Chapter 14 - Peter looked older than Charles.But his eyes were exactly the same.

Cold.

Patient.

Calculating.

I raised the gun I'd taken from an officer.

“Don't move.”

Peter smiled.

“You have your father's temper.”

“You're not my father.”

“Oh, Claire.”

He took one step forward.

“You still don't understand.”

Adrian stood beside me.

“Stay back.”

Peter looked at him.

“My poor son.”

“I'm not your son.”

“You've always been mine.”

Adrian's face twisted.

Peter smiled.

“Charles told you I was dead because it was easier.”

“Why fake your death?”

“Because someone needed to disappear.”

“You?”

“No.”

Peter pointed toward the cribs.

“Her.”

I stared.

“My mother?”

“Evelyn.”

“She was never your wife.”

“No.”

“She was my father's?”

Peter shook his head.

“Charles was obsessed with her. I used that obsession.”

I felt sick.

“You created this entire nightmare.”

Peter's smile faded.

“No.”

“I created the opportunity.”

He looked at me.

“Your mother created the system.”

“And the ledger.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because she knew we were coming.”

“Who is 'we'?”

Peter laughed.

“People like us always believe families are about love.”

He stepped closer.

“Families are about ownership.”

Adrian raised his weapon.

Peter looked at him.

“Put it down.”

“No.”

“Your entire life has been constructed around one lie.”

Adrian's hand shook.

“What lie?”

“You think Charles controlled you.”

Peter smiled.

“He didn't.”

“He did.”

“No.”

Peter looked at me.

“I did.”

Adrian froze.

“You were trained to protect Claire.”

“What?”

“You never noticed how often you dreamed about her before meeting her?”

Adrian stared.

“I thought they were memories.”

“They were suggestions.”

Peter's voice remained calm.

“I designed the conditioning.”

The room seemed to shrink.

“Conditioning?”

“Fear. Loyalty. Attachment.”

I looked at Adrian.

“You were programmed.”

Peter nodded.

“To protect me?”

“To protect the bloodline.”

I felt nauseated.

Then footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Evelyn appeared.

She was holding a gun.

“Peter.”

He turned.

For the first time, fear crossed his face.

Evelyn fired.

The bullet struck the wall beside him.

Peter vanished through a hidden door.

“Go!”

We chased him.

The passage led to a larger underground chamber.

Emma was there.

Bound to a chair.

Maya stood beside her.

And Charles was bleeding against the wall.

I ran toward Emma.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“I'm okay.”

Maya cried,

“You have to leave.”

Then Charles laughed.

Peter appeared behind him.

“He's not your enemy.”

I turned.

“What?”

Peter pointed at Charles.

“He was protecting you.”

Charles looked at me.

“I tried.”

“By destroying my life?”

“By making you hate me.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“If you hated us, you'd leave.”

“You attacked me.”

“I never ordered Adrian to hit you.”

“But you let it happen.”

Charles lowered his head.

“I failed.”

Peter stepped toward the computer.

“The ledger.”

A screen lit up.

The countdown was under one hour.

Peter entered a command.

“Once the data goes public, everyone dies.”

The detective aimed at him.

“Who?”

Peter smiled.

“Everyone whose names are in it.”

Politicians.

Judges.

Police.

Criminals.

Billionaires.

The city would erupt.

Peter looked at me.

“You can stop it.”

“How?”

“Come with me.”

“No.”

“Then thousands of people will die.”

Emma screamed.

“He's lying!”

Peter turned.

Emma looked directly at me.

“He wants your blood because the system doesn't need your DNA.”

She swallowed.

“It needs your decision.”

I understood.

My mother hadn't made me the password.

She had made me the judge.

The system wanted me to choose whether the truth would be released.

Peter smiled.

“Exactly.”

He held out his hand.

“Choose.”

Behind him, the countdown reached:

00:59:59

Then:

00:59:58

Peter whispered,

“Save the family.”

He looked at me.

“Or destroy the world.”

I stared at the screen.

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