Chapter 8: The People Who Wanted Us Both
The voice outside the workshop did not sound angry.
That was what frightened me most.
Anger was predictable.
Anger was loud.
Anger gave you warning.
This voice was calm.
Controlled.
Like whoever was standing outside already knew how this would end.
Marcus moved immediately.
He stepped between me and the door.
The same brother who had betrayed me was now protecting me.
The irony almost hurt.
“Stay behind me,” he whispered.
I stared at him.
“Five years ago, you destroyed my family.””
His jaw tightened.
“I know.””
“And now you’re telling me to trust you?””
“No.””
He looked back at me.
“I’m telling you to survive.””
The door handle moved.
Slowly.
Once.
Twice.
Marcus grabbed an old metal tool from the workbench.
I clenched my fists.
Not because I wanted a fight.
Because I wanted my daughter.
Every second away from Lily felt wrong.
My phone was in my pocket.
I needed to call Clara.
I needed to make sure Lily was safe.
Before I could move, the workshop door opened.
A man stepped inside.
He was older.
Maybe in his sixties.
Gray suit.
Clean shoes.
No mask.
No weapon visible.
That somehow made him more dangerous.
People who were afraid of consequences usually hid their faces.
This man walked in like he owned the building.
He looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
Then smiled.
“Bear.””
My entire body stiffened.
Nobody called me that with familiarity except family.
“Who are you?””
The man ignored the question.
Instead, he looked around the workshop.
“Your father spent a lot of time here.””
I stepped forward.
“You knew him?””
The man smiled slightly.
“Better than you did.””
Those words cut deeper than they should have.
Because lately, everyone seemed to know my family better than me.
Marcus’s voice became cold.
“You shouldn’t be here.””
The man looked at him.
“Still pretending you’re the hero?””
Marcus’s expression changed.
A mixture of anger and shame.
I noticed.
This man knew him.
Not just knew him.
Owned some part of his past.
“Who is he?”” I asked.
Marcus didn’t answer.
The man did.
“My name is Victor Hale.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But Marcus reacted.
That was enough.
“You know him,” I said.
Marcus kept staring at Victor.
“Unfortunately.””
Victor smiled.
“That’s not a very kind way to describe an old friend.””
“Friend?””
I looked at Marcus.
He looked away.
Victor walked farther inside.
“We’ve all made mistakes.””
I laughed quietly.
“You people love that word.””
“What word?””
“Mistakes.””
I stepped closer.
“You break families. You threaten children. You lie for years.””
My voice lowered.
“And you call it a mistake.””
Victor studied me.
“You’re more like your father than you realize.””
“Don’t talk about my father.””
“Why?””
His smile disappeared.
“Because he spent his entire life running from the same thing you’re facing now.””
I felt my anger rising.
But I controlled it.
I had learned.
Anger was useful.
But only if you held the leash.
“What do you want?””
Victor looked at me.
“Your daughter.””
The room went silent.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t blink.
“You’re leaving.””
Victor sighed.
“I was hoping we could have a civilized conversation.””
“You want my daughter.””
“I want to help her.””
I stepped forward.
“Everyone says that.””
Something flashed in Victor’s eyes.
Recognition.
“You’ve been hearing the same story.””
“Yes.””
“And yet you still don’t understand.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Don’t listen to him.””
Victor looked at him.
“You already made enough mistakes, Marcus.””
My eyes moved between them.
“What does that mean?””
Victor smiled.
“Your brother knows.””
I turned.
“Knows what?””
Marcus was silent.
That silence hurt more than anything.
“Marcus.””
He closed his eyes.
Then finally spoke.
“I worked for him.””
The words landed like a punch.
I stared.
“What?””
“Years ago.””
“How long?””
Marcus looked ashamed.
“Before Lily was born.””
My chest tightened.
All those years.
All those secrets.
“Why?””
Victor answered for him.
“Because he needed money.””
Marcus looked at Victor.
“Stop.””
But Victor continued.
“He came to us desperate.””
I looked at Marcus.
“Is that true?””
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt.
“How far did it go?””
Marcus swallowed.
“I gave them information.””
My hands curled.
“Information about what?””
His voice was barely audible.
“About your family.””
The old anger came back.
The kind that burned.
“You told strangers about us?””
“I didn’t know what they wanted.””
“You didn’t know?””
Marcus looked at me.
“I thought they wanted business information.””
“And then?””
His face changed.
“Then Lily was born.””
I waited.
“That’s when I realized.””
“What?””
“That they weren’t interested in money.””
He looked at the ground.
“They were interested in her.””
Victor calmly watched us.
Like this was a conversation he had seen before.
“You see, Bear, your brother made one mistake.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Don’t.””
Victor ignored him.
“He thought he could leave.””
I looked at Marcus.
“And you couldn’t?””
Marcus shook his head.
“They threatened me.””
Victor smiled.
“Threatened?””
He looked amused.
“Such a dramatic word.””
I turned toward him.
“You threatened a family.””
“No.””
He corrected me.
“We offered opportunities.””
I almost laughed.
“You’re unbelievable.””
Victor didn’t react.
“Your daughter’s condition could help millions.””
“There it is.””
“What?””
“The excuse.””
Victor’s expression hardened slightly.
“It’s not an excuse.””
“Maybe not.””
I looked him directly in the eye.
“But it doesn’t give you the right to take my child.””
For the first time, Victor looked frustrated.
“You don’t understand the science.””
“I don’t need to.””
I stepped forward.
“I understand being a father.””
The silence that followed was different.
Even Marcus looked at me.
Victor studied my face.
Then he said something unexpected.
“You really are like him.””
“Like who?””
“Your father.””
I froze.
Victor reached into his coat.
Marcus immediately moved.
But Victor only pulled out a photograph.
He placed it on the workbench.
I looked down.
My father.
Standing beside Victor.
And beside them…
A younger version of Marcus.
My stomach dropped.
“This was taken twenty years ago.””
I stared.
“Why?””
Victor’s voice became quieter.
“Because your father was part of this before you ever knew.””
I picked up the photograph.
There was a symbol in the corner.
A circle with a strange mark inside.
I had seen it before.
On the documents in my father’s office.
On the old box Marcus found.
“What is this?””
Victor looked at me.
“The reason your father hid everything.””
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A message.
From Clara.
My heart jumped.
I opened it.
Only three words.
*Bear. Come home.*
Then another message appeared.
A photo.
My house.
The front door.
Open.
My blood ran cold.
Then the final message came.
*Lily is gone.*
Everything stopped.
I looked up.
Marcus saw my face.
“What happened?””
I couldn’t speak.
Not because I didn’t want to.
Because the words felt impossible.
Victor’s calm expression disappeared.
For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.
“What?””
I turned the phone toward him.
“My daughter.””
Marcus grabbed the phone.
“No.””
His voice broke.
“No, no, no.””
He looked at me.
“Bear…”
I was already moving.
Running.
Because whatever secrets existed.
Whatever betrayals happened.
Whatever truth waited at the end of this nightmare…
None of it mattered.
May you like
My little girl was missing.
And I was five minutes too late.
