Chapter 5: The Truth Beneath the Fire
I woke up coughing.
The first thing I felt was cold concrete beneath my hands.
The second thing I felt was fear.
I opened my eyes.
I wasn’t in the apartment.
I was somewhere underground.
A basement.
My wrists were tied to a chair.
The memory came back slowly.
The smoke.
Adrian shouting.
The stranger.
I pulled against the rope.
Nothing.
“Adrian?””
My voice echoed.
No answer.
Then footsteps approached.
A man appeared from the shadows.
Not the attacker from the apartment.
Someone older.
Someone familiar.
I had never seen him before.
But something about his eyes made my stomach turn.
“Hello, Isabella.””
I froze.
“Who are you?””
He smiled.
“My name is Alexander Whitmore.””
The world stopped.
“No.””
He stepped closer.
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
Everyone said my father died.
The man looked toward the wall where old photographs hung.
“Your mother believed I died.””
My breathing became uneven.
“What does that mean?””
He sighed.
“It means the story you were given was a lie.””
I shook my head.
“Where have you been?””
His expression darkened.
“Trying to survive.””
The answer felt empty.
“You let me live on the streets.””
His face changed.
“I didn’t know where you were.””
“Ten years.””
My voice became sharper.
“Ten years, I had no one.””
Alexander looked away.
For the first time, he looked guilty.
“I searched for you.””
“Then why didn’t you find me?””
He didn’t answer.
Because he couldn’t.
The silence told me more than words.
A door opened behind him.
And my blood ran cold.
Vincent Kane entered.
I stared at him.
“You.””
Vincent smiled.
“Finally, the family reunion.””
Alexander looked at him with hatred.
“You should have stayed hidden.””
Vincent laughed.
“And you should have stayed dead.””
My mind struggled to understand.
“You two know each other?””
Alexander looked at me.
“He was my business partner.””
Vincent corrected him.
“I was more than that.””
“You betrayed me.””
Vincent walked closer.
“Your mistake was believing money could protect you.””
I pulled against the ropes.
“Why did you burn the house?””
Neither man answered.
Then Vincent said:
“Because your father found out the truth.””
“What truth?””
Alexander looked at him.
“Don’t.””
Vincent ignored him.
“The Whitmore fortune wasn’t built honestly.””
I stared.
“What?””
Alexander’s face hardened.
“Don’t listen to him.””
Vincent smiled.
“Your father built an empire. But every empire has enemies.””
He leaned closer.
“And some enemies are family.””
The basement door suddenly opened.
Adrian rushed inside.
Behind him was Marco.
For one second, I forgot everything else.
Adrian was alive.
He moved toward me.
“Wren.””
I almost cried.
But then Alexander stepped forward.
Adrian stopped.
The two men stared at each other.
Adrian’s face went pale.
“No.””
Alexander looked at him.
“Hello, Adrian.””
Adrian’s voice barely worked.
“You died.””
“So did your sister.””
The words hit harder than anything else.
Adrian looked at me.
Then at Alexander.
“You knew?””
Alexander’s expression changed.
“I thought she was dead.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“You thought?””
His anger filled the room.
“You let me mourn her for ten years.””
“I was trying to protect her.””
“By disappearing?””
Alexander had no answer.
Vincent laughed quietly.
“This is beautiful.””
Everyone turned.
“Two families destroyed by the same lie.””
Adrian looked at Vincent.
“What did you do?””
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
“I finished what I started.””
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot exploded.
Someone screamed.
When the emergency lights turned on, Vincent was gone.
May you like
And Alexander was lying on the floor.
Blood spreading across his shirt.
