Chapter 4 - The Inheritance of Sins
The name Ethan hung in the air like the tolling of a funeral bell.
My younger brother.
When our mother disappeared twenty years ago, Ethan had been only eight years old. While I was old enough to remember fragments of our life before the nightmare, Ethan had been molded entirely by our father and his cold second wife, Eleanor. He had grown up in the shadow of Richard Vance—arrogant, entitled, spoiled rotten, and fiercely protective of the Vance family name and fortune.
When our father died five years ago, Ethan had stepped seamlessly into the role of CEO of Vance Enterprises. He lived in a sprawling, multi-million-dollar estate in Paradise Valley, drove a fleet of exotic sports cars, and spent his weekends hosting lavish parties for Phoenix’s elite. To the outside world, Ethan was the golden boy—a brilliant young tycoon carrying on his father’s philanthropic and architectural legacy.
To me, he was just my little brother. A bit self-absorbed, yes, but family.
Until tonight.
“Ethan doesn’t know,” I whispered, wrapping my arms tightly around my mother as if shielding her from an invisible sniper. “He couldn't know. He was only eight when Mom disappeared. Dad must have lied to him too, just like he lied to me.”
Lucas walked back over, kneeling beside us, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
“Sabrina, let’s be brutally honest for a second,” Lucas said, his voice measured and razor-sharp. “Do you really think Richard Vance—a man capable of attempted murder, framing his own wife, and covering it up with forged police reports—left his empire to chance? Do you think he raised Ethan to be a gentle, honest man?”
I swallowed hard, the taste of ash rising in my mouth.
I thought about Ethan. I thought about the way he spoke about the homeless population during our family dinners—calling them ‘parasites’ and ‘urban blight’ that ruined property values. I thought about the way he aggressively pushed for the city council to approve our real estate firm’s demolition projects in low-income neighborhoods, displacing hundreds of families without a second thought.
He wasn't just a spoiled rich kid. He was a chip off the old, rotten block.
“If Ethan finds out Mom is alive…” I stammered, my voice trembling. “If he finds out that Dad tried to murder her and buried her reputation to protect his empire… what will he do?”
“He’ll protect the family name and the inheritance at all costs,” Lucas said bluntly. “Because if the truth ever comes out—if the public, the media, and the courts find out that Richard Vance was a violent criminal who framed an innocent woman—the Vance family fortune doesn't just take a hit. It gets wiped out completely. Class-action lawsuits, forfeiture of assets, criminal investigations into corporate fraud, and the total collapse of Vance Enterprises.”
Mary shook her head slowly, her frail hands gripping my wrists. “No… no, I don’t want their money, Sabrina. I don’t care about the buildings, the stocks, or the legacy. I just want my daughter back. I want to rest.”
“You are going to rest, Mom,” I said, my voice hardening into a vow of absolute steel. I stood up from the floor, wiping the remaining tears from my cheeks. The frightened, insecure housewife who had walked into this mansion two hours ago had just been permanently erased. In her place stood Mary Vance’s daughter. “You are going to sleep in the guest suite tonight. Marta will bring you fresh clothes, and our private doctor will be here in twenty minutes to run a full medical examination.”
Lucas stood up, a slow, approving smile touching the corners of his lips. He reached out and squeezed my shoulder.
“I’ll call Dr. Henderson right now,” Lucas said. “And I’ll have security beef up the perimeter gates. Nobody enters or leaves this property without my direct authorization.”
May you like
“What about Ethan?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Leave Ethan to me,” Lucas replied quietly. “I’m going to invite him over for dinner tomorrow night under the guise of a routine family get-together. We’ll see how he reacts when a very specific ghost walks into the dining room.”
