Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO STOLE HIS BROTHER’S LIFE
A man appeared at the top of the stairs.
He looked almost exactly like the photograph.
Older now.
Gray hair.
Cold eyes.
A face that belonged to Dominic.
But somehow, looking at him felt wrong.
My mother whispered—
“Frank Russo.”
Dominic stared.
His father.
The man he had buried.
Frank smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Dominic's gun remained raised.
“You're not my father.”
Frank's smile disappeared.
“Of course I am.”
“No.”
Dominic's voice was calm.
“My father died.”
Frank laughed.
“Your father died?”
He looked toward my mother.
“She still lies beautifully.”
My mother stood.
“You killed Jonathan.”
Frank's expression hardened.
“He was weak.”
“He was your brother.”
“He was in my way.”
Dominic's hands tightened.
“What did you do to him?”
Frank looked at him.
“I became him.”
The words were quiet.
Then everything became clear.
The funeral.
The closed casket.
The forged documents.
The contracts.
The empire.
Frank had killed his own twin and taken his identity.
But there was one thing he hadn't counted on.
Jonathan's daughter.
Me.
Frank looked at me.
“You look like him.”
I couldn't move.
“You knew I existed.”
“I always knew.”
“Then why didn't you find me?”
“I didn't need to.”
He looked at Dominic.
“Your brother protected you.”
“My brother?”
“Jonathan.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“My father wasn't my father.”
“No.”
Frank smiled.
“Jonathan was.”
Dominic looked at me.
Then back at Frank.
“You're saying Jonathan was my biological father?”
Frank nodded.
“Your mother loved him.”
My mother closed her eyes.
Frank continued.
“She chose him.”
“And you killed him.”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No apology.
That was when I understood something.
Frank wasn't pretending anymore.
He believed everything he had done was justified.
Dominic lowered his gun slightly.
“Why did you need me?”
Frank looked almost proud.
“Because Jonathan left everything to you.”
Dominic frowned.
“The empire?”
“No.”
Frank pointed toward me.
“The legal inheritance.”
I felt sick.
“The contracts.”
“Yes.”
“The translations.”
“Yes.”
“The company.”
“Yes.”
Frank smiled.
“Everything depends on your signature.”
Dominic looked at my mother.
“What does Casey inherit?”
My mother answered.
“Control of the original holding trust.”
Frank's smile vanished.
“She wasn't supposed to know.”
My mother looked at me.
“I made sure she would.”
Frank raised his gun.
Marco fired from below.
Chaos erupted.
Dominic grabbed me.
We ran.
My mother ducked behind a pillar.
Frank disappeared into the upper corridor.
Gunfire echoed through the warehouse.
Then silence.
Dominic pulled me behind a concrete wall.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Your mother?”
I looked.
She was gone.
“Mom!”
Dominic stopped me.
“Wait.”
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor.
My mother.
She was holding a small red book.
Frank stood behind her.
His gun pressed against her back.
“Drop your weapon.”
Dominic didn't move.
Frank smiled.
“Come on, Dominic.”
He looked at me.
“You want her alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring me the contract.”
Dominic frowned.
“What contract?”
“The one your little waitress found.”
I felt cold.
Frank knew about the restaurant.
He knew about me.
He had been watching.
Dominic said—
“You don't have it.”
Frank smiled.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“She does.”
I realized what he meant.
The copy of the contract was still inside my bag.
Frank had known.
He wasn't trying to kill us.
He was trying to force us to reveal the original.
My mother looked at me.
Then subtly shook her head.
Don't.
I understood.
There was something else inside the red book.
Frank noticed my eyes move.
He smiled.
“Open it.”
My mother whispered—
“Casey, don't.”
Frank pressed the gun harder.
“Open it.”
I took the book.
Inside was a handwritten list.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
But at the bottom was something unexpected.
A signature.
Dominic Russo.
I looked at Dominic.
He shook his head.
“I never signed that.”
Frank laughed.
“Of course you did.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“I was twelve.”
Frank's smile vanished.
“What?”
Dominic pointed at the date.
“I was twelve years old.”
My mother looked at him.
Then at the document.
She suddenly understood.
“It wasn't Dominic.”
Frank's face changed.
“Who?”
My mother looked at me.
“It was Jonathan.”
Dominic stared.
Frank went pale.
My mother whispered—
“Jonathan signed it before he died.”
Frank's hand trembled.
The entire story was changing.
Then Marco shouted from below—
“Boss!”
Dominic turned.
A second group had entered the warehouse.
Police.
Federal agents.
Frank looked toward the stairs.
My mother smiled faintly.
“You're finished.”
Frank grabbed me.
His gun pressed against my temple.
“Then we're all finished.”
Dominic froze.
Frank whispered into my ear—
“Tell them to leave.”
I couldn't breathe.
Then someone behind Frank said—
“Let her go.”
Frank turned.
A woman stood at the entrance.
Victoria.
She was holding the original contract.
May you like
And she said—
“I have the proof you came for.”
