Chapter 8: The Person I Trusted Most
The name on the page blurred.
Not because I couldn’t read it.
Because my mind refused to accept it.
I read it once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
Every time, the same name stared back at me.
*Brooke Mercer.*
For a moment, the entire world became silent.
Not the kind of silence that comes when everything is calm.
The kind that comes right before something breaks.
Brooke was standing beside me.
She saw the paper in my hand.
And she knew.
Her face lost all color.
“Ethan.””
I didn’t look at her.
I couldn’t.
Because if I looked at her, I might see the truth.
Or worse.
I might see the woman I used to love.
Marcus groaned from the floor.
The sound snapped me back.
“Call an ambulance.””
Brooke immediately moved.
“I’ll—”
“No.””
The word came out colder than I expected.
She stopped.
I finally looked at her.
“Don’t leave.””
Something changed in her eyes.
Pain.
Not anger.
Pain.
“I wasn’t going to.””
I held the paper tighter.
“Were you?””
She looked at the name.
Then back at me.
“Ethan…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Not another explanation. Not another secret.””
The hallway was still dark.
The broken glass from the lobby reflected the emergency lights.
Everything looked unreal.
Like I was watching someone else’s life collapse.
Brooke whispered:
“I can explain.””
“That’s what everyone says.””
She flinched.
Good.
Maybe she needed to feel what I had felt.
Maybe she needed to understand what it was like to have your entire reality rewritten.
Marcus reached for my arm.
“Ethan.””
I looked down.
His face was pale.
“Don’t believe it.””
My eyes narrowed.
“What?””
He coughed.
“Don’t believe that.””
He pointed weakly at the paper.
“Why?””
Marcus struggled to breathe.
“Because that’s what they wanted you to find.””
The words stopped me.
“What do you mean?””
He closed his eyes for a second.
“Think.””
I hated that.
Because Daniel always said the same thing.
Think.
Don’t react.
Don’t let anger choose for you.
Marcus continued.
“They knew you would find that folder.””
Brooke stepped closer.
“I told you.””
I ignored her.
“Who knew?””
Marcus looked at Brooke.
Then away.
“The person who created it.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Are you saying Brooke was framed?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
I looked at Brooke.
She looked broken.
Not guilty.
Broken.
But I had believed that before.
I had believed her tears.
Her promises.
Her love.
And then she left.
“What did you do?”” I asked.
Her lips parted.
“Ethan.””
“What did you do?””
She looked at the floor.
“I helped them.””
The words hit harder than the name on the paper.
Not because they surprised me.
Because some part of me had hoped she would deny everything.
She didn’t.
“I helped them,” she repeated.
My chest tightened.
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because they had Daniel.””
The hallway seemed to disappear.
“What?””
Her eyes filled.
“They had him.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“The night of the accident.””
My breathing changed.
“Daniel was alive.””
“Yes.””
“And you knew?””
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“You let me think he was dead.””
“I thought he was.””
The answer stopped me.
“What?””
“They showed me proof.””
“What proof?””
“A video.””
She wiped her face.
“They showed me Daniel being attacked.””
My hands tightened.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because they threatened you.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
I looked away.
I wanted to believe her.
I hated that.
“Then why is your name on that document?””
Brooke closed her eyes.
“Because I signed it.””
The words echoed.
“You signed it?””
“Yes.””
Marcus tried to sit up.
“Ethan…”
I looked at him.
He shook his head slightly.
“She’s telling the truth.””
I stared.
“You knew?””
“I found out later.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
His expression broke.
“Because I was scared.””
I laughed.
Everyone was scared.
Everyone had a reason.
Everyone had an excuse.
Meanwhile, I was the one who lost everything.
“What was the operation called?””
Marcus hesitated.
Brooke answered.
“The Phoenix Project.””
The name meant nothing.
Until it did.
I remembered.
A file Daniel had mentioned years ago.
A private research project my mother worked on.
A project my father buried.
“What is Phoenix?””
Brooke looked at me.
“Your mother’s work.””
The pieces started moving.
Slowly.
Painfully.
“Explain.””
Brooke took a breath.
“Your mother discovered that several major companies were secretly controlled by the same group of investors.””
I frowned.
“Impossible.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“They created shell companies. Fake boards. Hidden ownership.””
“Why?””
“To control industries without anyone knowing.””
Marcus added:
“Your father found out.””
I looked at him.
“And?””
“And he tried to expose them.””
That surprised me.
My father.
The man I thought only cared about power.
“He failed.””
Brooke nodded.
“Because he trusted the wrong people.””
I looked at her.
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
The answer was already forming.
“Chad.””
Her face changed.
“Yes.””
My stomach turned.
“The same Chad who is dating you?””
Brooke looked away.
“He was never dating me.””
I froze.
“What?””
“He was monitoring me.””
“Since when?””
“Before I met you.””
I stared.
“Then why were you with him?””
“Because he was the only way I could get close to the people behind Phoenix.””
I shook my head.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“No.””
Her voice broke.
“I expect you to hate me.””
That was the first honest thing she had said all night.
And somehow, it hurt more.
The ambulance arrived twenty minutes later.
Marcus was taken away.
Before they loaded him into the vehicle, he grabbed my hand.
“Ethan.””
I leaned closer.
“What?””
His voice was barely audible.
“Find Daniel.””
I stared at him.
“Where?””
Marcus looked toward Brooke.
“She knows.””
Brooke immediately shook her head.
“I don’t.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“You do.””
“No.””
“You do.””
His breathing became weaker.
“She’s the only one who knows where he went.””
Brooke looked terrified.
“Marcus, I swear—”
But he was already unconscious.
We went to my apartment.
Not because I trusted Brooke.
Because I needed answers.
She sat across from me.
For the first time in years, we were strangers.
Not enemies.
Not lovers.
Just two people surrounded by the ruins of a life we once shared.
“Where is Daniel?””
Brooke stared at the floor.
“I don’t know.””
“Marcus thinks you do.””
“He’s wrong.””
“Why would he say that?””
“Because he knows I was the last person Daniel contacted.””
My eyes narrowed.
“When?””
“The night before he disappeared.””
“Where?””
She looked at me.
“At the old Vance building.””
The old office.
The place Daniel told me to search.
“What happened?””
Brooke took a shaky breath.
“He gave me something.””
“What?””
“A key.””
“To what?””
“I don’t know.””
I stood.
“Where is it?””
She didn’t move.
“Brooke.””
“It’s gone.””
My face hardened.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone found it.””
“Who?””
Her eyes met mine.
And this time, there was no hesitation.
No fear.
No uncertainty.
“Chad.””
The room went silent.
“Chad has the key?””
“Yes.””
“Then why is he still walking around?””
“Because he’s not the one in charge.””
I stared.
“Who is?””
Brooke looked at me.
And the fear returned.
“The person who has been controlling Chad.””
“Who?””
She swallowed.
Then said:
“The person who made the Phoenix Project possible.””
A knock came from the apartment door.
Both of us froze.
No one spoke.
Another knock.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Brooke’s face went pale.
“Ethan.””
“What?””
Her voice dropped.
“That’s not someone coming to talk.””
I looked toward the door.
The handle slowly moved.
Someone was trying to open it.
I grabbed the nearest object.
Brooke stepped beside me.
The door unlocked.
Opened.
And the person standing outside made me forget how to breathe.
Because I had spent six months believing this person was dead.
Daniel Cross looked at me.
May you like
And the first words out of his mouth were:
“You weren’t supposed to find out about Brooke yet.””
