Chapter 9 - ADRIANAdrian spoke quickly.
“Marcus knows I’m here.”
“How?”
“He always knows.”
Julian stared.
“What does he want?”
“Lily.”
“And the blood test.”
Adrian nodded.
“But not because he wants to know if she’s yours.”
Julian frowned.
“Then why?”
“Because she carries something Marcus needs.”
“What?”
Adrian looked at Claire.
“Tell him.”
Claire shook her head.
Adrian sighed.
“Four years ago, Vincent created a biometric key.”
Julian stared.
“A key?”
“Inside a child.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“What are you saying?”
“Vincent knew the family would eventually be attacked from within. He created a genetic safeguard. The DeLuca trust can only be accessed through DNA.”
Julian understood.
“Lily.”
Adrian nodded.
“Her DNA.”
“But if she isn’t my daughter…”
“That’s the point.”
Julian froze.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Lily doesn’t need to be your daughter.”
Julian stared.
“She needs to be Claire’s.”
The room went silent.
“Why?”
“Because Claire was chosen by Vincent.”
Julian looked at Claire.
Claire was crying.
“He told me the day Lily was born,” she whispered.
“Why did he choose you?”
“Because my family had a genetic marker the DeLucas didn’t.”
Adrian continued.
“Vincent created the trust around that marker.”
Julian sat down.
His world had become a maze.
“Why involve Marcus?”
“Vincent trusted the wrong person.”
A gunshot shattered the window.
Adrian pushed Julian down.
Security returned fire.
“Move!” Adrian shouted.
They escaped through the service tunnel.
Lily was still with Marcus.
Julian refused to wait.
They followed an encrypted signal Adrian had traced.
It led to an abandoned warehouse.
Inside, they found dozens of computers.
A large screen displayed Lily’s photograph.
Under it:
GENETIC MATCH: 99.98%.
Julian stared.
“Whose DNA?”
Adrian stepped beside him.
“Claire’s.”
Julian looked at him.
“Where’s Lily?”
Adrian pointed upward.
“Second floor.”
They raced upstairs.
A locked door.
Julian smashed it open.
The room was empty.
A chair.
A stuffed rabbit.
And a speaker.
Marcus’s voice came through.
“You’re getting closer.”
Julian grabbed the speaker.
“Where is my daughter?”
“Still questioning whether she’s yours?”
Julian’s face hardened.
Marcus laughed.
“That hesitation is exactly what I wanted.”
“You won’t survive this.”
“Neither will Lily.”
Julian went still.
“Why?”
“Because tomorrow, I’m transferring the DeLuca trust.”
“To whom?”
Marcus paused.
Then said:
“To Adrian.”
Everyone turned.
Adrian looked horrified.
Marcus laughed.
“Because your dear brother is not here to save Lily.”
A pause.
“He’s here to inherit her.”
The speaker cut out.
Julian slowly turned toward Adrian.
Adrian raised both hands.
“I swear to you…”
But Julian’s gun was already pointed at his chest.
Then Cassandra walked into the room.
She was holding a bloodstained knife.
“Don’t shoot him.”
Julian turned.
“Why?”
May you like
Cassandra’s eyes were filled with terror.
“Because Adrian is not your brother.”
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