The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 66 — The Brother Who Was Supposed to Die

“Nobody moves.”

Richard’s voice filled the room.

Adrian looked toward the entrance. His hands were still tied behind the chair, and the little boy stood beside the old man, watching the adults with frightened eyes.

Richard entered slowly.

His gaze moved from Adrian to the child.

“Have you finally remembered?” he asked.

Adrian ignored him.

“Get that boy away from here.”

Richard smiled.

“You always were difficult. Even when you were young, you refused to follow instructions.”

“He’s not my son.”

“Perhaps not. But he is connected to you.”

“Where is my real son?”

“Safe.”

“Then leave him out of this.”

Richard walked toward the table and picked up the birth certificate.

“Do you know what is interesting about this document?”

Adrian remained silent.

“It was created before Varek was born. His name was entered as Adrian Thorne, and yours was entered as Daniel.”

Adrian shook his head.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

Richard placed the certificate in front of him.

“Look at the dates.”

Adrian stared at the document.

The date of birth was correct, but the name was not.

His name had been replaced with Daniel.

And the name Daniel had been assigned to the child standing beside the old man.

“What did you do?” Adrian whispered.

Richard leaned against the table.

“We corrected an arrangement that had become complicated.”

“Which arrangement?”

“The original children were never supposed to keep the names they were born with. Their names were assigned according to their positions in the Black Ledger.”

Adrian looked at the child.

“Why does he have Varek’s face?”

Richard’s expression changed slightly.

“Because some things are inherited.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It answers more than you realize.”

The old man stepped forward.

“Richard, enough.”

Richard turned.

“Jonathan, you should be the last person telling me what is enough.”

Adrian looked between them.

So the old man really was Jonathan Thorne.

“You’re alive,” Adrian said.

Jonathan gave him a cold look.

“Unfortunately, that is still true.”

“Why did you let them tell everyone you were dead?”

“Because the dead are easier to protect than the living.”

Richard laughed.

“Don’t pretend this was about protection. You abandoned your children and allowed everyone else to pay for your mistakes.”

Jonathan’s face hardened.

“You were the one who moved them.”

“I followed Alistair’s instructions.”

“And you enjoyed every minute of it.”

Richard’s smile faded.

The little boy moved closer to Jonathan.

“Grandfather, can we go home?”

Jonathan looked down at him.

“Not yet.”

Adrian watched the boy carefully.

“What’s his name?”

Neither man answered.

“What’s his real name?”

Richard picked up the certificate again.

“His name is Daniel.”

Adrian shook his head.

“No. That isn’t his name.”

The boy looked at him.

“Grandfather calls me Daniel.”

Adrian’s voice softened.

“How long have you lived here?”

The child counted on his fingers.

“Three birthdays.”

“Do you remember your mother?”

The boy shook his head.

“Do you remember another house?”

He nodded.

“There was a woman who sang to me.”

Adrian leaned forward.

“What did she call you?”

The child hesitated.

Then he whispered a name.

“Matthew.”

Jonathan immediately grabbed his shoulder.

“Don’t answer questions you don’t understand.”

The boy became quiet.

Adrian stared at Jonathan.

“Matthew?”

Richard smiled.

“Now you understand why the records are so complicated.”

Adrian looked at the boy again.

There had been several children called Matthew in the records. One had been described as the original firstborn. Another had been registered as Matthew Cross. Another had apparently disappeared.

And now this child was claiming the name too.

“Which Matthew is he?” Adrian asked.

Richard moved closer.

“That depends on which record you choose to believe.”

⸻

At the old estate, Varek was already preparing to leave.

Victor stood beside the entrance, holding his phone.

“Naomi has sent the location.”

Varek picked up his jacket.

“How far?”

“About twenty minutes.”

Miriam approached them.

“You’re making a mistake.”

Varek looked at her.

“Then tell me what I need to know.”

She hesitated.

“Jonathan had a son named Matthew before the other children were transferred.”

“We know that.”

“No. You don’t understand. Matthew wasn’t just another child. He was the first person Alistair intended to place in control of the Black Ledger.”

Victor frowned.

“Then why was his identity changed?”

“Because he disappeared.”

Varek looked at her.

“Who disappeared?”

“Matthew.”

“And the child who called himself Matthew?”

Miriam shook her head.

“I don’t know which child that was.”

Varek was losing patience.

“Did you ever see the original Matthew?”

“Once.”

“Where?”

“At St. Catherine’s. He was very young. Maybe three or four years old.”

“Was he the child in the photograph?”

“Yes.”

Victor looked at her.

“Then who was the boy standing beside Adrian?”

Miriam lowered her eyes.

“I don’t know.”

Varek took out his phone and called Naomi.

“Did you get the facility footage?”

“Yes. I also accessed a second camera.”

“What did you find?”

“Richard entered the building eight minutes before Jonathan. He was carrying a folder.”

“Can you see what was inside?”

“No. But I recovered a conversation between two security officers.”

“Play it.”

Naomi sent the audio.

A man’s voice came through.

“Is the original boy there?”

Another voice replied, “Which one?”

“The one they registered as Daniel.”

“He’s with Jonathan.”

“And the other boy?”

“Still missing.”

The first man laughed.

“After all these years?”

“Richard says he has found him.”

“Then why are we still searching?”

There was a pause.

“Because the boy Richard found isn’t the original.”

