Chapter 5 - THE BROTHER WHO BROUGHT THE TEA
-5
Dominic lasted two days.
Adrian spent those forty-eight hours performing his illness.
He let his shoulders sag at breakfast.
Pretended to lose the thread of conversations.
Asked Dominic twice what day it was.
Skipped one afternoon meeting.
At night, he accepted the tea.
He did not drink it.
Mateo replaced it with harmless liquid before disposal and sent every original sample to Dr. Vale.
Dominic watched him closely.
Vittoria called three times.
“My darling, you sound tired again.”
“I am.”
“Perhaps yesterday was too much.”
“Perhaps.”
“Let Dominic handle things.”
“Of course.”
Each lie tasted different when Adrian knew.
On the second night, Dominic entered at 11:26.
Same porcelain cup.
Same steady hand.
Adrian was sitting in bed with a book open but unfocused.
Dominic placed tea.
“You should sleep.”
“I’ll try.”
Dominic looked at him.
Something in his face almost broke.
Then disappeared.
Adrian said:
“Sit.”
“What?”
“I haven’t seen you all day.”
Dominic hesitated.
Then sat by fireplace.
They spoke about nothing.
A warehouse.
Weather.
Their father.
At one point Adrian asked:
“Do you remember when Dad locked us in wine cellar?”
Dominic laughed.
“We locked ourselves.”
“You told him I did it.”
“You were older.”
“I hated you.”
“You deserved it.”
For ten seconds, brothers.
Then Adrian looked at cup.
“Does this stuff actually work?”
Dominic froze.
“Sometimes.”
“Rinaldi says it helps regulate.”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe him?”
Dominic’s eyes met his.
“What is this?”
“Conversation.”
“You haven’t wanted conversation in years.”
“I’ve been tired.”
A faint flash of pain.
Then:
“Drink before it gets cold.”
There.
Adrian smiled.
“Why?”
Dominic stood.
“Because I’m done.”
Adrian’s pulse changed.
“Done with what?”
Dominic stared at him.
“You slept seven hours.”
Silence.
“The kid told you.”
Adrian did not move.
Dominic closed eyes.
“Of course she did.”
Then door opened.
Mateo stepped in.
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“Russo.”
Mateo remained near door.
Dominic looked at Adrian.
“How long?”
“Long enough.”
“The tea?”
“Tested.”
Dominic’s face emptied.
“Then you know.”
“I know something.”
“Mother?”
Adrian did not answer.
Dominic looked toward Mateo.
“You always were his dog.”
Mateo shrugged.
“Better than being hers.”
Dominic flinched.
There.
Adrian spoke.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“Then stand.”
“You going to kill me?”
Hannah's husband dead, but no. Adrian could threaten. Instead he says no.
“No.”
That surprised.
“Why?”
“Because I’m awake.”
Dominic laughed once.
“Very noble.”
“No.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“I want truth.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“You think truth is going to make you feel better?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Then silence.
Adrian asked:
“When did you start putting drops in tea?”
“Three years.”
“Before Elias died or after?”
Dominic looked sharply.
So he knew locker found.
“After.”
“How long after?”
“Six days.”
Hannah’s husband died.
Six days later routine began.
“Who told you?”
Dominic laughed.
“You know.”
“Say it.”
“Mother.”
The word.
Still hurt.
“Did you know what it was?”
“At first, no.”
“Do not lie.”
“I’m not.”
“Rinaldi gave bottle?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That it would calm your nervous system.”
“And you believed?”
“For two months.”
“Then?”
Dominic’s eyes lowered.
“You got worse.”
“And?”
“I asked.”
“Rinaldi?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That adjustment period.”
“And you kept.”
“Yes.”
“How long before you knew?”
Dominic swallowed.
“Five months.”
Five.
Not three years ignorance.
“What happened?”
“I found medical file.”
“What file?”
“Project Lantern.”
There.
“Mother’s study.”
“You read?”
“Yes.”
“What did it say?”
Dominic looked at cup.
“Goal was not sleep.”
“What goal?”
“Cognitive impairment sufficient for temporary executive transfer.”
Adrian’s stomach twisted.
“And you still brought tea.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Dominic laughed without humor.
“Here it comes.”
“What?”
“The part where you decide I’m coward.”
“You are.”
“Yes.”
Honest.
“Why?”
Dominic looked toward window.
“Because Elias was already dead.”
Silence.
“He came to me.”
“When?”
“Eight months before.”
Video confirmed.
“He said Mother was paying Rinaldi.”
“I told him some things.”
“What?”
“Draft resolutions. Bellhaven concept. Her meetings with Carlo.”
“Then?”
“She found out.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then Elias died.”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill him?”
Dominic snapped head.
“No.”
“Did you order?”
“No.”
“Did you know?”
“Not before.”
“After?”
