CHAPTER 26 : EVELYN’S RETURN
Claire’s body remained completely still.
Only her eyes had changed.
Ethan had seen Claire afraid.
Angry.
Exhausted.
He had never seen her look at people as if they were pieces on a board.
Evelyn removed Claire’s hand from the terminal.
“Release the third heir.”
The vault door unlocked.
Thomas entered with Noah.
Grant followed, dragging Margaret behind him.
Daniel raised his weapon.
Grant aimed back.
“No one fires,” Evelyn ordered.
Grant smiled.
“You have no authority outside that terminal.”
Every weapon in the room suddenly locked.
Grant pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened.
Evelyn looked at him.
“I wrote the authority.”
Thomas pushed Noah toward the third platform.
Noah refused to move.
Ethan approached him.
“The children need you.”
Noah glanced toward the two cradles.
“They aren’t children to these people.”
“They are to us.”
Noah placed his palm against the scanner.
A needle entered his finger.
His blood moved through a thin glass tube beneath the floor.
The machines surrounding the infants activated.
Their heart rhythms became stronger.
Claire’s newborn cried.
The preserved child turned his head toward Noah’s voice.
The three genetic lines were connected.
Thomas watched the screen with hunger.
“Activate the trust.”
Evelyn ignored him.
“What does the trust contain?” Vanessa asked.
“Nothing worth what was done here.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Evelyn looked toward the ceiling.
“The Blackwood trust is a disguise. The assets fund an autonomous network controlling medical patents, defense research, private intelligence and biometric identification systems.”
Grant’s confidence faltered.
“That network belongs to the legitimate heir.”
“It belongs to whoever controls all three heirs.”
Thomas looked toward Noah.
“That is why you created him.”
“No,” Evelyn replied. “I created him so no single family could control it.”
Ethan watched Claire’s face.
“Bring her back.”
Evelyn turned toward him.
“She is resting.”
“She didn’t give you permission to take her body.”
“She exists because Helen gave her mine.”
Helen stepped between them.
“Claire’s mind was failing. Evelyn’s map kept her alive.”
“You built a prison inside her,” Ethan said.
“I saved my daughter.”
Evelyn gave a quiet laugh.
“No, Helen. You saved the person you wanted her to become.”
Claire’s fingers began trembling.
Her voice briefly returned.
“Ethan…”
He moved toward her.
Evelyn seized control again.
“Do not interfere.”
Vanessa grabbed Claire’s hand.
“Claire, listen to me. Your baby needs you.”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears, but her face remained controlled.
Two minds were fighting behind them.
Grant suddenly reached beneath his coat and removed a mechanical firing device.
It was not connected to his disabled weapon.
Daniel recognized it.
“Get down!”
Grant pressed the trigger.
An explosion tore through the outer wall.
The lights failed.
Thomas pulled Noah away from the platform.
Margaret fell beside the cradles.
Adrian shielded the infants.
Ethan moved toward Claire, but Evelyn stepped away from him.
Emergency lights returned.
Grant was gone.
So was the preserved child.
A sensor duplicate remained inside the first cradle, producing a false heartbeat.
Helen stared at the empty bed.
“He knew how to deceive the system.”
Daniel looked toward the destroyed wall.
“Because Grant worked for Evelyn.”
Everyone turned toward Claire.
Evelyn smiled through her face.
“He did more than work for me.”
May you like
She looked at the blood left on the cradle.
“Grant was the first child the program allowed to grow.”
