CHAPTER 19: THE MAN WHO REFUSED TO DIE

The boardroom doors sealed as smoke filled the tower.

Mason broke a window with an emergency hammer, but they were forty floors above the street.

Julian pointed toward a maintenance panel.

“There’s a service shaft.”

Adrian helped his brother crawl toward it.

His legs weakened with every step.

When they reached the shaft, the elevator cables were already moving.

Someone was sending a car upward to crush them.

Mason fired into the locking mechanism.

The panel opened.

They entered just before the elevator passed beneath them.

Heat rolled through the building.

Julian looked at Adrian.

“You’re walking.”

“Eli woke my nerves.”

“The child from the news?”

“He’s Daniel’s son.”

Julian went silent.

“You knew Daniel was alive?” Adrian asked.

“I suspected. Father once told me the Vale family had three living heirs.”

“Three?”

“You, me and someone he called the buried son.”

They escaped through a parking level as fire crews arrived.

Back at the hidden clinic, Victoria had regained consciousness.

She demanded to see Adrian alone.

“Sebastian will not kill Alistair yet,” she said.

“He turned off the machine.”

“There are backup systems.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I helped design the room.”

Adrian stared at her.

Victoria looked away.

“My father forced me into Helix when I was sixteen. I stayed near you because I believed I could control the damage.”

“You kept me paralyzed.”

“I kept Sebastian from killing you.”

“You planned to marry me.”

“That was not part of his plan.”

For the first time, her voice broke.

Adrian felt no comfort.

“Where is the underground facility?”

“Beneath the original Vale hospital.”

“The hospital is scheduled for demolition.”

“Exactly.”

Mason entered holding a tablet.

“Demolition begins at dawn.”

They had six hours.

Eli appeared in the doorway, seated in a wheelchair.

He looked at Adrian.

“I’m coming.”

Emma shook her head.

“You can’t even stand.”

Eli’s expression hardened.

“Neither could he.”

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He pointed at Adrian.

“And that didn’t stop him.”