Chapter 2 - The Name Hidden Behind My Brother’s Death
The hospital room was silent except for the sound of the machines.
Snow pressed against the window.
Chicago disappeared behind a wall of white.
And for the first time in six years, someone had said my brother’s name inside my house.
Ewan.
I had spent years forcing myself not to hear it.
Not because I forgot him.
Because I remembered him too well.
Ewan was the only person in my family who never wanted power.
He never cared about the organization.
He never cared about reputation.
He never cared about the name Moretti.
He cared about people.
That was why everyone loved him.
And that was why losing him destroyed my mother.
The fire at Pier 44 was supposed to be an accident.
That was what the newspapers said.
A warehouse malfunction.
A damaged electrical system.
A tragedy.
Six men died that night.
Including my brother.
But I had never believed it.
Not completely.
Because Ewan was careful.
He checked everything twice.
He was the kind of man who looked behind him before opening a door.
The kind of man who noticed when someone moved a chair three inches.
A careless mistake would never have killed him.
Not Ewan.
Delia looked at me from the hospital bed.
Her face was pale.
But her eyes were steady.
“Your brother saved my life.”
The room became smaller.
“What did you say?”
She swallowed.
“Ewan Moretti saved my life.”
My hands tightened.
For years, I had heard every version of that night.
Every rumor.
Every lie.
But never this.
“How did you know him?”
Delia looked toward the window.
Like she was looking at a memory that hurt too much to touch.
“I was twenty-four.”
Her voice was quiet.
“I worked at a medical clinic near the harbor.”
“I didn’t know anything about your family.”
“I didn’t know what your last name meant.”
“I only knew that a man came into the clinic bleeding.”
I said nothing.
Because I already knew who she meant.
“Ewan was hurt.”
“Badly.”
“He told me not to call the police.”
“He told me not to call anyone.”
“He said people around him couldn’t be trusted.”
My heartbeat slowed.
Because those words sounded exactly like something my brother would say.
“What happened next?”
Delia looked at me.
“He trusted me.”
A strange feeling moved through my chest.
Not anger.
Not yet.
Something worse.
Confusion.
“My brother trusted a stranger?”
She gave a small sad smile.
“No.”
“He trusted someone who helped him when everyone else was afraid.”
I looked down.
Because I knew exactly what she meant.
Fear controlled Chicago.
Fear controlled my organization.
Fear controlled me.
But Ewan had always been different.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
Delia’s fingers moved slightly against the blanket.
“Because he asked me not to.”
“That was six years ago.”
“Yes.”
“And you stayed silent.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with something I could not identify.
Fear.
Pain.
Regret.
“Because the person who wanted Ewan dead knew about me.”
The room went completely quiet.
“What person?”
Delia looked at the door.
Then back at me.
“Your fiancée.”
I felt the air leave my lungs.
No.
Impossible.
Celeste was many things.
Ambitious.
Cold.
Calculating.
But this?
No.
“She knew Ewan?”
Delia nodded slowly.
“She knew more than that.”
My phone vibrated.
I ignored it.
“Tell me everything.”
Delia closed her eyes.
“I can’t.”
My expression hardened.
“You just accused the woman I’m supposed to marry.”
“I know.”
“Then explain.”
She opened her eyes.
“Because if I tell you everything tonight, Gabriel Moretti, you will not wait for proof.”
The way she said my name made me stop.
Not with fear.
With understanding.
She knew exactly who I was.
She knew exactly what kind of man stood in front of her.
“You think I’ll hurt her.”
“I think you will destroy anyone who threatens your family.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“But I need to know.”
Delia stared at me.
“Then promise me something.”
“What?”
“When you learn the truth…”
She paused.
“Do not become the man they expect you to become.”
I said nothing.
Because nobody had ever asked me that before.
Everyone wanted the monster.
The man who never hesitated.
The man who never forgave.
But Delia was asking for something else.
She was asking me to choose.
“What is your connection to Ewan?”
Her eyes lowered.
And when she finally answered, my entire world changed.
“I was carrying his child.”
For a moment.
I forgot how to breathe.
The machines kept beeping.
The snow kept falling.
The world outside kept moving.
But inside that room, everything stopped.
“His child?”
Delia nodded.
“A daughter.”
My mind rejected the words.
My brother had a daughter.
A child.
A family.
And nobody knew.
“Where is she?”
Delia’s face changed.
A mother’s fear appeared instantly.
“She is the reason I survived.”
I stepped closer.
“Where is she?”
Before Delia could answer, the hospital door opened.
My trusted driver entered.
His face was tense.
“Boss.”
I turned.
“What happened?”
He looked at me.
Then at Delia.
“Someone accessed the estate security system.”
My expression changed.
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
“Who?”
He hesitated.
May you like
Then said the words that confirmed Delia was telling the truth.
“Celeste Vandermark.”
