THE BRIDES DIARY

The Other Wolfe

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The words Elena had just spoken seemed impossible.

He was your father's brother.

Adrian stared at her.

"My father's brother?"

Elena nodded slowly.

"His name was Victor Wolfe."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"I don't have an uncle named Victor."

"You did."

"What happened to him?"

"Your family said he died."

"Did he?"

Elena looked away.

"No."

Adrian felt a cold sensation run through his chest.

"Then where is he?"

"We don't know."

Daniel folded his arms.

"Wait."

"If Victor Wolfe is alive, why has nobody heard of him?"

"Because your father erased him."

Adrian shook his head.

"My father wouldn't do that."

Elena looked at him sadly.

"You keep defending a man you barely knew."

"I knew my father."

"You knew the version he allowed you to see."

Adrian turned away.

He hated hearing it.

Not because he believed Elena.

Because a part of him feared she was right.

His father had always been a complicated man.

Strict at home.

Cold with business partners.

Almost impossible to read.

But there had always been something Adrian couldn't explain about him.

Whenever the subject of family history came up, his father changed the conversation.

Whenever Adrian asked about his grandparents, he received short answers.

And whenever he mentioned the old wing of the mansion, his father became unusually angry.

Now those memories were beginning to make sense.

"Why did my father erase Victor?"

Elena took a slow breath.

"Because Victor betrayed him."

"How?"

"He joined Black Circle."

Adrian looked at her.

"Arthur founded it."

"Yes."

"And Victor joined him?"

"Victor didn't just join."

Elena's expression darkened.

"He became one of its most important members."

Daniel stepped closer.

"How important?"

"Important enough that people called him the Architect."

Adrian frowned.

"The Architect?"

Elena nodded.

"He designed operations."

"Money transfers."

"False identities."

"Disappearances."

"Political arrangements."

"He was the person who made impossible things happen."

Claire suddenly spoke from the bed.

"Mr. Gray."

Everyone turned toward her.

She looked frightened.

"Mr. Gray used to talk about him."

Elena moved closer.

"What did he say?"

Claire closed her eyes, trying to remember.

"He called him Uncle Victor."

Adrian froze.

"Uncle Victor?"

Claire nodded.

"He told me never to say that name."

"Why?"

"He said Victor Wolfe was watching everything."

Adrian looked at Elena.

"How old were you when this happened?"

Claire swallowed.

"Seven."

"Seven years old."

"Yes."

Adrian slowly walked toward the wall.

His thoughts were becoming unbearable.

If Victor was involved in Black Circle...

If Victor had been responsible for Claire...

If Victor knew about the fire...

Then perhaps the entire story of his childhood had been built around a lie.

But one question remained.

"Why would Victor want me dead?"

Elena looked at him.

"Because your father chose you."

"Chose me for what?"

"To inherit everything."

"My company?"

"Not just your company."

She pointed toward the diary.

"The information."

Adrian stared at it.

"Your father had evidence that could destroy Black Circle."

"And when he died, Victor believed that evidence belonged to you."

Daniel shook his head.

"So he tried to kill Adrian?"

"Yes."

"But why didn't he succeed?"

Elena's expression became painful.

"Because your mother got in the way."

Adrian closed his eyes.

Another memory flashed through his mind.

His mother's hand.

Warm.

Tight around his.

Her voice whispering.

Don't look back, Adrian.

He opened his eyes.

"I remember something."

Everyone became silent.

"My mother was holding me."

"She was running through the hallway."

"Someone was behind us."

Elena stepped closer.

"What else?"

"There was a door."

"She opened it."

"Then she pushed me inside."

"She told me not to come out."

Adrian's breathing became heavier.

"Then I heard shouting."

"Then..."

He stopped.

"What?"

"I heard my father."

"What did he say?"

Adrian shook his head.

"I can't remember."

Elena gently touched his arm.

"Don't force it."

He pulled away.

"No."

"I need to remember."

"You will."

"When?"

"When you're ready."

Adrian looked at her.

"I've been ready for years."

Elena's eyes softened.

"No."

"You've been desperate."

"There's a difference."

Before Adrian could respond, a loud metallic crash echoed somewhere outside the medical room.

Daniel immediately raised his weapon.

Everyone froze.

Another crash.

Closer.

Elena switched off the lights.

The room fell into darkness.

Daniel whispered,

"How many people know we're here?"

"Nobody."

"That's not an answer."

"I said nobody."

The sound of footsteps approached.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Someone was walking down the corridor.

Adrian instinctively moved closer to Claire.

Elena reached inside her coat and pulled out a small handgun.

Daniel noticed.

"You carry that everywhere?"

"These days?"

"Yes."

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Nobody breathed.

Then came three gentle knocks.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Claire's eyes widened.

She whispered,

"That's his knock."

Adrian looked at her.

"Whose?"

"Mr. Gray."

Elena immediately raised her gun.

Daniel positioned himself beside the door.

The knocking came again.

Three times.

Then a man's voice.

"Claire."

She covered her mouth.

"It's him."

Adrian looked at Elena.

"What do we do?"

Elena whispered,

"Nothing."

The voice continued.

"Claire, I know you're inside."

"I know you're frightened."

"But I need you to listen."

Daniel frowned.

"How did he know she survived?"

Elena shook her head.

"He didn't."

"He's guessing."

The man outside chuckled.

"Elena."

Her eyes widened.

"You can stop pretending."

"I know you're there too."

The room became silent.

Adrian stared at the door.

The man continued.

"Adrian."

"Your father would be disappointed in you."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"Open the door."

Elena grabbed his arm.

"No."

"He's outside."

"That's exactly why."

The man laughed softly.

"You're still protecting him."

"After all these years."

"Victor was right about you."

Adrian's blood ran cold.

He looked at Elena.

"He knows Victor."

"Of course he does."

The voice outside became colder.

"You should ask Elena what happened on the night Victor disappeared."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

Elena said nothing.

"Elena?"

She finally whispered,

"Your father didn't erase Victor."

Adrian stared at her.

"Then who did?"

Elena's eyes filled with fear.

"Victor disappeared because he discovered something."

"What?"

"That someone inside the Wolfe family had been working with him all along."

Adrian felt his stomach drop.

"Who?"

Elena looked directly into his eyes.

"Your mother."

The room went completely silent.

Adrian shook his head.

"No."

"She couldn't have."

"She did."

"You're lying."

"I wish I were."

Outside the door, the man laughed.

Then came a final sentence.

"Now you understand why your mother had to die."

The door suddenly exploded inward.

Daniel fired.

Elena fired.

The corridor filled with smoke.

But the man was already gone.

Only one thing remained on the floor.

A small envelope.

Adrian slowly picked it up.

There was no name on it.

Only a handwritten message.

THE FIRST LIE WAS YOUR MOTHER'S.

He looked at Elena.

"What did she do?"

Elena stared at the envelope.

Then she whispered,

"She betrayed your father."

Adrian's voice trembled.

"For Victor?"

Elena shook her head.

"No."

"For Black Circle."

She paused.

"She betrayed everyone."