CHAPTER 6 THE OLD COLE ESTATE
“Mommy!”
Lily's scream ripped through the darkness.
Grace spun around.
“Lily!”
She reached blindly through the black corridor.
Her hands found nothing.
Nathan shouted:
“Lily!”
No answer.
Then a tiny voice came from somewhere behind them.
“Daddy!”
Nathan ran toward it.
His shoulder slammed into something hard.
A door.
He grabbed the handle.
Locked.
“Lily!”
Her crying came through the steel.
“Daddy, I'm scared!”
Nathan hit the door with his shoulder.
“Move back!”
He rammed it again.
Nothing.
Grace screamed:
“Lily, get away from the door!”
A soft clicking sound came from inside.
Then Lily cried:
“Mommy!”
Nathan stepped backward.
He raised his gun.
“Get down!”
He fired at the lock.
The door burst open.
Lily was sitting on the floor.
Alone.
Grace rushed inside and grabbed her.
“Are you hurt?”
Lily shook her head.
“He came.”
Grace froze.
“Who?”
“The old man.”
Nathan's blood ran cold.
“What old man?”
Lily pointed toward the corner.
“He told me Daddy would come.”
Nathan looked around.
There was no one.
Only a small black box sitting on the floor.
Nathan approached it cautiously.
A red light blinked.
He crouched.
The box opened automatically.
Inside was a photograph.
Nathan picked it up.
It showed his mother.
Standing beside Alexander Cole.
Behind them was the old Cole estate.
On the back, someone had written:
COME HOME, NATHAN.
Grace looked over his shoulder.
“They want you there.”
Nathan nodded.
“They want all of us there.”
Dr. Mercer emerged from the corridor.
She was pale.
“You can't go.”
Nathan turned.
“I don't have a choice.”
“Yes, you do.”
“They have Lily.”
“They want you to think they do.”
Nathan frowned.
“What?”
Dr. Mercer pointed toward the box.
“Look at the photograph again.”
Nathan examined it.
Grace leaned closer.
“What am I looking for?”
“The window.”
Dr. Mercer pointed.
There was a window behind Alexander.
And through it, barely visible, was a child.
Nathan zoomed in.
His heart stopped.
It was Emma.
But she wasn't alone.
Someone was standing beside her.
A tall man.
Nathan stared.
“Who is that?”
Dr. Mercer shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Grace's eyes narrowed.
“Yes, you do.”
The doctor looked away.
“Who?”
Dr. Mercer whispered:
“Your grandfather.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Alexander?”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked at the photograph.
“Why is he with Emma?”
“Because she's his favorite.”
Grace stared at her.
“Favorite?”
Dr. Mercer nodded.
“Emma is the only successful first-generation heir.”
Nathan's eyes hardened.
“What does that mean?”
“Her genetic profile is almost identical to yours.”
Nathan frowned.
“Almost?”
The doctor hesitated.
“She carries something Lily doesn't.”
“What?”
“A genetic marker.”
Nathan waited.
Dr. Mercer looked toward Lily.
“The Cole family believes that marker determines who can control the company.”
Grace pulled Lily closer.
“So Emma is valuable to them.”
“Yes.”
“And Lily isn't.”
Dr. Mercer shook her head.
“No.”
Her expression darkened.
“Lily is dangerous.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because she's natural.”
Grace didn't understand.
“The others were designed.”
“Yes.”
“But Lily wasn't.”
“No.”
Dr. Mercer looked directly at Nathan.
“That's why the family couldn't control her genetics.”
Nathan stared at Lily.
She was only four.
She had no idea that powerful people had spent her entire life fearing her existence.
Nathan knelt beside her.
“Lily.”
She looked up.
“Do you know who your daddy is?”
She nodded.
“You.”
Nathan smiled sadly.
“That's right.”
Lily touched his cheek.
“Are you going to leave again?”
Nathan's expression shattered.
“No.”
He pulled her into his arms.
“Never.”
Grace watched them.
For the first time in five years, she saw Nathan holding his daughter.
And something inside her broke.
She had spent years telling herself that keeping Lily away from Nathan was protection.
But now she realized something.
Nathan had never been the danger.
The Cole family had.
And she had been protecting Lily from the wrong man.
Nathan stood.
“We're going to the estate.”
Grace shook her head.
“I'm coming.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Alexander told me to bring you alone.”
“Then bring me.”
“No.”
“You think I'm letting you walk into that place without me?”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Grace, this is dangerous.”
She laughed bitterly.
“My entire life has been dangerous.”
She touched her injured shoulder.
“I survived your family once.”
Her eyes hardened.
“I can survive them again.”
Nathan looked at her.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Dr. Mercer stepped forward.
“You're making a mistake.”
Nathan turned.
“What would you do?”
“I'd disappear.”
“That's what Grace did.”
He looked at Grace.
“And it didn't work.”
