Chapter 10: The Man Who Stole His Brother’s Life
The hospital room door opened slowly.
Daniel turned toward it, still holding his phone against his ear. Martin Cole was speaking, but the words had dissolved into a distant murmur.
Lily stood beside him with the trust document trembling in her hands.
Inside the room, the man Daniel had called his father was packing a small bag.
He looked up.
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Then the man reached for the door.
“Stop!”” Daniel shouted.
The man froze.
Daniel crossed the hallway, ignoring the sharp pull in his wounded shoulder.
“You told me you were my father.””
The man lowered his eyes.
“I am.””
“Then explain why my sister says you were the man who raised her after our father died.””
The man's fingers tightened around the bag.
Lily stepped forward.
“Your name is Thomas Whitmore,” she said.
“You were married to Margaret Ashford under a different name. You raised me until I was twelve. Then you disappeared.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
Daniel felt the floor shift beneath him.
“Who are you?””
Thomas looked at him.
“My name is Thomas Whitmore. I'm your father's identical twin brother.””
Daniel stared at him.
“Where is my father?””
Thomas didn't answer.
“WHERE IS HE?””
A nurse hurried into the hallway, startled by the shouting. Detective Harris appeared behind her, followed by two uniformed officers.
Thomas slowly placed the bag on the bed.
“Your father is dead,” he said.
Daniel's breath caught.
“No.””
“He died twenty years ago.””
“You're lying.””
“I wish I were.””
Lily shook her head violently.
“You told me my father abandoned me. You said he was a selfish man who wanted nothing to do with me.””
Thomas looked at her with unbearable sadness.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“Everyone keeps saying that!”” Lily cried.
“Everyone has spent my entire life protecting me from the truth. Do you know what that feels like? To discover that every memory you have was built on a lie?””
Thomas flinched.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Tell us what happened.””
Thomas sat on the edge of the bed.
“Your father and I were born eleven minutes apart. He was always the responsible one. He built the company, married Evelyn, and raised you. I made mistakes.
I gambled. I traveled. I never wanted the life he had.””
“Then why did you raise Lily?””
“Because Margaret asked me to.””
Thomas rubbed his face.
“Margaret was dying when she contacted me. She had discovered that Eleanor had been stealing money from the family trust. She feared that if anything happened to her, Lily would be left with people who cared more about the inheritance than the child.””
Lily's eyes filled.
“My mother trusted you?””
“She trusted me to keep you safe.””
“And you lied to me.””
“Yes.””
The admission was quiet.
Thomas continued.
“I took you away from the Ashfords and gave you a different surname. I wanted you to have a normal childhood. I never told you who your real father was because I believed the truth would put you in danger.””
Daniel gripped the bedrail.
“What happened to my father?””
Thomas looked toward the window.
“Your father discovered that Eleanor was diverting money from the Ashford family trust through shell companies. He had copies of the transactions, along with evidence that Christopher had been helping her move funds through the Whitmore company.””
“Christopher was seventeen,” Daniel said.
“Old enough to understand money. Old enough to understand threats.””
Thomas's voice hardened.
“Your father confronted him. Christopher panicked. He cut the brake lines on the car your father was supposed to drive to a meeting with Richard Ashford.””
Daniel's stomach twisted.
“The accident.””
Thomas nodded.
“But Richard changed the plan at the last minute. He sent his driver instead. The car went over the embankment, and the driver died.””
“Then why did everyone believe Dad was dead?””
“Because Richard saw an opportunity. Your father had disappeared earlier that evening to meet me. Richard knew people were looking for him. When the wreck occurred, he arranged for the body to be identified as your father.””
Daniel stared at Thomas.
“And you let him?””
“I didn't know until afterward. I was with Margaret when the accident happened. By the time I realized what Richard had done, the authorities had closed the case.””
“You could have come forward.””
“Richard threatened Lily. He told me that if I exposed him, he would have her taken away and make sure she never saw another birthday.””
Lily recoiled.
“So you stayed silent.””
Thomas nodded.
“I thought I could protect you by disappearing.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You abandoned us.””
“I know.””
“You let Mom believe her husband was dead. You let me grow up without a father. You let Christopher take over the company.””
Thomas's face crumpled.
“I was afraid.””
“And what about the man who actually died in that car?””
Thomas had no answer.
Detective Harris stepped forward.
“Mr. Whitmore, we need you to accompany us to the station. There are serious questions about your identity, the original accident investigation, and the documents recovered from the warehouse.””
Thomas nodded.
“I understand.””
Before the officers could take him away, Daniel caught his arm.
“Wait.””
Thomas looked at him.
“Did you know my father was alive when you entered the warehouse?””
Thomas's expression changed.
For the first time, Daniel saw genuine confusion.
“What are you talking about?””
“The man who came into the warehouse. The man who claimed to be Dad.””
Thomas slowly shook his head.
“I haven't seen my brother in twenty years.””
Daniel released him.
The hallway seemed to tilt.
If Thomas was telling the truth, then the man who had rescued Daniel and Lily wasn't Daniel's father.
And if that man wasn't Thomas, either, then who had entered the warehouse?
Detective Harris took Thomas by the arm.
As they walked toward the elevator, Thomas turned back.
“Daniel, there's something you need to know about Christopher.””
“What?””
“Your brother didn't plan the accident alone. Someone gave him the tools, the money, and the information he needed.””
“Who?””
Thomas swallowed.
“Eleanor Ashford.””
Daniel's phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
*You have until midnight to surrender the original recording. Otherwise, Evelyn Whitmore will be arrested for your father's murder.*
A second message followed.
It contained a photograph of Evelyn sitting in the back of a police car.
Daniel stared at the screen.
His mother had been taken from the house while he was at the hospital.
He called Detective Harris.
“Where is my mother?””
“She was brought in for questioning twenty minutes ago,” Harris replied.
“Someone submitted new evidence linking her to the vehicle transfer.””
“What evidence?””
“A fingerprint on the original brake-line cutting tool.””
Daniel's heart slammed against his ribs.
“Whose fingerprint?””
Harris paused.
“Yours.””
The line went silent.
Daniel looked at his wounded shoulder, then at the empty hospital room.
Someone had planted his fingerprints on the weapon used to kill his father.
Someone wanted Evelyn imprisoned.
And someone was making sure that if Daniel tried to expose the truth, he would become the next suspect.
His phone vibrated again.
This time, the message contained a location.
*Midnight. Ashford Estate. Come alone.*
May you like
Beneath it was a final sentence.
*Bring the recording, Daniel. Or your mother dies in prison.*