Silence.
“Dominic.”
“I suspected.”
“Who?”
“Carlo.”
“On Mother’s order?”
“I don’t know.”
“You always know enough to protect yourself.”
Dominic flinched.
Then:
“After Elias died, Mother called me into study.”
“What happened?”
“She put photographs on desk.”
“What photographs?”
Dominic looked at Adrian.
“Me.”
“Doing?”
“Things that could put me in prison.”
“What things?”
Financial crimes?
Dominic explained he had diverted company money through Bellhaven before authorized, falsified invoices, and covered a violent incident involving a corrupt partner? To keep story safe, let's avoid explicit violence mechanics. He had approved illegal payments and falsified records that implicated him in serious conspiracy.
“She said if I stopped helping, everything went to federal prosecutors.”
Adrian stared.
“You chose yourself.”
“Yes.”
“For three years.”
“Yes.”
“Over me.”
Dominic’s voice cracked.
“Yes.”
No excuses.
Good.
Then:
“Did you know it could permanently damage me?”
Dominic’s eyes filled.
“Rinaldi said reversible.”
“And you believed?”
“I wanted to.”
That is more honest.
“Did you ever reduce?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Sometimes I skipped nights.”
Adrian remembered rare good nights.
He had attributed random.
Dominic had chosen mercy intermittently.
That did not absolve.
“Why not tell me?”
“You would kill Mother.”
“No.”
“I thought.”
“Or you thought I’d turn you in too.”
Dominic looked away.
There.
“Yes.”
Then:
“Why search Lily’s rabbit?”
Dominic’s face changed.
“Mother said Elias hid a key.”
“How knew?”
“Carlo searched his car after crash. Found note referencing rabbit.”
“Why wait?”
“They never found Hannah.”
Then she entered estate.
Did Dominic recognize?
“No. Not until Christmas.”
“How?”
“I heard Ricci call Lily Carter.”
Carter triggered.
He investigated employment file.
Saw Hannah’s emergency contact/history perhaps.
Then informed mother.
“Why not remove them?”
“I told Mother that would draw attention.”
“Instead search.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Lily saw you?”
“No.”
“The tea.”
“No.”
Then Dominic laughed bitterly.
“A three-year-old.”
Adrian’s anger remained.
But something else entered.
Grief.
His brother had betrayed him.
Also been controlled.
Both.
“Who is at top besides Mother?”
“Mother is top.”
“Rinaldi?”
“Paid.”
“Carlo?”
“Enforcer.”
“Family counsel?”
“Knew incapacity plan, probably not poisoning.”
“Board?”
“Most think you’re legitimately sick.”
“Bellhaven?”
“Mine.”
“Money?”
“Mine.”
Good.
“You will surrender it.”
Dominic laughed.
“To you?”
“To restitution.”
“For what?”
“You profited while I could barely read.”
Dominic closed eyes.
“Fine.”
Then Adrian asked:
“Dad.”
Dominic went still.
“What about him?”
“Did Mother kill him?”
Silence.
Mateo’s posture changed.
Dominic whispered:
“I don’t know.”
“Not enough.”
“I swear.”
“What do you know?”
Dominic sat again.
“Night he died, he had dinner with Mother and Rinaldi.”
Adrian’s chest tightened.
“I arrived after.”
“Why?”
“Mother called.”
“What did she say?”
“Dad collapsed.”
“Then?”
“Rinaldi was already there.”
Family physician conveniently present.
“Ambulance?”
“Delayed.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“How long?”
“Maybe fifteen minutes.”
“Why?”
“Rinaldi said moving him dangerous.”
Potentially plausible medically, but suspicious.
“Dad conscious?”
“For a while.”
“Did he say anything?”
Dominic’s face broke.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“He grabbed me.”
Dominic’s voice shook.
“He said, ‘Don’t let her make Adrian sick.’”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“And you never told me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because ten minutes later he was dead, and Mother stood beside me.”
His eyes filled.
“She said if I repeated those words, I would destroy family with a dying man’s delirium.”
Adrian stood slowly.
His father had warned.
Dominic had buried.
Then:
“One more thing.”
Adrian’s voice low.
“Elias.”
Dominic looked.
“He was our brother.”
Dominic’s face went white.
He did not know.
Adrian saw immediately.
“What?”
“No.”
“He was Salvatore’s son.”
Dominic sat back.
“No.”
“DNA.”
“No.”
“Lily is our niece.”
Dominic covered mouth.
For first time, guilt became something beyond Adrian.
He had helped silence a system that killed his own half-brother.
Then Adrian said:
“You are going to help me bring Mother down.”
Dominic laughed through tears.
“And after?”
“After?”
Adrian looked directly.
“You answer for what you did too.”
Dominic nodded slowly.
May you like
For perhaps first time in years, choice without illusion.
“Okay.”
