Chapter 3 - The Brother Who Never Left
Richard had spent his entire life protecting Julian.
When they were children, Richard had taken the blame when Julian broke their father’s antique watch.
When they were teenagers, Richard had dragged Julian from a wrecked sports car before it caught fire.
When their father died, Richard had given Julian a board seat even though half the directors argued he had not earned it.
And when Julian’s gambling debts became public three years earlier, Richard quietly paid them.
Now Richard stared at his brother across the ballroom.
“Say that again.”
Julian remained beside the curtains.
His tuxedo was immaculate.
His expression was almost relaxed.
“I said this is not only about Ethan.”
Richard crossed the room.
“Was that your voice?”
Julian glanced at the recorder.
“You already know the answer.”
“Say it.”
Julian sighed.
“Yes.”
The confession rippled through the ballroom.
Richard’s hands curled into fists.
Julian noticed.
“Before you do something stupid, remember there are cameras everywhere.”
Richard stopped only a few feet away.
“My son heard you planning my death.”
Julian gave Vanessa a brief look.
“Apparently.”
“And she hid him.”
“That was not my decision.”
Vanessa laughed sharply.
“You coward.”
Julian turned.
“You were the one who panicked.”
“You told me to fix it.”
“I said keep him quiet until we figured out how much he understood.”
“You said he could not be allowed to speak.”
“That is different.”
Richard stared between them.
For the first time, the conspiracy showed cracks.
Vanessa and Julian were not allies anymore.
They were frightened people beginning to calculate which one could survive by sacrificing the other.
Richard recognized the look.
He had seen it in hostile boardrooms for twenty years.
“Good.”
They both looked at him.
“Keep blaming each other.”
Richard gestured toward the guests.
“Do it in front of witnesses.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“I have nothing more to say.”
Julian nodded.
“Neither do I.”
Richard lifted the recorder.
“Then Ethan can speak for you.”
He pressed playback.
The next file began with rustling.
Ethan’s tiny breathing could be heard close to the microphone.
Then a door opened.
Julian’s voice.
“Where is the amendment?”
Vanessa answered.
“In Richard’s safe.”
“You said you had access.”
“I had access.”
“What changed?”
“He changed the code after Paris.”
Julian cursed.
Marcus spoke.
“Leave the document alone.”
Julian laughed.
“You are being paid to stand near doors, Marcus.”
Marcus answered.
“I am being blackmailed.”
The room went silent.
Julian continued on the recording.
“Call it whatever helps you sleep.”
Then another voice appeared.
Dr. Graves.
“Richard’s blood work is ready.”
Richard looked at the doctor.
Graves lowered his eyes.
The recording continued.
Vanessa asked.
“How long?”
Graves answered.
“At the current dosage, months.”
Julian interrupted.
“We do not have months.”
Graves sounded uneasy.
“You asked for something untraceable.”
Richard’s head turned slowly.
Hannah felt her stomach twist.
Richard stopped the recorder.
He looked at Graves.
“What dosage?”
The doctor said nothing.
Richard walked toward him.
“What have you been giving me?”
Graves backed into the table.
“Richard.”
“What.”
“Have.”
“You.”
“Been.”
“Giving.”
“Me?”
Graves raised both hands.
“Small amounts.”
Vanessa whispered.
“Lionel, shut up.”
Richard pointed at her without looking away from the doctor.
“No.”
He kept his eyes on Graves.
“Let him talk.”
Graves looked around the ballroom.
“I want legal counsel.”
Richard laughed once.
“You can call ten lawyers.”
He held up the recorder.
“But first you are going to tell me whether I am poisoned.”
Graves swallowed.
“Not poisoned.”
“What word would you prefer?”
“Medicated.”
“With what?”
“A compound affecting cardiovascular function.”
Hannah stared at him.
Richard became frighteningly quiet.
“You have been making me sick.”
Graves nodded faintly.
Richard remembered the headaches.
The sudden exhaustion.
The episodes of dizziness.
The moments when his vision blurred during board meetings.
He had blamed stress.
Vanessa had blamed grief after Ethan’s supposed death.
Dr. Graves had blamed hypertension.
Now Richard understood.
“How long?”
“Eleven weeks.”
Vanessa hissed.
“Lionel.”
Graves turned toward her.
“You told me nobody would be hurt.”
Julian scoffed.
“You’re a physician poisoning a patient.”
Graves snapped.
“And you were planning to accelerate it.”
Richard looked at Julian.
His brother stopped smiling.
“There it is.”
Richard nodded slowly.
“The truth always gets louder when everyone becomes afraid.”
Ethan shifted in Hannah’s arms.
