Chapter 13 - Sadie stared at Marcus.“My memory?”
Marcus nodded.
“He erased part of it.”
“How?”
“Hypnosis.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Marcus sat against the wall.
“He made you forget what happened the night Daniel died.”
“What happened?”
Marcus looked at Dominic.
Dominic stepped forward.
“I can tell you.”
Sadie shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Marcus.
“You tell me.”
Marcus breathed slowly.
“The night your father died, he handed you to Dominic.”
Sadie blinked.
“What?”
“He told Dominic to take you and never come back.”
“Why?”
“Because Ethan was coming.”
Sadie stared.
“What did Ethan do?”
Marcus looked away.
“He killed everyone in the room.”
“The guards?”
“Yes.”
“Doctors?”
“Yes.”
“My mother?”
“No.”
“She escaped.”
Sadie felt sick.
“And Dominic?”
“He fought Ethan.”
“What happened?”
“Ethan won.”
Sadie's eyes widened.
“Then how am I alive?”
Marcus smiled sadly.
“Because Daniel made a deal.”
“With who?”
“Vittorio Russo.”
Sadie froze.
“What deal?”
“Daniel offered the money.”
“In exchange for me?”
“Yes.”
She looked at Dominic.
“And you accepted.”
Dominic nodded.
“I did.”
“You bought me.”
“No.”
“You paid my father.”
“To save you.”
Sadie slapped him.
The sound echoed.
Dominic didn't react.
“You knew all this.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my brothers.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Ethan was alive.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
Dominic looked at her.
“That you would hate me.”
Sadie laughed through tears.
“You were right.”
Marcus slowly stood.
“There's one thing left.”
“What?”
“The Russo trust.”
Dominic looked at him.
“We need all four DNA signatures.”
“Ethan has one.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
He pulled a bloodied file from his coat.
“Ethan doesn't.”
Dominic stared.
“Then who does?”
Marcus looked at Sadie.
“You.”
She frowned.
“Why me?”
“Because Daniel never trusted the system.”
He opened the file.
Inside was a genetic sequence.
Sadie stared at the code.
“I don't understand.”
Marcus pointed.
“Your DNA isn't just a key.”
“What is it?”
“A reset.”
Dominic went pale.
“If we use her signature, the trust doesn't unlock.”
Marcus nodded.
“It destroys everything inside.”
Sadie looked up.
“Why would my father build that?”
“Because he knew they would eventually find all four of us.”
“And?”
“He wanted the children to have the choice.”
Sadie stared at the documents.
“What choice?”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Burn the empire.”
A phone rang.
Dominic answered.
Ethan's voice came through.
“Bring Sadie to the Old Cathedral.”
“Why?”
“You have one hour.”
“What happens if we don't?”
Ethan laughed.
“Thomas dies.”
Dominic looked toward Marcus.
“And if we come?”
“Everyone lives.”
Sadie took the phone.
“Ethan.”
“Yes?”
“I'll come.”
Dominic turned.
“Sadie.”
She stared straight ahead.
“But I'm bringing my brothers.”
A pause.
Then Ethan laughed.
“That's exactly what I wanted.”
The line went dead.
Sadie lowered the phone.
Marcus stared at her.
“What did you just do?”
She looked at him.
“I gave him what he wanted.”
“And what's that?”
May you like
Sadie's expression hardened.
“All four of us in one room.”
