Chapter 12 - Adrian survived.Barely.
For twenty-four hours, he remained unconscious inside a secure Marchetti medical facility.
Maeve refused to leave.
Elias stayed outside the room.
Neither spoke much.
Everything had changed.
The truth about their bloodlines had rewritten their past.
But it had not changed what they felt.
That frightened Maeve more than anything.
Late that night, Elias found her sitting alone beside a window.
“You should sleep.”
“I can't.”
“Neither can I.”
She looked at him.
“Are we really not related?”
“No.”
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Adrian verified the records.”
Maeve nodded.
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“I thought I had lost you.”
Elias sat beside her.
“You haven't.”
“I almost believed it.”
“So did I.”
Maeve turned toward him.
“What happens now?”
“We end this.”
“How?”
“Salvatore has been moving people into position for years.”
“Then we remove his pieces.”
“And if he's not the real enemy?”
Elias stared at her.
“That is the problem.”
A nurse entered.
“Mr. Marchetti.”
“What?”
“Your uncle called.”
Elias's eyes narrowed.
“From where?”
The nurse handed him a phone.
Salvatore's voice came through.
“Come alone.”
Elias replied:
“You know I won't.”
“Then Maeve dies.”
Silence.
A photograph arrived.
Maeve's brother.
Alive.
Bound.
Elias's jaw tightened.
“You said he was safe.”
“I lied.”
Maeve stood.
“Where?”
Salvatore gave coordinates.
“Bring no one.”
The call ended.
Maeve looked at Elias.
“You are not going alone.”
He shook his head.
“You're right.”
He looked at Gabriel.
“We don't follow the obvious route.”
The plan took six hours.
At midnight, Elias entered an abandoned rail yard.
Maeve was hidden inside an armored van.
Gabriel coordinated twelve teams from three directions.
Salvatore appeared alone.
“You learned.”
Elias raised his weapon.
“I learned from you.”
Salvatore smiled.
“Your father said the same thing.”
“My father?”
“Victor.”
Elias froze.
Salvatore stepped closer.
“He begged me to protect you.”
“You killed him.”
“No.”
“You're lying.”
Salvatore's face became cold.
“Your father was going to expose the circle.”
“Then why didn't he?”
“Because Elena betrayed him.”
Maeve listened through the hidden earpiece.
“What did she do?” Elias asked.
“She gave them the location.”
“Why?”
“Because she wanted you alive.”
Salvatore looked toward the darkness.
“People do terrible things when they love someone.”
Elias's eyes darkened.
“Did you ever love anyone?”
Salvatore smiled.
“Once.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
Elias lowered his gun slightly.
“She's dead.”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill her?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Salvatore looked at the sky.
“The woman standing behind you.”
Maeve froze.
There was no one.
Then she heard footsteps.
Sienna stepped from the darkness.
She was holding a gun.
Her eyes were empty.
Maeve whispered:
“Sienna?”
Sienna raised the weapon.
“I am sorry.”
She fired.
The bullet struck Elias.
Maeve screamed.
He fell.
Everything exploded into chaos.
Gunfire.
Shouting.
Sirens.
Maeve ran toward him.
Sienna dropped the gun.
“No.”
Elias was bleeding.
Maeve fell beside him.
“Stay with me.”
His eyes opened.
He smiled faintly.
“The bullet…”
“What?”
He touched his chest.
“Didn't hit me.”
Maeve stared.
He pulled open his shirt.
Body armor.
She almost laughed and cried at once.
Then Elias looked past her.
Sienna was gone.
Salvatore was gone.
But a single envelope lay on the ground.
Inside was a photograph.
A wedding.
Not Elias and Sienna.
Not Elias and Maeve.
A different couple.
The bride was Elena.
The groom was Salvatore.
Maeve stared.
Then looked at Elias.
His face was pale.
May you like
“My uncle married my mother.”
And suddenly every lie in Chicago had a new beginning.
