Harrison walked down the hallway toward the interrogation room, feeling the familiar tension and anticipation that always accompanied confrontations like these. But this time, it felt different. This wasn’t just about Luca’s betrayal or even the threats that had come from his brother; it was about unraveling the truth buried in their past-the truth that had defined the course of their lives in ways he was only beginning to understand.
When he opened the door to the interrogation room, he found Luca sitting casually on the other side of the metal table, handcuffed but composed, as if he were just waiting for Harrison to come to him. As soon as Luca saw him, a wicked smile spread across his face, dark and mocking.
“Well, well,” Luca drawled, his voice calm, almost taunting. “Finally decided to come and see me, did you, Harrison?”
Harrison sat down across from him, his gaze unyielding. “I didn’t come here to listen to your games, Luca,” he replied, his tone firm. “I came here to understand why you’ve chosen this path. I want to know why you’ve turned against everything we were raised to believe.”
Luca’s smile only widened. “Raised to believe?” he repeated with a chuckle, as though the very idea amused him. “You and I were raised by the same man, Harrison, but somehow, you turned out… different.” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “I learned from Mr. Blackwood. I saw how things really work. But you-you never understood, did you?”
The mention of Mr. Blackwood sent a chill through Harrison, but he kept his expression steady. He and Luca had grown up together, under the watchful eyes of the man they’d known as their guardian, even as their father figure. Mr. Blackwood had taken them in after their parents’ tragic car accident-a loss that had cast a long shadow over both their lives. But Mr. Blackwood had been their guide, their mentor, shaping them as they grew older. Yet Harrison had always sensed something deeper, something Luca seemed to have embraced fully.
“Mr. Blackwood may have taken us in,” Harrison said carefully, “but he never wanted us to be family. He wanted power, Luca. He wanted control, and he wanted our parents’ legacy for himself.”
Luca smirked, a glint of something almost triumphant in his eyes. “So, you’re not as naive as I thought,” he said, his tone cold. “Yes, Mr. Blackwood wanted their legacy. And do you know why, Harrison? Because your precious parents our parents were foolish. They didn’t understand what it takes to keep control, to make people bend to your will. Mr. Blackwood taught me that. He showed me that kindness is weakness.”
Harrison clenched his fists, his frustration growing. “Our parents were good people, Luca. They didn’t need to control anyone to be respected. They believed in honesty, in doing what was right.”
“Right?” Luca sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Doing what’s ‘right’ doesn’t keep you alive in a world full of people looking to take advantage of you. Mr. Blackwood was the one who understood that, and he made sure I did too. You, though… you always clung to their ridiculous ideals.”
Harrison took a deep breath, steadying himself. “You’re forgetting something, Luca,” he said softly. “Mr. Blackwood isn’t the man you think he is. He isn’t some noble figure. He’s a killer.”
The smile on Luca’s face faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, his expression defiant. “And what would you know about it, Harrison?” he asked, his tone dismissive.
Harrison held his gaze, refusing to back down. “I know, Luca, because Rachel told me,” he said, his voice low. “She used to work for Mr. Blackwood. She was his personal maid, and she uncovered his secrets.”
Luca’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
“Rachel showed me the truth,” Harrison continued, his voice steady but filled with a simmering anger. “The accident that took our parents away from us-it wasn’t an accident. Mr. Blackwood orchestrated it. He killed them. Our parents, the very people who trusted him, who saw him as a friend.”
Luca stared at him, the mask of arrogance slipping, replaced by something unreadable. “You’re lying,” he said, though his voice held a hint of doubt.
Harrison leaned forward, his gaze piercing. “Rachel showed me the evidence, Luca. Mr. Blackwood wanted our parents out of the way because he wanted everything they built-their wealth, their influence, their legacy. And he took us in to keep his hold on it.”
A shadow passed over Luca’s face, but he quickly masked it with a scoff. “You’re trying to manipulate me, Harrison. You think that by painting him as the villain, you can make me doubt everything he’s taught me?”
“I don’t need to manipulate you, Luca,” Harrison replied quietly. “I’m telling you the truth. The man you’ve been following blindly, the man who raised us-he’s a murderer. And he’s been using us both.”
Luca’s expression faltered, and for a moment, Harrison thought he saw a flicker of uncertainty in his brother’s eyes. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the familiar hardness.
“Even if that were true,” Luca said, his voice laced with bitterness, “it doesn’t change anything. Mr. Blackwood showed me the world for what it is-a place where only the strong survive. He taught me to seize power, to be ruthless. And that’s what I am.”
Harrison felt a pang of sadness as he looked at his brother, the boy he’d grown up with, now so twisted by the teachings of a man who had only sought to destroy. “And what has that made you, Luca?” he asked softly. “A pawn? A tool? He’s used you, just like he used our parents, like he used me. You’re just another part of his game.”
Luca’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, his confidence wavered. But he quickly steeled himself, his gaze turning cold once more. “You don’t get it, Harrison,” he said, his voice tense. “I’m not some pawn. I’ve learned to play the game just as well as he does. And unlike you, I’m willing to do what it takes to win.”
“Win?” Harrison repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. “What is there to win, Luca? Power? Wealth? Control? And at what cost? You’ve lost everything that mattered the people who loved you, the family you could have had. All for what? To impress a man who never cared about you in the first place?”
Luca looked away, his face unreadable, but Harrison could see the cracks beginning to show. Despite his bravado, despite his loyalty to Mr. Blackwood’s twisted teachings, there was something in him that still hesitated, that still questioned.
Harrison leaned forward, his tone gentler. “You don’t have to keep following this path, Luca. It’s not too late to turn back, to choose something different. You can still change.”
But Luca shook his head, his expression hardening once more. “You don’t understand, Harrison,” he said, his voice hollow. “This is all I know. It’s too late for me to be anything else.”
Harrison felt a surge of sorrow as he looked at his brother, realizing that the boy he’d once known was all but gone, replaced by a man shaped by lies and cruelty. He stood up, his heart heavy.
“You may think it’s too late,” he said softly, “but I’ll always believe you have a choice, Luca. Even now.”
Luca didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the table in front of him. Harrison turned and walked toward the door, pausing as he reached it.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” he said quietly, though he wasn’t sure if Luca even heard him.
As he stepped out of the room, Harrison felt the weight of their conversation settle over him. He’d hoped to reach Luca, to make him see the truth of their past and the lies that had shaped their lives. But it was clear now that Luca was too far gone, too consumed by the darkness Mr. Blackwood had instilled in him.
Outside the interrogation room, Detective Lancey waited for him, her expression somber.
“How did it go?” she asked, her voice gentle.
Harrison shook his head, a sadness in his eyes. “He’s… he’s lost, Detective. Mr. Blackwood’s influence has poisoned him completely.”
Detective Lancey nodded, understanding the weight of his words. “We’ll keep him here as long as we can,” she said. “But if there’s anything else you need us to do, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Harrison gave her a grateful nod. “Thank you,” he replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.
As he left the police station, Harrison couldn’t shake the ache in his chest. He had fought to protect his family, to uncover the truth and bring justice to those who had wronged them. But in the process, he had lost something precious-the brother he had once loved, now twisted by the same man who had taken their parents from them.
Yet, despite everything, Harrison knew he had to keep going.