Chapter 4 - THE BROTHER WHO NEVER DIED
They left Brooklyn before midnight.
Julian insisted on moving Elena and Lily to a private residence outside the city.
Elena resisted.
“I don't need your protection.”
“You need protection.”
“I survived twelve years without you.”
“And someone just photographed your sister.”
Elena fell silent.
Julian's voice softened.
“I won't force you.”
That sentence surprised her.
She looked at him.
“You really changed.”
“So did you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He glanced at her.
“You used to argue with everyone.”
“I still do.”
“You used to steal the sugar packets from hospital cafeterias.”
Elena stared.
“You remember that?”
“I remember everything.”
For a moment, the danger disappeared.
They were seventeen and twenty-three again.
Then Lily spoke from the back seat.
“You two have history.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Julian almost smiled.
“You could say that.”
Lily looked between them.
“Were you dating?”
“No,” Elena said.
“Yes,” Julian said at exactly the same time.
Elena stared at him.
Julian cleared his throat.
“We were not dating.”
Lily smiled.
“Sure.”
It was the first normal moment Elena had experienced in days.
Then Julian's phone rang.
Martin Hale.
Julian answered.
“Martin?”
The lawyer's voice sounded urgent.
“I found Daniel.”
Julian sat straighter.
“Where?”
“Flagstaff.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
Julian closed his eyes.
“I'm coming.”
Martin hesitated.
“You need to know something.”
“What?”
“Daniel doesn't trust you.”
Julian frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he believes your family abandoned him.”
Daniel Cross lived in a small house outside Flagstaff.
No security.
No luxury.
No evidence that he had once belonged to one of America's wealthiest families.
When Julian arrived, Daniel was standing on the porch.
He looked older than his forty-two years.
Gray beard.
Weathered face.
One leg slightly stiff.
His eyes were the same dark brown as Julian's.
For several seconds, neither brother moved.
Then Daniel said,
“You shouldn't have come.”
Julian's throat tightened.
“You're alive.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Apparently.”
Julian climbed the steps.
“Why did they tell me you died?”
“Because it was easier.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked toward Elena.
She stood behind Julian.
“You know.”
Elena nodded.
“Your brother saved my life.”
Daniel's expression softened.
“I remember.”
Julian stared.
“You were there?”
Daniel nodded.
“I saw the car before it crashed.”
Julian's heart pounded.
“What happened?”
Daniel looked toward the mountains.
“Our father was meeting someone that night.”
“Who?”
“Richard Lawrence.”
Julian went still.
Daniel continued.
“They argued.”
“About money?”
“About evidence.”
“What evidence?”
Daniel looked directly at Elena.
“Your father discovered the Lawrence family was stealing from Cross Industries.”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“How much?”
“Enough to destroy them.”
“Then why wasn't anyone arrested?”
“Because the evidence disappeared.”
Julian looked at Elena.
“And the accident?”
Daniel nodded.
“They wanted Caroline Navarro dead.”
“Why?”
“She had copies.”
Elena's face went pale.
“My mother.”
“She knew where the money went.”
Daniel stepped inside.
“Come in.”
The house smelled of coffee and old wood.
Daniel opened a metal cabinet.
Inside were folders.
Photographs.
USB drives.
Newspaper clippings.
He removed one photograph.
It showed Richard Lawrence shaking hands with Julian's father.
Another showed Caroline standing outside a courthouse.
Then Daniel pulled out a document.
“This is the original transfer record.”
Julian took it.
Millions had moved from Cross Industries into shell companies.
The final beneficiary was a trust.
The trust belonged to Richard Lawrence.
Julian looked sick.
“My father knew.”
“Yes.”
“And he confronted him.”
“Yes.”
“And then the accident happened.”
Daniel nodded.
“But that's not the worst part.”
“What is?”
Daniel pulled out another file.
“The money didn't stop.”
Julian stared.
“How much?”
“More than thirty million dollars.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Where did it go?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Into a foundation.”
“What foundation?”
Daniel handed her the paper.
Elena read the name.
LAWRENCE CHILDREN'S FUTURE FOUNDATION.
Her stomach dropped.
“That foundation still exists.”
“Yes.”
Julian frowned.
“My father donated to it.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Your father didn't donate that money.”
Silence.
“He was forced.”
That evening, Julian called his chief financial officer.
“Freeze every account connected to the Lawrence Foundation.”
The CFO hesitated.
“Mr. Cross, that could trigger legal consequences.”
“Do it.”
“What should I tell the board?”
“Tell them I suspect financial fraud.”
Elena watched him.
“You're going to war with your future in-laws.”
Julian looked at her.
“I've already lost twelve years.”
“You could lose your company.”
“I don't care.”
Elena shook her head.
“You should.”
He stepped closer.
“I care about finding out who tried to kill you.”
“And if it destroys everything?”
“Then I rebuild.”
She looked away.
That was the problem with Julian Cross.
He had always believed broken things could be rebuilt.
Elena had learned that some things could only be survived.
At midnight, Daniel received a call.
He answered.
His face changed.
“What?”
He stood.
“Who is this?”
The line went dead.
Julian noticed.
“What happened?”
Daniel looked at him.
“They know I'm alive.”
Elena's stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Daniel didn't answer.
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone froze.
Then another.
Glass shattered.
Julian grabbed Elena.
“Down!”
The lights went out.
Lily screamed.
Daniel moved toward the hallway.
“Stay back!”
A shadow crossed the window.
Julian pulled Elena behind the wall.
Then a gunshot exploded through the room.
Daniel fell.
“Daniel!”
Julian ran toward him.
Blood spread across Daniel's shirt.
Elena screamed.
“Call 911!”
Julian pressed his hand against the wound.
Daniel grabbed his wrist.
“Don't.”
“You're bleeding.”
“Listen.”
Julian leaned closer.
Daniel whispered,
“The key.”
“What key?”
“Your father's.”
Daniel pulled a small brass key from around his neck.
“Safe deposit box.”
“Where?”
“Cross National Bank.”
Julian took it.
Daniel's eyes closed.
“And Julian…”
“What?”
“Don't trust Vivian.”
Julian froze.
Daniel whispered one final sentence.
“She knows.”
The ambulance arrived.
Daniel survived.
But before dawn, another discovery was made.
Someone had broken into the hospital.
The security cameras showed one person entering the building.
A woman.
Blonde.
Silver coat.
Julian watched the footage.
His face went cold.
Vivian Lawrence.
May you like
She had come to the hospital at 3:12 a.m.
And she had gone directly to Daniel's room.
