CHAPTER 18 — RETURN TO THE BALLROOM

The Thorne mansion had not changed since Evelyn walked away.

Broken glass still covered the ballroom floor.

Blood remained on the white tablecloth where Julian had fallen.

Only now, the guests were gone.

Beatrice stood beneath the chandelier in a black gown.

She had changed clothes.

That detail frightened Evelyn more than the armed guards.

Beatrice had prepared for war.

“You came back,” she said.

Evelyn entered with Julian, Nathan, Mara, Celeste, and Gabriel.

“I said tomorrow you would be begging for my forgiveness.”

Julian looked at his mother.

“Stop the transfer.”

Beatrice’s eyes moved to the bandage on his chest.

“You survived.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I am.”

The words struck him harder than the bullet.

Mara moved toward the control room.

Guards blocked her path.

Evelyn held up Daniel’s key card.

“Your system requires this.”

Beatrice smiled.

“Daniel always believed keys controlled doors. I learned to control the person holding the key.”

She pressed a button.

Gabriel suddenly raised his gun and aimed at Evelyn.

Nathan turned his weapon toward him.

“Drop it.”

Gabriel’s hand shook.

“I can’t.”

A small light blinked beneath the skin of his neck.

Celeste understood.

“Conditioning.”

Beatrice nodded.

“Gabriel was one of Nightingale’s earliest subjects.”

Gabriel fought against his own arm.

“Run.”

The weapon fired.

Julian stepped in front of Evelyn.

The bullet struck his side.

He collapsed.

Evelyn caught him.

“Why did you do that?”

His face twisted with pain.

“I owed you more than one apology.”

Nathan disarmed Gabriel.

Mara reached the control panel.

“Ten minutes left!”

Beatrice moved toward a private elevator.

Celeste blocked her.

“You kept me alive because Daniel ordered you to.”

“No,” Beatrice said. “I kept you alive because death was too merciful.”

Celeste struck her.

Beatrice stumbled but did not fall.

The two women stared at each other after decades of hatred.

Then Beatrice whispered, “Tell Evelyn who started the fire.”

Celeste froze.

Evelyn looked between them.

“What fire?”

“The one that killed Nathan’s parents.”

Nathan’s expression changed.

Beatrice pointed at Celeste.

“She gave the order.”

Celeste did not deny it.

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The countdown reached eight minutes.

Nathan slowly raised his rifle toward Evelyn’s mother.