e harsh morning sun. Adrian stood at the base of its stone steps, dressed in a charcoal suit and

ce, heir by marriage to one of the most powerful business e

m two months ago, the perks of being part of the Vance inner circle. The marble lobby was

, his mind sharp. Evelyn'

assphrase: "What is done in

showed the card, signed the temporary

blinked. "Follo

ng corridor of steel doors, they stopped at a small one near the end. The

Press the intercom i

d open. Adrian

wless, quiet. A single me

84

ther's

g fingers, Ad

ere thre

und notebook,

d documents, many s

lash drive, t

aying each item

hen, toward the end-paranoia. Descriptions of threats, phone calls, surveillance. There were even transcripts of arguments with

ped to the

tect the truth. If you're reading this, son... forgive me for leaving you this w

est ti

eywell executives, minutes from hush-hush meetings, a signed letter proposing

ure beneath it

e. He would need to decrypt it offsi

sn't ju

as f

Marcus's legacy

exited the vault, calm but alert. He could feel

the sidewalk when his

wn nu

nswe

ngs to my family," came Sebas

pace. "Funny. I didn'

is going to get

rd worse

s old-school. You might think you're playing chess, bu

d. "Then I guess it's tim

ll before Sebas

pruning a row of white orchids with delicate ca

she said, wiping her

kissing her temple. "The gal

"You're not a soci

caugh

r said you impressed the board last night. Even Charle

ugged. "Wh

proud of you, you know. And I... I hope you

ched he

r something deepe

asking f

id gently. "W

I just want us to be honest with each other. No secrets, no

rushed him

out his real name, about the man who hanged himself i

e cou

t

perfect," he

nto him. He held her ti

uth-once this storm broke, she'd

ive to a secured laptop. He entered a series of decryption keys

lder o

ages, and documents fille

lab testing on unap

to shell companies

e Marcus agreed to cover up a

st a birth certificate and a sealed file with EXPER

n ope

read chi

" Subject experienced seizures, blackouts, abnormal neurological growth. Later reports no

the face in the

no older

eyes. Che

od turn

oked exactl

a second

c sequencing attached.

ed. Could it be?

me. Answers. He needed to know if Marcus had experimented on his own daughter-or someon

dangerous than corporate corruption. This wasn't about r

-

top still shut, the afterimage of Elena's childhood photo burned into his memory. Every time h

ll did Marc

he distant hum of the groundskeepers filled the silence, but it did n

now if Elena w

here Marcus's private medical archive was located. The door w

n't ne

ehind the antique barometer near the hallway's curve. While the house still slep

om was

Trial data. Most were under project codes. He pulled out anythi

ers in, he

T SILE

. Internal

ith steady hands, each page s

ect:

as:

ctations. Memory inconsistencies pres

from viral exposure, cellular reformation anoma

ure at the bottom tha

obert

fa

no memory of this. No clue. Had his father b

ething that hadn't been scanned. It was a

it that way. I can't pro

and he sank into the chai

oesn'

ldn't

manipulated body. The sweet, kind, intelligent woman he'd fallen fo

arcus turn

his fathe

d, his hear

Evelyn. If anyone had

the security system. As he stepped bac

e up e

tur

d of the hall in a silk robe, sipp

said, composing himse

erves haven't

ing lik

loser, eyes sharp. "

p tightened

," he lied. "Notes on Vance Holdi

ntly. "You do lov

calculated. Adrian knew that smile. It was t

to go over next quarter's board restructure. The Chairman of Sto

se," Adr

nce at the folder in his

l the hallway was

to get

-

city, a beautiful brick structure with ivy crawling u

or, she looked like sh

oon," she said. "But I su

he file. "Tell m

stepped aside and clos

biologically engineered resilience. Wanted to create the perfect genetic heir. Robert tried to

w?" Adrian asked,

ls. Some of the signatures were forged. Others... he may have been pressured to sign. He tried to g

at the file. "She

ries before age ten were either deleted or rewritten. Her mind was rewired to

ered. "He turned he

n that. She's still Elena. Her kindness, her strength, her

don't know ho

rgive you for telling her what no one else dared to. The questi

didn't

ould

-

de on the terrace. The city skyline shimmered in the

d slipped her arms

" she said softly. "E

" Adrian

something's wrong. Like you're carrying some

something that could change everything you thought

"That's a str

ld y

true... yes. I'd want to k

thought about telling her everything. About the

ntil he had proof that wouldn't

ed down and kiss

he said. "To tell you e

n nodded. "Okay. I'll wait

embrace. Because soon, wa

-