Chapter 15 - Nobody moved.Claire stared at her father.

Thomas Bennett looked older.

Thinner.

But unmistakably alive.

For three years, Claire had mourned him.

For three years, she had believed she had buried her father.

And now he stood ten feet away.

Holding a gun.

Her voice barely worked.

“Dad?”

Thomas looked at her.

“I'm sorry.”

Claire's eyes filled.

“You let me think you were dead.”

“I had no choice.”

“You always had a choice.”

Thomas lowered the weapon.

“I was trying to keep you alive.”

“By abandoning me?”

“I was trying to keep them from finding you.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Who?”

Thomas looked at him.

“You.”

Adrian went still.

Thomas continued.

“You were the only man in Boston powerful enough to survive Orpheus.”

“Then why hide Claire from me?”

“Because your father ordered her death.”

Adrian's expression hardened.

“My father is dead.”

Thomas looked toward Evelyn.

“So is Orpheus.”

Evelyn smiled faintly.

“No.”

She raised her weapon.

“Orpheus is only asleep.”

Marcus lifted his gun.

“Drop it.”

Evelyn laughed.

“Marcus, you're still loyal to Adrian.”

“Yes.”

“You shouldn't be.”

She fired.

Marcus ducked.

Adrian grabbed Claire and Lily.

Chaos exploded.

Thomas tackled Evelyn.

Marcus fired at two armed men entering the corridor.

Claire crouched beside Lily.

“Stay down.”

Lily was crying.

“Claire, I'm scared.”

“I know.”

Adrian reached them.

“Come with me.”

They ran through the emergency tunnel.

Behind them, gunfire echoed.

Claire held Lily's hand.

Adrian held Claire's.

For one brief second, the three of them moved together.

A family.

The thought terrified Claire.

Because the truth was now impossible to ignore.

Adrian was not simply her employer.

Not simply Lily's father.

He was the man whose blood connected them.

The man she had begun to love.

And that love had become the most dangerous secret in the entire Orpheus network.

They reached the surface.

Police vehicles surrounded the facility.

Agents stormed inside.

Rebecca was found two hours later.

Alive.

Thomas surrendered.

Evelyn escaped.

Sebastian disappeared.

And Orpheus?

Destroyed.

At least according to every official report.

Three weeks later, Claire stood in Lily's bedroom.

The child was asleep.

Peaceful.

Safe.

Adrian stood beside the window.

“You should go home.”

Claire looked at him.

“This is my home too.”

Adrian turned.

The words hit him.

“You mean the house?”

Claire shook her head.

“I mean Lily.”

He looked away.

“She needs you.”

“So do you.”

Silence.

Adrian stepped closer.

“I don't know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Live after everything.”

Claire took his hand.

The same hand she had awakened holding weeks ago.

His fingers closed around hers.

“You don't have to do it alone.”

Adrian stared at their hands.

Then at her.

“I was terrified that morning.”

Claire smiled faintly.

“Because Lily was sleeping?”

“No.”

He stepped closer.

“Because I realized I didn't want to let go of your hand.”

Claire's breath caught.

Then Lily murmured in her sleep.

“Mommy?”

Both froze.

Claire looked toward the bed.

Lily sat up.

Her eyes were half closed.

“Mommy came back in my dream.”

Adrian smiled sadly.

“That's good, bug.”

Lily looked at Claire.

“She said something.”

Claire sat beside her.

“What did she say?”

Lily whispered:

“She said Orpheus isn't over.”

Adrian's smile disappeared.

“What?”

Lily looked toward the window.

“Mommy said the bad man is still alive.”

A sharp sound came from outside.

A car door.

Adrian immediately moved in front of Claire and Lily.

Marcus called from downstairs.

“Sir!”

Adrian opened the door.

Marcus stood at the end of the corridor, holding a small envelope.

His face was pale.

“It was left at the front gate.”

Adrian opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

Rebecca.

Thomas.

Evelyn.

Sebastian.

And one more person.

Adrian.

All standing together.

The date on the photograph was today.

Claire stared.

“That was taken today.”

Marcus nodded.

Adrian turned the photo over.

There was a message.

YOU DESTROYED THE NETWORK.

A second line appeared beneath it.

NOW YOU WILL SEE WHAT IT WAS BUILT FOR.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

He answered.

No one spoke.

Only breathing.

Then a woman's voice whispered:

“Adrian.”

He froze.

Claire recognized the voice.

Rebecca.

But Rebecca was downstairs with federal agents.

The voice continued:

“Your daughter is not the end.”

A pause.

“She is the beginning.”

The line went dead.

At that exact moment, every light in the Mercer mansion turned off.

Lily screamed.

Claire grabbed her.

Adrian looked toward the darkness.

Across the street, a single black car sat beneath a dead streetlamp.

Its rear window slowly lowered.

A man stepped out.

Adrian's face went white.

Claire whispered:

“Who is that?”

Adrian didn't answer.

Because the man standing in the road was someone he had buried twelve years ago.

Richard Mercer.

His father.

Alive.

And smiling.

The next second, every security alarm in the Mercer estate began screaming.

And from somewhere inside the house came the sound of a child's laughter.

Not Lily's.

Another child's.

Claire tightened her grip on Adrian's hand.

This time, he did not let go.

He pulled her closer.

And whispered the words she had never wanted to hear.

“Claire…”

“What?”

“Orpheus didn't begin with our parents.”

His eyes stayed fixed on the dark figure outside.

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“It began with us.”

TO BE CONTINUED...