completely.””
Aaliyah looked back at the letter.
“What did Darius want me to forgive him for?””
Marcus took a slow breath.
“Before the accident, Darius and Andre had a serious argument. Andre wanted Darius to invest money in a business venture. Darius refused because he believed the business was unstable.””
“Andre blamed him?””
“He blamed everyone. He said Darius had betrayed the family. Then, after the accident, he claimed that Darius had promised him access to certain funds.””
Aaliyah frowned.
“But those funds were meant for me.””
“Yes.””
“So he tried to take them?””
“He tried to gain control of them.””
“Did he succeed?””
Marcus looked at the papers.
“Partially. He had access to some records and helped Robert arrange the transfer. When I discovered what was happening, I contacted an attorney and challenged the transactions.””
Aaliyah felt a chill move down her back.
“Wait. Robert said you destroyed records.””
“I preserved them.””
“Why would he say that?””
“Because Andre accused me of hiding evidence. Robert repeated the accusation whenever it suited him.””
Aaliyah looked at the letter again.
“Where is Andre now?””
Marcus's expression shifted.
“He left the state years ago.””
“Did you ever speak to him again?””
“Once.””
“When?””
“About a month before Robert contacted you.””
Aaliyah slowly lowered the letter.
“You saw him recently?””
“He called me. He said he had something important to tell me about Darius.””
“What did he say?””
Marcus hesitated.
Before he could answer, the wedding coordinator approached with a small white card.
“I'm sorry to interrupt,” she said.
“A man left this at the entrance. He asked me to give it to the bride personally.””
Aaliyah took the card.
There was no envelope, no return address, and no explanation.
Only a name written in careful black ink.
*Andre Bennett.*
Beneath it was a phone number.
And on the back, in a different hand, was a single sentence.
Ask Marcus what happened the night your father died.
Aaliyah's hands began to shake.
She looked up at Marcus.
His face had gone pale.
“Marcus?””
He didn't answer.
“Tell me what happened that night.””
He pulled out a chair and sat down as if his legs could no longer support him.
Then he whispered, “I was supposed to be with Darius.””
Aaliyah stared at him.
“What?””
Marcus looked toward the entrance where Robert had disappeared.
“I was supposed to drive him home that night.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“Why didn't you?””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Because Andre called me first.””
And for the first time since the argument began, Aaliyah saw something in her stepfather's face that she had never seen before.
Not anger.
May you like
Not sadness.
Guilt.
