The Billionaire

The Railway Station

Episode 20: The Railway Station

Daniel stared at the photograph on his phone.

Adrian stood in the middle of the old railway station.

Behind him was Marcus.

The message underneath the photograph was simple:

THE BROTHERS ARE FINALLY TOGETHER.

Daniel's heart raced.

He immediately called Adrian.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Then the call went to voicemail.

"Adrian, answer the phone!"

Nothing.

Daniel looked again at the photograph.

Something was wrong.

The railway station was supposed to be abandoned.

Yet several lights were visible behind Adrian.

Someone had prepared the place.

Daniel grabbed his jacket.

He had to go.

But before leaving, he remembered Victor's warning.

Never trust anyone completely.

Daniel stopped.

If Adrian had really gone there alone, why?

And why had Marcus allowed the photograph to reach him?

It could only mean one thing.

They wanted Daniel to come.

It was a trap.

But Michael was still missing.

Daniel couldn't ignore it.

He took the memory card containing his father's information and left the apartment.

---

The old railway station was nearly forty minutes away.

Daniel drove through the dark streets with his headlights off whenever possible.

Rain began falling again.

The road became slippery.

As he approached the station, he noticed several black vehicles parked behind the building.

Daniel stopped his car several hundred meters away.

He got out and continued on foot.

The station looked abandoned from the outside.

Broken windows.

Rusty signs.

Old tracks disappearing into darkness.

Daniel moved carefully toward the entrance.

He heard voices.

He stopped beside a wall and listened.

Marcus was speaking.

"Where is the other half?"

Adrian answered:

"I don't have it."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"It's with Daniel."

Marcus laughed.

"You always underestimated your brother."

Adrian's voice became angry.

"Leave him alone."

"That's not your decision."

Daniel's fists tightened.

He moved closer.

Through a broken window, he could see Adrian sitting on a chair.

Marcus stood in front of him.

Two armed men were nearby.

Daniel looked around.

He needed a way inside.

Then he heard another voice.

A voice he recognized.

Michael.

"Stop!"

Daniel froze.

Michael walked into the room.

His hands were tied.

Marcus turned toward him.

"You were supposed to stay hidden."

Michael looked at Adrian.

"I'm sorry."

Adrian stared at him.

"What are you doing here?"

Michael looked down.

"They threatened someone I love."

Marcus smiled.

"Everyone has a weakness."

Daniel understood.

Marcus had used Michael.

He had used Adrian.

And now he was trying to use Daniel.

Daniel stepped away from the window.

He needed a plan.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed him from behind.

Daniel struggled.

A cloth was pressed against his mouth.

Everything went black.

---

Daniel woke up tied to a chair.

His head hurt.

A bright light hung above him.

He looked around.

Adrian was tied to another chair.

Michael sat beside him.

Marcus stood in front of them.

"You really made this difficult," Marcus said.

Daniel stared at him.

"Where is Victor?"

Marcus smiled.

"Still alive."

Daniel's eyes narrowed.

"You're lying."

"Perhaps."

Marcus walked around the room.

"Your father made a terrible mistake."

"What?"

"He believed money could protect his family."

Daniel said nothing.

Marcus stopped behind Adrian.

"Your brother believed power could protect him."

Then he looked at Michael.

"And Michael believed the truth could save him."

Marcus smiled.

"All three were wrong."

Daniel pulled against the ropes.

"What do you want?"

"The ledger."

"You already have half."

"I want the complete ledger."

Daniel laughed.

"And you think I'll give it to you?"

Marcus leaned closer.

"You will."

"Why?"

"Because you care about your brothers."

Daniel looked at Adrian and Michael.

Marcus continued.

"Your father knew this day would come."

Daniel frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Marcus walked toward an old table.

He placed a small device on it.

Then he pressed a button.

Their father's voice filled the room.

"Daniel, if you're hearing this, you have probably discovered Adrian and Michael."

Daniel's expression changed.

Adrian stared at the device.

Their father's voice continued.

"I need you to understand something."

The recording paused.

Then their father said:

"The three of you must never trust Marcus."

Marcus suddenly switched off the recording.

Daniel looked at him.

"Why stop it?"

Marcus's face became tense.

"Because the rest doesn't matter."

Daniel smiled.

"It obviously does."

Marcus looked at his men.

"Search him."

One of the men approached Daniel.

He searched his pockets.

Nothing.

Another man searched Adrian.

Then Michael.

Nothing.

Marcus frowned.

"Where is the memory card?"

Daniel remained silent.

Marcus grabbed his collar.

"Where?"

Daniel smiled.

"You'll never get it."

Marcus punched him.

Adrian shouted.

"Stop!"

Marcus turned toward Adrian.

"You should be more concerned about yourself."

He pulled out a gun.

Daniel's face hardened.

"Don't."

Marcus placed the gun against Adrian's head.

"Give me the card."

Daniel stared at him.

He had no choice.

"The card is hidden."

"Where?"

"In my car."