He looked exhausted.
Hannah touched his forehead.
He felt warm.
“Mr. Sterling.”
Richard turned.
“Ethan needs somewhere quiet.”
Everything about Richard changed.
For one second he was no longer the billionaire executive confronting a conspiracy.
He was simply a father.
He crossed immediately.
“Is he sick?”
“He’s warm.”
Dr. Graves stepped forward.
Richard pointed at him.
“Do not come near my son.”
The doctor stopped.
Richard looked toward the guests.
“Is there another physician here?”
A woman raised her hand.
“I’m an emergency pediatrician.”
Hannah recognized her as Dr. Amelia Ross, wife of one of the foundation trustees.
Richard motioned urgently.
“Please.”
Dr. Ross approached slowly so Ethan would not be frightened.
She crouched beside Hannah.
“Hi, Ethan.”
Ethan stared at her.
“My name is Amelia.”
He said nothing.
“I’m going to look at your hand.”
Ethan tucked his hand against Hannah.
Dr. Ross smiled gently.
“You can keep holding Hannah.”
The child allowed her to check his pulse.
She examined his pupils.
She checked his breathing.
Then she lifted one sleeve.
Her expression changed.
Richard noticed.
“What?”
Dr. Ross did not answer immediately.
She examined Ethan’s upper arm.
A tiny adhesive bandage had been placed there.
“What is that?”
Richard asked.
Dr. Ross peeled it back carefully.
Beneath it was a small injection mark.
Richard’s eyes went to Graves.
Graves shook his head.
“That wasn’t me.”
Ethan began crying.
“Needle.”
Dr. Ross soothed him.
“No more needles right now.”
Richard knelt.
“Buddy, who gave you the needle?”
Ethan looked around the room.
Then he pointed.
Not at Graves.
Not at Vanessa.
Not at Marcus.
He pointed toward Charles Wexler.
The elderly board member staggered backward.
“No.”
Ethan’s little finger remained extended.
“Old man.”
Wexler shook his head violently.
“I never touched that child.”
Ethan pressed closer to Hannah.
“Old man needle.”
Richard stood.
Charles looked toward the doors.
“Richard, listen to me.”
“You were in the library.”
“Yes.”
“You were part of the coup.”
“I attended one meeting.”
“My son says you injected him.”
“He is two years old.”
Vanessa seized the opportunity.
“You see?”
Everyone looked at her.
“He barely understands what he is saying.”
Ethan shook his head.
“Old man.”
Wexler shouted.
“I DID NOT TOUCH HIM!”
The child screamed.
Richard moved instantly.
“Enough.”
Wexler’s breathing became ragged.
“I never went into that compartment.”
Richard stared at him.
Nobody had mentioned the compartment.
Wexler realized his mistake.
Hannah felt the change in the room.
Richard whispered.
“How did you know Ethan was kept in a compartment?”
Wexler’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Julian muttered.
“Idiot.”
Richard turned toward him.
That one word was enough.
“You all knew.”
Julian said nothing.
“All of you.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
“Stop lying.”
“I did not know where Marcus moved him.”
Marcus looked at her in disbelief.
“You told me which room.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed.
Marcus continued.
“You gave me the key.”
Richard stepped closer.
“What key?”
Marcus slowly reached inside his jacket.
Two guards raised their hands toward their holsters.
Marcus froze.
“Easy.”
He withdrew a brass key.
It was small.
Old.
A number had been engraved into it.
17.
Richard took it.
“What does this open?”
Marcus looked toward the ballroom wall.
“Not that compartment.”
Richard frowned.
“Then what?”
Marcus swallowed.
“The real room.”
Hannah felt Ethan stiffen.
Richard looked toward the broken hole.
“What real room?”
Marcus pointed toward the service corridor beyond the ballroom.
“The compartment Hannah found is only the entrance.”
Vanessa suddenly moved.
She ran.
Not toward the ballroom doors.
Toward the broken wall.
Hannah screamed.
Richard grabbed for her.
Vanessa slipped past him.
She crawled through the jagged opening.
Marcus shouted.
“STOP HER!”
A second later came the sound of metal slamming shut from somewhere behind the wall.
Richard rushed toward the hole.
Darkness waited beyond Ethan’s small compartment.
Marcus turned pale.
“She locked the tunnel.”
Richard spun.
“Where does it go?”
Marcus stared at the number 17 key in Richard’s hand.
“To a room your family erased from every blueprint.”
Richard gripped the brass key.
“What is inside?”
Marcus’s answer came quietly.
May you like
“The reason Vanessa was willing to fake Ethan’s death.”
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