Chapter 10 - My mother looked exactly as she had in my childhood photographs.Except for the gun.
Her hair was silver now.
Her face thinner.
But there was no regret in her eyes.
Only calculation.
“Mom?”
She smiled.
“You finally found the truth.”
Marcus stood beside me.
“You separated us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I had to.”
“You lied to everyone.”
“I protected this family.”
I laughed bitterly.
“By destroying it?”
She pointed the gun at Marcus.
“He was never supposed to survive.”
Marcus went still.
I stepped in front of him.
“No.”
My mother lowered the weapon slightly.
“Ethan, you don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“The company was never the goal.”
“What was?”
“Control.”
She looked at the documents.
“Money gives people power. Information gives them control.”
“Who are you working for?”
She smiled.
“Your father.”
I froze.
“You said he was dead.”
“He was supposed to be.”
“What does that mean?”
She looked at Claire.
“And her father?”
Claire's face hardened.
“What about him?”
“They were partners.”
My mother's voice became almost gentle.
“Your fathers weren't fighting over money.”
“Then what?”
“Children.”
Silence.
She continued.
“They discovered that certain assets could only be transferred through direct blood heirs.”
I looked at Marcus.
“Twins.”
“Yes.”
“Then why separate us?”
“Because both of you together were too powerful.”
I felt sick.
“We're people.”
“To you.”
She shrugged.
“You were assets to them.”
I stepped toward her.
“And Tommy?”
My mother's expression changed.
“The baby was unexpected.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your father never expected you to have a son.”
“So?”
“The trust was designed to transfer to the next legitimate male heir.”
“Tommy.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Claire.
She was crying silently.
My mother continued.
“That is why they wanted him isolated.”
I understood.
“Not because of the money.”
“Not only.”
“Then why?”
She hesitated.
“Because Tommy carries something.”
“What?”
“A genetic marker.”
Marcus stared at her.
“What kind?”
“The kind your father's enemies have been searching for.”
I felt a chill.
“This is insane.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“It is the reason your father created the trust.”
“What does the marker do?”
“It proves ownership.”
“Of what?”
She smiled.
“The original company.”
I stared.
“The entire company?”
“The entire network.”
My mother raised the gun.
“Give me the hard drive.”
“No.”
“Ethan.”
“No.”
She sighed.
“Then I'll take it.”
A noise came from upstairs.
Marcus looked toward the ceiling.
“Someone else is here.”
My mother smiled.
“Yes.”
We heard footsteps.
Heavy.
Many.
She wasn't working alone.
The house was surrounded.
My mother pointed at Lily.
“Bring me the child.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“Then they burn the house.”
Claire grabbed Lily.
Marcus drew his weapon.
My mother looked at us and smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
She pointed at the floor.
“The trust isn't under this house.”
I frowned.
“Then where?”
“Inside your son.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
She laughed softly.
“Not the money.”
She pointed to the hallway.
“The evidence.”
I felt something twist inside me.
Tommy's medical report.
The genetic marker.
The reason for the recordings.
The reason they had kept him locked away.
My mother whispered,
“Your son was born carrying the proof.”
A sound came from the front door.
Someone shouted.
“Drop the weapons!”
Police.
My mother smiled.
I looked at her.
“You said they couldn't be trusted.”
“They aren't.”
Then she fired.
Not at me.
At the ceiling.
The house lights went out.
May you like
And in the darkness...
Tommy's hospital monitor began screaming through my phone.
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