Marcus smiled.

"Take him."

One of the men grabbed Daniel.

But before they could move, the lights suddenly went out.

A loud alarm began ringing.

Marcus shouted:

"What happened?"

Gunshots exploded outside.

The armed men rushed toward the entrance.

Adrian used the darkness to break free from his chair.

He attacked the man beside him.

Michael followed.

Daniel managed to loosen his ropes.

Within seconds, the room descended into chaos.

Daniel grabbed the weapon that had fallen onto the floor.

"Michael!"

Michael ran toward him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Adrian joined them.

"We need to get out."

They ran through a side door.

Behind them, Marcus shouted:

"Don't let them escape!"

They entered a narrow corridor.

Michael suddenly stopped.

"There!"

He pointed toward another door.

They opened it.

A tunnel led beneath the station.

They ran.

After several minutes, they reached the other side.

Daniel looked back.

Marcus wasn't following.

"Where is he?"

Adrian shook his head.

"Probably planning something."

Michael looked frightened.

"He knows where the ledger is."

Daniel turned toward him.

"How?"

Michael hesitated.

"Because I told him."

Daniel stared at him.

"You what?"

Michael looked ashamed.

"I thought he would help me find the truth about our father."

Adrian became angry.

"You trusted him?"

"I didn't know!"

Daniel stepped between them.

"Enough."

They couldn't fight among themselves.

Not now.

Then Michael said something that made Daniel stop.

"I know where the ledger is."

Daniel looked at him.

"What?"

Michael reached into his jacket.

He pulled out a small envelope.

"My father gave this to me."

Daniel stared at the envelope.

"Your father?"

Michael nodded.

"He gave it to me before he disappeared."

Daniel opened it.

Inside was an old photograph.

It showed their father standing beside a large vault.

On the back was a handwritten message.

THE LEDGER IS NOT IN A BANK.

Daniel turned the photograph over.

Below the sentence was an address.

Adrian recognized it immediately.

"That's our father's old estate."

Daniel frowned.

"But that's where I grew up."

Michael shook his head.

"No."

He pointed to a small symbol in the corner of the photograph.

"Look."

Daniel examined it.

The symbol matched the one on his father's watch.

"The secret room," Daniel whispered.

Adrian looked confused.

"What about it?"

"The secret room wasn't the real hiding place."

Daniel suddenly understood.

"The room was only a doorway."

Michael nodded.

"There is another room underneath the mansion."

Adrian looked at Daniel.

"Then we go there."

---

They returned to the mansion before sunrise.

The rain had stopped.

The house stood silently in the darkness.

Daniel unlocked the front door.

They entered.

Everything looked normal.

But Daniel knew better now.

He led Adrian and Michael to his father's old study.

They moved the bookshelf.

The secret entrance opened.

They entered the hidden room.

Daniel walked toward the back wall.

He remembered the symbol from the photograph.

There was a small metal plate.

He pressed it.

Nothing happened.

Adrian tried another section.

Still nothing.

Michael examined the wall.

"Wait."

He pointed toward the floor.

There was a small circular mark.

Daniel pressed it.

A deep mechanical sound echoed through the room.

The floor began moving.

A staircase appeared beneath them.

They stared into the darkness.

Adrian whispered:

"Our father built all this?"

Daniel nodded.

They descended.

At the bottom was an enormous underground chamber.

Shelves filled the walls.

Files covered tables.

Old computers stood in the corner.

And in the center was a huge steel safe.

Daniel approached it.

There was no combination.

Only a fingerprint scanner.

Michael looked at him.

"Try yours."

Daniel placed his finger on the scanner.

Nothing.

Adrian tried.

Nothing.

Michael tried.

The machine suddenly activated.

ACCESS GRANTED.

The safe opened.

Inside was a black leather case.

Daniel opened it.

A thick book lay inside.

The ledger.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

They had finally found it.

But then Daniel noticed something underneath the ledger.

Another envelope.

He opened it.

Inside was a single photograph.

Daniel looked at it.

His blood ran cold.

The photograph showed their father standing with a fourth man.

Daniel recognized him immediately.

It was the man from the old death records.

Ethan.

But Ethan wasn't a child.

He was an adult.

And standing beside him was Marcus.

Daniel slowly turned the photograph over.

There were three words written on the back:

ETHAN IS ALIVE.

Suddenly, the underground lights switched on.

A voice echoed through the chamber.

"Yes."

Daniel, Adrian, and Michael turned.

Marcus stood at the top of the staircase.

He was holding a gun.

"You finally found it."

Daniel grabbed the ledger.

Marcus smiled.

"But you still don't know the biggest secret."

Daniel stared at him.

"What secret?"

Marcus's expression became cold.

"The man you believe is your enemy..."

He paused.

"...is actually your fourth brother."

Daniel's face went pale.

Marcus pointed toward the photograph.

"Ethan has been controlling everything from the beginning."

The chamber fell silent.

Then Marcus added:

"And he is coming for all three of you."