Nathan immediately stepped in front of Caroline and Lily.
A man in an expensive gray suit stepped out into the rain.
Ethan.
Nathan’s older brother.
Calm. Perfect. Smiling.
“Nathan,” he said softly.
“You were never supposed to find them.”
Caroline grabbed Lily tightly.
Lily whispered nervously:
“Mom… I’m scared.”
Nathan’s fists clenched.
“You told me she was dead.”
Ethan sighed like he was tired of the conversation.
“She was supposed to be.”
Caroline’s face twisted in horror.
“You said you’d leave us alone!”
“I did,” Ethan replied coldly.
“For eight years.”
Nathan stepped forward violently.
“WHY?”
Ethan finally lost his smile.
“Because Dad was giving you everything.”
Rain poured harder around them.
“The company. The inheritance. Caroline. Your perfect future.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“You had everything without even trying.”
Nathan stared at him in disbelief.
“So you destroyed my life?”
Ethan looked directly at Lily.
“No,” he said quietly.
“I saved mine.”
Nathan swung at him instantly.
The punch slammed Ethan against the SUV.
Caroline screamed.
Lily cried.
But Ethan started laughing even while bleeding.
Then he looked at Nathan with pure hatred.
“You still don’t understand, do you?”
Nathan grabbed him by the collar.
“Understand what?”
Ethan smiled.
“The ferry accident…”
Nathan’s stomach dropped.
Ethan leaned closer and whispered:
“That part wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Nathan froze completely.
Caroline’s face lost all color.
“What did you just say?”
Before Ethan could answer—
another voice came from inside the SUV.
A little boy’s voice.
“Dad?”
Everyone went silent.
Nathan slowly turned toward the vehicle.
And inside the back seat…
was a child who looked exactly like Ethan.
Except for one thing.
The boy had Nathan’s eyes.
