CHAPTER 28 — THE ARCHITECT
The Architect introduced herself as Helena Vale.
The name meant nothing to Evelyn.
It meant everything to Daniel.
“You were supposed to be dead,” he said.
Helena smiled.
“You have been saying that about inconvenient women for decades.”
Celeste struggled against her restraints.
“You created the first program.”
“I created a method for protecting children from inherited corruption.”
“You tortured them.”
“I refined them.”
Evelyn moved closer to the glass.
“Why do you look like me?”
Helena’s smile faded.
“Because Beatrice is my daughter.”
Beatrice closed her eyes.
Evelyn felt the family tree twisting around her.
Helena was her biological grandmother.
The Architect had created Nightingale.
Beatrice had given birth to Evelyn.
Daniel and Celeste had raised her.
Gabriel had trained her.
Julian had married her.
Every adult in her life had known a different piece.
No one had told her the truth.
“Who is my father?” Evelyn asked.
Helena looked toward Wren.
“The same man who fathered her.”
Wren began crying.
“I don’t have a father.”
“That is what they told you.”
Helena displayed a photograph of a younger Beatrice standing beside a military officer whose face had been removed from the image.
“He was Choir Member Zero’s first enforcer,” Helena said. “He betrayed the Choir, stole its identity records, and vanished.”
“What was his name?”
“The name he used was Alexander Vance.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
Evelyn looked at him.
“Your brother?”
“My older brother,” Daniel admitted.
“You raised your brother’s daughter?”
“I raised the weapon he left behind.”
Evelyn struck the glass with the handle of her gun.
Daniel did not move.
Helena continued.
“Alexander is alive.”
“Where?”
“He contacted Nightingale three days ago.”
A video appeared.
A silver-haired man stood inside a dark room.
His face was partly hidden.
“Evelyn,” he said, “Helena will tell you I abandoned you. Daniel will tell you I created you. Beatrice will tell you she tried to save you.”
He stepped closer to the camera.
“All of them are lying.”
The recording ended.
Helena placed her palm against the glass.
“He wants the archive.”
“Everyone wants the archive.”
“He does not want to control it.”
“What does he want?”
“To destroy every person connected to Nightingale.”
The chamber alarms began ringing.
Mara checked the outer cameras.
Hundreds of armed men surrounded the mountain facility.
Their uniforms carried no national insignia.
May you like
Helena smiled.
“Your father has arrived.”
