Chapter 6 - THE FIRST BETRAYALChloe's voice echoed through the hidden room.
Sweet.
Calm.
Almost affectionate.
“Did you really think your father could protect you?”
Julian stared at the ceiling speaker.
“Chloe.”
“I'm impressed.”
“You're insane.”
A soft laugh.
“You always did confuse ambition with insanity.”
Elena stepped toward the console.
“Where is my son?”
“Safe.”
“You don't sound convincing.”
“I don't need to.”
Julian moved closer to the speaker.
“You tried to kill my father.”
“Your father has survived worse.”
“You hired security to kill us.”
“No.”
Julian stopped.
“No?”
“Your father's people fired first.”
“That's a lie.”
“Everything in your life is.”
Silence.
Julian's fists tightened.
“What do you want?”
Chloe answered instantly.
“The ledger.”
“It's here.”
“Then send it.”
“No.”
“Julian.”
“You wanted it. Come get it.”
Chloe laughed again.
“You still think this is about money.”
“What is it about?”
“The Sterling bloodline.”
Julian looked at his son.
“What does that mean?”
“Your grandfather designed Genesis to create something.”
“What?”
“A key.”
Rebecca whispered, “Don't answer her.”
Chloe continued.
“The key was never your father.”
Julian looked at Daniel.
“It was your generation.”
His eyes widened.
“Me?”
“No.”
Elena suddenly understood.
“Daniel.”
Chloe went silent.
Then she laughed.
“Very good.”
Julian looked at Elena.
“What?”
She looked at their baby.
“Your grandfather wasn't trying to protect the family.”
“He was creating a successor.”
Daniel looked at Julian.
“Not a successor.”
“A container.”
Julian felt sick.
“You're saying my son is…”
“A biological access code,” Chloe said.
The room went silent.
Julian stepped toward the speaker.
“How do we stop this?”
“You don't.”
“What if I destroy the ledger?”
Chloe's tone changed.
“Don't.”
It was the first time Julian heard fear in her voice.
He looked at the book.
The ledger contained names.
Secrets.
Power.
But now he understood.
It wasn't the real weapon.
The baby's DNA was.
“Who is Elijah Kane?” Julian asked.
Silence.
“Answer me.”
“He's your brother.”
“Why is he working with you?”
Chloe's voice became colder.
“He doesn't work for me.”
“Then who?”
The speaker crackled.
“Ask your mother.”
Julian turned.
Margaret stood frozen.
“Mom?”
She wouldn't look at him.
“Mom.”
She finally whispered:
“I loved him.”
Julian stared.
“Adrian?”
“Yes.”
“But you thought he was dead.”
“I lied.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“You knew.”
Margaret cried silently.
“I knew he survived.”
“Where was he?”
“I sent him away.”
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted him dead.”
Daniel stood.
“Margaret…”
She turned on him.
“You told me our family would destroy him.”
“And it did.”
“You abandoned him.”
“I saved him.”
Julian looked at both parents.
Then Chloe's voice cut through them.
“Enough family therapy.”
A countdown appeared on the screen.
09:00
Julian looked at it.
“What is that?”
“Your oxygen.”
Everyone froze.
Rebecca checked the vents.
“She's pumping something into the room.”
Daniel grabbed Elena.
“Get the baby out.”
“How?”
“There is a maintenance passage behind the wall.”
Julian ran to it.
Found a hidden panel.
Opened it.
Cold air rushed in.
“Go!”
Elena entered first.
Margaret followed.
Daniel struggled.
Julian helped him.
Rebecca covered the rear.
The countdown hit six minutes.
They crawled through a narrow tunnel.
Behind them, alarms screamed.
Then gunfire.
Rebecca stopped.
“Keep going.”
Julian looked back.
“No.”
“Go!”
She fired toward the room.
Julian pulled Elena forward.
Daniel dragged himself after them.
Suddenly, an explosion shook the tunnel.
Concrete collapsed.
Rebecca disappeared behind a wall of dust.
“Elena!”
She screamed.
“Julian!”
He tried to turn back.
Daniel grabbed him.
“No.”
“She was helping us.”
“She made her choice.”
Julian stared at the rubble.
Then he saw something.
A hand.
He rushed back.
Rebecca was alive.
Barely.
Julian pulled her free.
She coughed.
“Your mother…”
“What?”
Rebecca pointed toward Margaret.
“She isn't telling you everything.”
Margaret looked terrified.
Julian stared at her.
“What didn't you tell me?”
Margaret's face crumbled.
“I know where Adrian is.”
Julian waited.
“Where?”
She whispered:
“Inside Sterling Tower.”
The building they had escaped from.
The building Julian owned.
Rebecca looked at Daniel.
Then at Elena.
Then the baby.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“The tower isn't a corporate headquarters.”
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She swallowed.
“It's a prison.”
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