Dr. Mercer lowered her eyes.
Nathan grabbed the photograph.
“We end this tonight.”
THE OLD COLE ESTATE
Two hours later, Nathan's car stopped outside the abandoned estate.
Rain poured across the windshield.
The mansion stood on top of a hill.
Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
Grace stared at it.
“I've never been here.”
Nathan looked at her.
“You haven't?”
“No.”
“Then why do I feel like you've seen it before?”
Grace shook her head.
“I've seen it in my dreams.”
Nathan looked at the mansion.
“You dreamed about this place?”
Grace nodded.
“After Lily was born.”
“What happened in the dream?”
Grace whispered:
“There was a woman screaming.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Who?”
“I never knew.”
The gates opened.
The car moved forward.
They parked near the entrance.
Nathan took his gun.
Grace grabbed Lily's hand.
They entered.
The doors closed behind them.
CLICK.
Nathan turned.
Locked.
A voice echoed through the foyer.
“Welcome home.”
Nathan raised his weapon.
Alexander appeared at the top of the staircase.
An elderly man.
Silver hair.
Black suit.
Walking with a cane.
But his eyes were sharp.
Cold.
Alive.
Nathan stared.
He had seen photographs of this man all his life.
He had believed him dead.
“You.”
Alexander smiled.
“Hello, grandson.”
Nathan pointed the gun at him.
“You killed my mother.”
Alexander sighed.
“She was troublesome.”
Grace stepped forward.
“You took my child.”
Alexander looked at her.
“You gave birth to a mistake.”
Grace's face hardened.
“She is not a mistake.”
Alexander smiled.
“That's what your mother said.”
Grace froze.
“What?”
Alexander slowly descended the stairs.
“Your mother knew about the Cole family.”
Grace's blood ran cold.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“You knew her?”
Alexander nodded.
“She begged me to spare you.”
Grace stared at him.
“My mother is dead.”
“Yes.”
Alexander's eyes remained emotionless.
“Because she refused to cooperate.”
Nathan's fist tightened.
“How many people have you killed?”
Alexander smiled.
“Enough to build an empire.”
Nathan raised the gun.
“Where is Emma?”
Alexander pointed toward the hallway.
“Safe.”
“And Lily?”
Alexander looked at the little girl.
Then smiled.
“Not for long.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“Don't touch her.”
Alexander laughed.
“You still think this is about money.”
He tapped his cane against the floor.
“This family controls banks.”
“Governments.”
“Courts.”
“Hospitals.”
“Your company is merely one piece.”
Nathan stared at him.
“Then what do you want?”
Alexander's expression became serious.
“You.”
Nathan frowned.
“Me?”
“You are the final component.”
“For what?”
Alexander looked toward Grace.
“Your bloodline.”
Nathan's stomach tightened.
Alexander continued:
“You have something your father doesn't.”
Nathan looked at Richard's old family photographs.
“What?”
Alexander smiled.
“Your mother gave you a gene.”
Grace stepped closer.
“What gene?”
Alexander looked at her.
“The one that makes Lily valuable.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“You said Lily was dangerous.”
“She is.”
“Then why bring us here?”
Alexander's smile returned.
“Because Lily isn't the only one.”
He snapped his fingers.
A curtain opened at the far end of the hall.
Nathan's breath caught.
Emma stood there.
Alive.
Beside her was another child.
A little boy.
Maybe six years old.
The boy looked directly at Nathan.
Then at Grace.
And finally at Lily.
Nathan's face went pale.
“Who is he?”
Alexander smiled.
“You really don't remember?”
Nathan stared at the boy.
Something about his face was familiar.
The eyes.
The jaw.
The expression.
Grace suddenly stepped backward.
“No.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What?”
She covered her mouth.
“I know him.”
Alexander smiled.
“Of course you do.”
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
“He was at the hospital.”
Nathan stared at the boy.
“What hospital?”
Grace whispered:
“The night Emma was born.”
Alexander's smile widened.
“Now you're beginning to understand.”
Nathan looked from Emma to the boy.
Then to Lily.
Three children.
Three heirs.
Three secrets.
Alexander lifted his cane.
“Your father spent twenty years hiding the truth.”
Nathan's voice was barely audible.
“What truth?”
Alexander answered:
“Lily isn't the only child you have.”
Nathan froze.
Grace shook her head violently.
“No…”
Alexander smiled.
“She is simply the only one you knew about.”
Nathan stared at the little boy.
The child slowly stepped forward.
Then he said something that made Nathan's entire world collapse.
“Daddy?”
The word echoed through the mansion.
Lily grabbed Grace's hand.
Emma stared at Nathan.
And Alexander whispered:
“Now choose.”
“Your daughter…”
He pointed at Lily.
“Or your son.”
The mansion doors slammed shut.
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And somewhere upstairs, a timer began counting down.
05:00.
