Chapter 13 - Brother Against Brother
Daniel stepped from the SUV alone.
Nathan watched from behind the curtain.
Ruiz’s agents positioned themselves inside the cottage.
Rebecca placed the original ledger inside a metal case.
Daniel knocked.
Rebecca opened the door.
“Come in.”
Daniel entered.
He looked tired.
Not frightened.
His gaze landed on Nathan.
For the first time, shock broke his calm.
“You.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“You drugged Claire.”
Daniel sighed.
“She wasn’t supposed to wake up so soon.”
Nathan lunged toward him.
Ruiz blocked him.
Daniel smiled faintly.
“Still emotional.”
Nathan stared at his brother.
“You threatened Rebecca for years.”
“I protected the family.”
“By terrorizing her?”
“By keeping the truth buried.”
Rebecca’s voice sharpened.
“You became exactly like Charles.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“No.”
“Charles wanted wealth.”
“I wanted survival.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“Survival?”
“You already had everything.”
Daniel’s face twisted.
“No.”
“You had everything.”
“You were Dad’s successor.”
“You were Mom’s favorite.”
“You got the company.”
“You got the name.”
“You even got to forget.”
Nathan stared.
“Forget what?”
Daniel pointed toward Rebecca.
“The crash.”
Nathan went still.
“You didn’t lose control because of the rain.”
“You were chasing Charles.”
Nathan’s breathing changed.
Fragments returned.
Headlights.
Rebecca crying on the phone.
Charles’s car.
A bridge.
Brakes failing.
Daniel continued.
“You knew Charles had Rebecca.”
“You followed him.”
“Then someone cut your brakes.”
Nathan whispered.
“Charles.”
Daniel smiled without humor.
“Wrong.”
Everyone looked at him.
Daniel’s eyes filled with years of bitterness.
“Dad ordered it.”
Nathan stepped backward.
“No.”
“Robert Howard believed you were going to expose everything.”
“He thought you would destroy the company.”
Rebecca stared at Daniel.
“You knew?”
“I heard them arguing.”
Daniel continued.
“Dad told Charles to scare Nathan.”
“Charles had Pike sabotage the brakes.”
“But Pike overdid it.”
Nathan looked sick.
“Our father tried to kill me.”
Daniel shook his head.
“He wanted to stop you.”
“That distinction matters only to cowards.”
Ruiz stepped forward.
“Where is Charles?”
Daniel smiled.
“Closer than you think.”
A red dot appeared on Daniel’s chest.
Rebecca saw it first.
“Down.”
Gunfire shattered the cottage window.
Everyone dropped.
Agents returned fire.
Daniel crawled behind the sofa.
Nathan grabbed Rebecca.
Ruiz shouted toward the rear exit.
Another round tore through the wall.
Then Daniel looked toward the metal case.
Even while bullets flew, he reached for the ledger.
Nathan saw him.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Daniel clutched it.
“This is worth more than all of us.”
Rebecca stared at him.
And finally understood.
May you like
Daniel had never been protecting the family.
He had been waiting to own the secret.
