Chapter 9: The Forgotten Son
I couldn’t move.
The man standing in front of me looked like a stranger.
But his eyes…
His eyes looked like Adrian’s.
Same intensity.
Same sadness.
Same feeling that he had spent years carrying something too heavy.
“You’re lying.””
Lucas smiled sadly.
“I expected you to say that.””
I stepped backward.
“Adrian said he didn’t have a brother.””
“He was told that.””
“By who?””
Lucas looked around the abandoned church.
“Everyone.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“You think your life was stolen?””
His expression hardened.
“Mine was erased.””
The words hit me.
Because I understood.
“What happened?””
Lucas walked toward an old wooden bench.
“Sit.””
I didn’t.
He sighed.
“Fine.””
He stayed standing.
“Your parents discovered Vincent’s crimes.””
I listened.
“They also discovered something worse.””
“What?””
Lucas looked at me.
“They discovered someone above Vincent.””
The candles flickered.
“A person powerful enough to destroy evidence, control police reports, and make people disappear.””
“Who?””
Lucas looked directly at me.
“Adrian and I’s grandfather.””
My stomach dropped.
“Kane family?””
Lucas nodded.
“He built everything.””
The mafia.
The money.
The influence.
“And Vincent?””
“Just a servant.””
I thought about everything.
All the lies.
All the deaths.
“So why did everyone think you died?””
Lucas looked away.
“Because I did.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“The person I was died that night.””
He touched his chest.
“When the fire happened, I saved Adrian.””
My eyes widened.
“You saved him?””
“Yes.””
“Then why does everyone think you caused it?””
Lucas smiled without humor.
“Because the truth was inconvenient.””
He pulled out an old photograph.
Two boys standing outside the mansion.
Adrian.
And Lucas.
I stared.
“You remember him?””
“No.””
That hurt more than I expected.
Lucas looked down.
“He was four years younger than me.””
A pause.
“He used to follow me everywhere.””
I imagined Adrian as a child.
Not the feared man everyone knew.
Just a little boy.
Lucas continued.
“When the fire started, I found Isabella.””
My heart stopped.
“You found me?””
“Yes.””
“You knew where I was?””
“I carried you out.””
The room spun.
“Then why did you leave me?””
His face changed.
Pain.
Real pain.
“Because I wasn’t given a choice.””
“Who?””
Lucas looked toward the door.
“The man who started everything.””
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Lucas immediately moved.
“Someone followed you.””
My heart raced.
“Who?””
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he grabbed my hand.
“Come with me.””
“No.””
He stopped.
“You think I’m the enemy.””
“I don’t know what to think.””
“That’s fair.””
For a moment, he looked at me.
Then he said:
“But if you stay here, you’ll die.””
Before I could respond, the church doors exploded open.
Men rushed inside.
Lucas pushed me behind him.
Gunshots echoed.
I covered my ears.
Lucas fought back with terrifying skill.
Not like Adrian.
Different.
More desperate.
More personal.
Then one of the attackers shouted:
“Take the girl!””
Lucas froze.
The attackers weren’t there for him.
They were there for me.
He grabbed my arm.
“Run!””
We escaped through a side door into the rain.
For several minutes, we ran without stopping.
Finally, we reached an old car.
Lucas opened the door.
“Get in.””
I stared at him.
“Why should I trust you?””
He looked exhausted.
“Because ten years ago, when everyone else left you…”
He swallowed.
“I was the person who came back.””
I froze.
“What?””
Lucas reached into his coat.
He pulled out something small.
A gold necklace.
My breath disappeared.
I knew it.
I had seen it in my memories.
The necklace from the fire.
“The night of the fire, I gave this to you.””
My hands shook.
“No.””
“Yes.””
He held it out.
“Your mother told me to protect you.””
I stared at the necklace.
Then at Lucas.
“Why do I remember Adrian…”
My voice trembled.
“Why do I remember him holding my hand?””
Lucas looked away.
“Because he did.””
The rain poured harder.
“He was the last person you saw before the fire.””
I whispered:
“Then why did he leave me?””
Lucas didn’t answer.
Because the answer was written all over his face.
And when he finally spoke, his words broke something inside me.
“Because Adrian didn’t leave you.””
A pause.
“He was taken away.””
My phone suddenly rang.
Adrian.
I answered immediately.
His voice came through.
“Wren, where are you?””
I looked at Lucas.
I didn’t know what to say.
Then Adrian spoke again.
“Wren…”
His voice changed.
“You’re with him, aren’t you?””
I froze.
“How do you know?””
A long silence.
Then Adrian whispered:
“Because I remember him too.””
The call went quiet.
May you like
And then he said:
“Lucas Kane was the person who killed our parents.””