The recording ended.

Varek looked at Victor.

“Someone else is inside that facility.”

Naomi spoke again.

“There’s more. The security officers mentioned a second entrance beneath the building. I found a maintenance plan showing an underground passage connecting the nursery to an old medical room.”

“Can you access it?”

“I’m trying.”

“Keep the cameras open. We’re coming.”

He ended the call.

Miriam grabbed his arm.

“Don’t go in there.”

Varek looked down at her hand.

“Let go.”

“You don’t understand what Jonathan wants.”

“Then explain.”

Miriam’s eyes filled with fear.

“He wants the original firstborn returned to the family.”

Victor frowned.

“Who is the firstborn?”

Miriam looked directly at Varek.

“Adrian.”

Varek went still.

“That makes no sense. We’ve seen records identifying Matthew as the firstborn.”

“Those records were created later. Adrian was born first. Matthew was born afterward.”

“Then why does everyone keep changing the order?”

“Because the Black Ledger was never meant to follow the order of birth. It followed the order of inheritance.”

Victor stepped forward.

“And where does Varek fit?”

Miriam looked at him.

“That’s what I have been trying to tell you. Varek wasn’t supposed to be part of the arrangement.”

Varek stared at her.

“Then why was I assigned Subject Five?”

“Because the original fifth child disappeared, and someone needed to take his place.”

“Who was the original fifth child?”

Miriam opened her mouth.

Before she could answer, her phone rang.

She looked at the screen and immediately became frightened.

Varek took it from her.

The caller’s name was saved as DR. GRACE.

He answered.

“Grace?”

A woman’s voice came through.

“Varek, don’t take the original register to Jonathan.”

“Where are you?”

“There’s no time.”

“Who is the child called Daniel?”

The woman went silent.

Then she said, “That boy is not Daniel.”

Varek looked at Victor.

“Who is he?”

“He’s the reason your brother has been kept alive.”

“Why?”

“Because Adrian is the only person who can identify him.”

Varek’s jaw tightened.

“Identify him as who?”

Grace took a shaky breath.

“The child Jonathan has been calling Daniel is the original Matthew Thorne.”

Varek stared at the phone.

“But Matthew was the firstborn.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did Adrian say he was supposed to save Daniel?”

“Because the boy in the hospital bed wasn’t Matthew. He was another child entirely.”

Varek closed his eyes briefly.

“Where is the real Daniel?”

Grace’s voice dropped.

“He’s alive.”

“Where?”

“He’s been living under another name for years.”

Varek stepped toward the door.

“Tell me the name.”

Before Grace could answer, a loud crash came through the phone.

Someone shouted in the background.

Then Grace whispered:

“Varek, listen carefully. The man standing beside Jonathan is not the only person pretending to be someone else.”

The call disconnected.

Varek immediately called back.

The number was switched off.

Victor looked at him.

“What did she say?”

Varek turned toward the car.

“We’re going to the facility.”

⸻

Inside the medical room, Adrian was still staring at the little boy.

Matthew.

The original firstborn.

If that was true, then the boy had been missing for years while several people used his name.

Jonathan stood near the door.

Richard was examining a document.

Adrian finally spoke.

“Why was I made to sign Daniel’s death certificate?”

Richard looked up.

“Because someone needed to take responsibility.”

“I didn’t sign it.”

“Your name was on it.”

“Someone forged my signature.”

Richard shrugged.

“Can you prove that?”

Adrian said nothing.

Jonathan approached him.

“Your memory is beginning to return.”

Adrian looked at him.

“What memory?”

“The night the children were separated.”

“I remember trying to stop them.”

“And what happened?”

“I was knocked unconscious.”

Jonathan nodded.

“When you woke up, one of the children was missing.”

“Daniel.”

“Yes.”

Adrian swallowed.

“Was he dead?”

“No.”

“Then why did you let them accuse me?”

Jonathan’s expression remained cold.

“Because the accusation kept you away from the original register.”

Adrian stared at him.

“You sacrificed my life to protect a document?”

“I protected the family.”

Richard laughed.

“That’s what he always says.”

Jonathan turned toward him.

“You have no right to speak.”

Richard stepped closer.

“Actually, I do. Because unlike you, I stayed and raised the children you abandoned.”

“You raised them to hate each other.”

“I raised them to survive.”

Adrian looked at the child.

“Matthew, come here.”

Jonathan immediately blocked him.

“Don’t call him that.”

“Why? Isn’t that his name?”

Jonathan’s expression darkened.

“That boy belongs to the Black Ledger.”

Adrian pulled against his restraints.

“He’s a child!”

“And you should have remembered that before you allowed the first one to disappear.”

Adrian froze.

Jonathan leaned closer.

“You still haven’t remembered what happened after the transfer, have you?”

The door opened.

A security officer entered and whispered something into Jonathan’s ear.

Jonathan’s face changed.

“What do you mean Varek is coming?”

Richard slowly turned toward Adrian.

For the first time, he looked genuinely pleased.

“Good.”

Adrian looked at him.

“What’s good about this?”

Richard smiled.

“Because your brother is finally bringing us the one thing we’ve been waiting for.”

He picked up the birth certificate and placed it in front of Adrian.

“The original register.”

Then he leaned close enough for Adrian to hear his next words.

“And when he arrives, we’ll finally find out which one of you was born first.”