Chapter 11 - THE DOCTORHis name was Thomas Keller.
He had been sentenced for medical fraud.
He refused to speak to police.
He refused journalists.
But he agreed to meet me.
Not Brandon.
Me.
The prison interview room smelled like disinfectant and old metal.
Dr. Keller entered wearing a gray uniform.
He looked older than his photographs.
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then said:
“You finally came.”
My heart raced.
“You knew I would?”
“Daniel told me.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That one day you'd come looking for answers.”
I sat down.
“Start with the embryos.”
Keller sighed.
“Your father was obsessed with genetics.”
“He wasn't my father.”
“He was.”
“Biologically.”
He nodded.
“Daniel was brilliant.”
“He destroyed lives.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed certain people were born with genetic traits that could change medicine.”
“And I was one of them?”
“Yes.”
“What trait?”
He looked at me.
“I don't know.”
I stared.
“What?”
“Daniel never told me everything.”
“Then why were my embryos created?”
“Because he wanted to study the next generation.”
I felt sick.
“My children were an experiment.”
“Yes.”
“What about Ava?”
“The same.”
I clenched my fists.
“Who approved it?”
Keller looked down.
“Your husband.”
The room went silent.
“No.”
“He signed the original consent.”
“When?”
“Before your marriage.”
I stared at him.
Brandon had lied again.
Keller continued.
“He said you would never know.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because Daniel promised him money.”
“How much?”
“Enough to clear his family's debts.”
My entire body went cold.
“What debts?”
“His father's company was failing.”
I remembered the bank transfers.
The hidden accounts.
The family trust.
Brandon hadn't been protecting us.
He had been protecting the Carter family.
“For how long?”
“Years.”
I stood.
“Why did he let Daniel near the twins?”
“He eventually regretted it.”
“That's why he tried to stop the guardianship?”
Keller nodded.
“After the babies were born, he panicked.”
“Because one of them became sick?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Keller looked at me.
“Because Daniel discovered something unexpected.”
“What?”
“The twins weren't just carrying his genes.”
“What else?”
He leaned forward.
“They carried yours.”
I frowned.
“Of course.”
“No.”
His voice dropped.
“They inherited a rare mutation from you.”
My heart stopped.
“What mutation?”
He refused to answer.
“Tell me.”
“Your father spent twenty-nine years looking for it.”
“What does it do?”
Keller stood.
“I can't tell you.”
“You owe me the truth.”
He looked toward the guard.
Then whispered,
“It's why people have been watching you.”
Before I could respond, he walked away.
I returned to the guesthouse.
Brandon was waiting outside.
I didn't speak.
He looked at my face.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“I can explain.”
“You signed the consent.”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“You sold our future.”
“I was desperate.”
“You sold our children.”
“I never meant for them to be hurt.”
I stared at him.
Then I noticed something.
There was blood on his shirt.
“Brandon.”
He looked down.
His face went white.
“I don't know where that came from.”
My phone rang.
A detective.
“Mrs. Carter?”
“Yes?”
“We found your sister-in-law.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
“Dead.”
May you like
Then he added:
“And we need to talk to you.”
