Chapter 3 - The Breaking of the Brooks Dynasty
Lorraine’s eyes flickered with the first real shadow of fear. She snatched her purse off the chair, holding it against her chest like a shield.
"That money was an investment!" Lorraine snapped, her voice tightening into a sharp, desperate hiss. "Apex Wellness is going to be an extremely lucrative venture! Evan assured me that the funds would be replaced with interest as soon as his quarterly regional bonus cleared in November! It was a temporary allocation!"
"It was grand larceny," Natalie said flatly. "It was wire fraud. And it was committed against me using my dead father's legacy."
Before Lorraine could answer, the door to Exam Room 4 opened.
Evan walked out into the corridor. He was wearing hospital scrubs, his face pale, dark circles bruised beneath his eyes. He leaned against the doorframe for support, looking from Mark’s trembling, clenched fists to Natalie’s icy glare.
"Natalie... Mark..." Evan began, his voice raspy and weak. "Please... let's go home. We can talk about this at home. Not here."
Mark walked slowly toward his younger brother.
For seven years, Mark had deferred to Evan. Evan was the golden child—the college graduate, the corporate executive, the son who wore tailored suits and lived in the big colonial house. Mark had always played the quiet, supportive older brother, helping fix Evan’s plumbing, repairing his deck, and keeping his head down.
Mark stopped two feet from Evan.
"Did you take her money, Evan?" Mark asked softly.
Evan swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward Lorraine for help. "Mark, look... it was complicated. Paige had an incredible business plan, and my bonus was delayed because of the European supply chain issues. I was going to put every single penny back before Natalie even noticed—"
"Did you lay in my bed with my wife?" Mark shouted.
The roar echoed down the sterile hospital hallway, causing two nurses at the station down the corridor to stop and reach for the security intercom.
Evan flinched, stepping back against the doorframe. "Mark, please... I’m sick... I almost died tonight—"
"Answer me!" Mark demanded, grabbing Evan by the collar of his hospital scrubs and slamming him against the wall.
"Yes!" Evan sobbed, breaking down, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. "Yes! God, I'm sorry! It just happened! We were staying in the same house, you were always working night shifts, and things were hard between Natalie and me—"
"Don't you dare bring my name into your filth!" Natalie shouted, stepping right up to them. "You shut me out for six months! You moved into the basement office, lied to my face every single morning, made me feel like I was insane for feeling lonely, all while you were stealing my money and sneaking into your brother's bed!"
Mark let go of Evan's collar so abruptly that Evan slumped down against the wall, catching himself on the handrail.
Mark turned around and looked at Paige, who had crept out of Exam Room 6 and was standing ten feet away, clutching her paper hospital gown around her shoulders.
"Mark... baby..." Paige whimpered, her voice dripping with calculated vulnerability. "He manipulated me, Mark! Evan told me he was divorcing Natalie! He told me he was going to buy us our own house! I was confused, I was lonely—"
"Save it, Paige," Mark said. His tone was suddenly devoid of all anger. It was completely, utterly dead. "You spent five months bragging about your new jewelry, your new car, and your new studio. You ate my food, slept in my bed, and let me break my back working eighty hours a week so you could live like a queen on stolen money."
Mark looked at Natalie.
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"I’m going back to the house," Mark said quietly. "I’m packing my tools, my clothes, and I’m calling a lock technician. Natalie, are you coming with me?"
"I’m coming," Natalie said. She turned to face Lorraine, Evan, and Paige one last time. "Don't bother coming back to the colonial. I’m changing the security codes in an hour. And my lawyer will be serving all three of you before noon."
