Chapter 14 - Emily stared at Dr. Shaw.“No.”
He looked devastated.
“Emily…”
“You're my father?”
He couldn't answer.
Margaret spoke through the speaker.
“Yes.”
Dr. Shaw covered his face.
“I never wanted you to know like this.”
Emily took a step back.
“You knew?”
“For twenty years.”
“And you treated me?”
“Yes.”
“You watched over my pregnancy.”
“Yes.”
“You knew what they wanted.”
“Yes.”
Emily's voice broke.
“And you still let them get close to me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
Dr. Shaw lowered his head.
“I was afraid.”
“Of Richard?”
“No.”
He looked at Lucas.
“Of Black Rose.”
Emily frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Dr. Shaw finally told her everything.
He had been Richard's lead geneticist.
He had fallen in love with Margaret.
When Margaret became pregnant, Richard ordered an experiment.
Dr. Shaw sabotaged it.
He secretly altered Margaret's embryo.
Emily wasn't supposed to survive.
But she did.
That was when the program changed.
Emily became the first child born naturally with the Black Rose mutation.
Richard wanted to use her.
Margaret escaped.
Dr. Shaw disappeared.
And Raymond took Emily away.
Emily looked at Raymond.
“You knew he was my father.”
“Yes.”
“And Mom?”
“Yes.”
She looked at Dr. Shaw.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Richard was searching for you.”
Emily shook her head.
“All these years…”
Dr. Shaw took one step toward her.
“I loved you before I ever met you.”
Emily stopped him.
“Don't.”
A siren suddenly sounded.
Dr. Shaw looked at the monitors.
“Someone breached the laboratory.”
Raymond reached for his weapon.
Then the doors exploded inward.
Armed men stormed the room.
Richard had arrived.
Victoria screamed.
Security opened fire.
Emily ducked behind the control panel.
Lucas pulled Margaret away.
Raymond protected Dr. Shaw.
Chaos filled the room.
Then Richard himself walked through the smoke.
No weapon.
No fear.
He stared at Emily.
“You ruined everything.”
Emily stood.
“You ruined my family.”
Richard smiled.
“You don't understand what you are.”
“I know exactly what I am.”
“And what is that?”
Emily looked at her mother.
“A daughter.”
Then at her father.
“A daughter.”
She looked toward the children.
“And a mother.”
Richard's smile disappeared.
“You think love will save you?”
“No.”
She pointed toward the server.
“Evidence will.”
Richard looked confused.
Dr. Shaw smiled.
He had already uploaded every Black Rose file to the public network.
Hospital records.
Illegal experiments.
Financial transfers.
Names.
Dates.
Everything.
Richard's expression changed.
“You think the public will believe you?”
The laboratory doors burst open.
Police officers entered.
Behind them were federal investigators.
Raymond looked at Emily.
“You called them?”
Emily nodded.
“I called them before we came downstairs.”
Richard stared.
“You tricked me.”
Emily looked at him.
“No.”
She glanced toward the security camera.
“You trapped yourself.”
Richard tried to run.
Security stopped him.
He screamed.
“You don't know what you've done!”
Emily stood still.
For the first time in her life, she wasn't afraid.
Then Margaret walked toward her.
Mother and daughter stared at each other.
Emily whispered:
“Mom.”
Margaret touched her face.
“I thought I'd never see you again.”
Emily cried.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
Behind them, Victoria looked toward the incubator.
Her son was still alive.
But the monitor began beeping rapidly.
Dr. Shaw rushed toward him.
“What happened?”
The child's heartbeat dropped.
Emily looked terrified.
“What is wrong?”
Dr. Shaw stared at the monitor.
“His body is rejecting the treatment.”
“Can you save him?”
“I don't know.”
Margaret looked at Emily.
“The answer is in your blood.”
Emily froze.
Dr. Shaw shook his head.
“No.”
Margaret said:
“She has to choose.”
Emily looked toward the child.
Then toward her own stomach.
May you like
Then the alarms began screaming.
Her water broke.
