Chapter 12: The Other Son

Ava stared at the photograph.

Her fingers trembled so violently that the edges of the picture shook.

Two identical boys smiled back at her.

Ethan.

And the brother she had never known existed.

She turned the photograph over again.

One of them is your husband.

The other one is the man who tried to kill him.

Her heart pounded.

“What does this mean?”

No one answered.

The vault had descended into chaos after the gunshot. Men were shouting. Someone had knocked over a shelf, sending files crashing to the floor.

Richard Cross was gone.

So was Ethan.

Ava looked around desperately.

“Ethan!”

Nothing.

“Ethan!”

Victoria grabbed her arm.

“Ava, we have to leave.”

“No.”

“He was here.”

“I know.”

“I saw someone grab you.”

“It was him.”

“How do you know?”

Ava looked at her.

“I know my husband’s voice.”

Victoria’s expression softened.

Then she looked at the photograph.

“Who is the other boy?”

Ava shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

Damien appeared beside them.

His face was pale.

“Give me that.”

Ava immediately pulled the photograph against her chest.

“No.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You’ve said that before.”

Damien stopped.

She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she didn’t care.

Not anymore.

“You knew about Ethan’s twin.”

“Yes.”

“You knew my mother knew your family.”

“Yes.”

“You knew about the vault.”

“Yes.”

“And you still expected me to trust you?”

Damien lowered his gaze.

“No.”

Ava stared at him.

“Then tell me the truth.”

He remained silent.

“Who is Ethan’s twin?”

Damien finally answered.

“His name is Adrian.”

The name sent an inexplicable chill through her.

“Adrian Cross.”

“Where is he?”

Damien looked toward the entrance.

“I thought he was dead.”

Ava’s eyes widened.

“You thought?”

“Adrian disappeared when he was nineteen.”

“What happened?”

Damien swallowed.

“He was blamed for something he didn’t do.”

“What?”

“My father’s first major financial scandal.”

Ava frowned.

“Richard blamed his own son?”

“He needed someone to take the blame.”

“And Adrian?”

“He ran.”

“Why?”

“Because he knew my father would kill him if he stayed.”

Ava stared at the photograph.

Two brothers.

One family.

One secret.

And somehow, Ethan had been caught in the middle.

“Then who tried to kill Ethan?”

Damien shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“But the photograph says his twin did.”

“I know what it says.”

“Then maybe Adrian is the one who caused the crash.”

Damien’s expression tightened.

“Maybe.”

Ava stepped closer.

“Or maybe someone wants us to believe that.”

Damien looked at her.

For the first time, neither of them had an answer.

⸻

They escaped through the maintenance tunnel before Richard’s men could find them.

Lucas was still unconscious, but Victoria managed to keep him moving with the help of Damien.

They eventually reached a small abandoned building connected to the old underground railway.

Damien locked the door behind them.

Ava sat beside Lucas while Victoria searched for medical supplies.

The room was cold.

Bare.

But for the first time in hours, they were safe.

At least temporarily.

Ava took out Ethan’s photograph again.

She couldn’t stop looking at it.

There had to be something she was missing.

A detail.

A clue.

Anything.

She turned it toward the light.

The two boys looked exactly alike.

But then she noticed something.

A tiny scar.

One of the boys had a faint mark beneath his left eye.

The other didn’t.

Ava’s breath caught.

She remembered something.

Ethan had a tiny scar beneath his left eye.

She had kissed it countless times.

She knew it was him.

Unless…

Ava slowly touched the photograph.

“Which one is Ethan?”

Damien came closer.

“The boy on the right.”

Ava looked at him.

“How do you know?”

“Because Adrian had the scar.”

Ava’s heart stopped.

The boy on the left had the scar.

She looked again.

“Then you’re wrong.”

Damien froze.

“What?”

Ava pointed.

“This boy has the scar.”

Damien took the photograph.

His eyes widened.

“That isn’t possible.”

“Why?”

“Because I remember Adrian having it.”

Ava’s voice dropped.

“Then maybe you’ve been wrong about who disappeared.”

Silence.

Damien stared at the photograph.

His hands began to shake.

“No.”

“What?”

He looked up.

“My father told me Adrian disappeared.”

“And you believed him.”

“I was nineteen.”

“You’re older than Ethan.”

“I know.”

“Then what if Adrian never disappeared?”

Damien’s expression changed.

“What are you saying?”

Ava looked toward the door.

“I’m saying your father may have lied to everyone.”

Victoria walked toward them.

“And if he did?”

Ava slowly folded the photograph.

“Then Ethan’s twin may have been living among us all this time.”

The room went silent.

Then Lucas suddenly stirred.

Everyone turned.

His eyes opened.

“Ava…”

She rushed to him.

“Lucas?”

He struggled to sit upright.

“Where’s Ethan?”

Ava swallowed.

“He was here.”

Lucas’s eyes widened.

“You saw him?”

“Yes.”

“What did he look like?”

Ava frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Lucas looked terrified.

“Did he have a scar?”

Ava’s heart dropped.

“Under his left eye?”

Lucas closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Victoria covered her mouth.

Damien stepped forward.

“That wasn’t Ethan.”

Lucas shook his head.

“No.”

His voice trembled.

“That was Adrian.”

Ava felt the room spin.

“But I heard Ethan’s voice.”

Lucas looked directly at her.

“That’s exactly what Adrian wanted you to believe.”

Ava couldn’t breathe.

Then Lucas whispered the words that shattered everything.

“Ethan never escaped.”

“He’s still being held somewhere.”

“And the man who just came to you wasn’t your husband.”

“He was his twin.”