CHAPTER 7: THE FATHER WHO NEVER DIED
Ethan stared at the man standing at the top of the staircase.
For a moment, his mind refused to accept what his eyes were seeing.
The gray hair.
The narrow jaw.
The familiar scar above his left eyebrow.
Even the way he held his hands behind his back.
It was Richard Carter.
His father.
A man Ethan had buried ten years ago.
“You're dead,” Ethan whispered.
Richard smiled.
“That is what I wanted everyone to believe.”
Maria stepped backward.
Daniel raised his weapon.
Richard didn't even look at him.
“Put it down, Daniel.”
Daniel's grip tightened.
“You're not giving me orders.”
Richard laughed.
“You've been taking my orders for years.”
Daniel's face went pale.
Ethan looked at him.
“What does he mean?”
Daniel said nothing.
“Daniel.”
“I…”
Richard interrupted.
“Your uncle was always good at following instructions.”
Ethan froze.
“Uncle?”
He turned toward Daniel.
“You're my uncle?”
Daniel lowered his weapon.
“Yes.”
The revelation hit Ethan almost as hard as seeing his father alive.
“My entire life…”
Richard slowly descended the stairs.
“Was built on lies.”
Ethan's voice shook.
“Why?”
“Because the truth would have destroyed you.”
“You destroyed my family.”
Richard stopped.
“No.”
“You took Claire.”
“No.”
“You erased my memories.”
“I protected you.”
“You made Emma disappear!”
Richard's expression changed.
“Emma chose to disappear.”
Emma stepped forward.
“Because you threatened our children.”
Richard looked at her.
“You were warned.”
“You threatened to kill Claire.”
“I threatened to erase her existence.”
Emma's face hardened.
“You were going to sell her.”
Richard shook his head.
“You still don't understand what Claire is.”
Ethan pulled the little girl behind him.
“She's my daughter.”
Richard smiled.
“That's exactly the problem.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
Richard looked at Claire.
“Come here.”
Claire immediately clung to Emma.
“No.”
Richard's expression became cold.
“You should teach your daughter to respect her grandfather.”
“She doesn't know you,” Ethan said.
“She will.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You're not touching her.”
Richard's eyes narrowed.
“You've become exactly like your mother.”
“My mother?”
“Protective. Emotional. Weak.”
Ethan clenched his fists.
“Don't talk about her.”
Richard ignored him.
“Your mother discovered Halcyon before you were born.”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
“She discovered what we were doing.”
Emma looked shocked.
“You told me Ethan's mother knew nothing.”
Richard smiled.
“I lied.”
Ethan stared at him.
“What did she discover?”
“The children.”
Silence.
Richard continued.
“For decades, powerful families used Halcyon to conceal illegal adoptions, fraudulent identities, and medical experiments.”
Ethan looked at Claire.
“Experiments?”
Richard nodded.
“Claire was born with a rare genetic marker.”
“And you wanted her because of it?”
“No.”
Richard looked toward Emma.
“She was useful because of who her mother was.”
Ethan frowned.
“Emma?”
Richard smiled.
“Not Emma.”
Everyone went silent.
“Then who?”
Richard looked directly at Lily.
“Lily.”
Ethan's blood ran cold.
“What about Lily?”
Richard's voice became quiet.
“She's the one who matters.”
Emma immediately grabbed Lily.
Richard continued.
“Claire was only the beginning.”
Ethan stared.
“You've been hunting Lily?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she carries the same marker.”
Ethan shook his head.
“That makes no sense.”
Richard smiled.
“You've spent your entire life believing Lily was your biological daughter.”
“She is.”
“No.”
Ethan's face went pale.
Richard continued.
“Lily is not your daughter either.”
Emma closed her eyes.
Ethan turned toward her.
“Tell me he's lying.”
Emma began crying.
“Ethan…”
“Tell me!”
She couldn't.
Ethan stepped backward.
“No.”
Richard said quietly:
“Neither child is biologically yours.”
Ethan looked at Lily.
His daughter was trembling.
He crouched beside her.
“Lily…”
She looked at him through tears.
“You're still my daddy.”
Ethan pulled her into his arms.
“Always.”
Richard watched them.
“That's the problem.”
Ethan looked up.
“What?”
“You care about them.”
“They're my children.”
“That makes you predictable.”
A loud metallic sound echoed from upstairs.
Daniel suddenly looked toward the ceiling.
“They're here.”
Ethan stood.
“Who?”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Halcyon security.”
Richard nodded.
“Twenty-seven men.”
Ethan stared.
“Why?”
“Because tonight, we finish this.”
Emma grabbed Ethan's arm.
“We need to get the girls out.”
Richard laughed.
“There is nowhere to go.”
The penthouse lights flickered.
Then the sound of boots echoed through the hallway above.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Dozens.
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“Can you get us out?”
Daniel nodded.
“There is a tunnel.”
Richard laughed again.
“You still remember it?”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Yes.”
“Then you know where it leads.”
Daniel looked at Ethan.
“To the old Halcyon facility.”
Ethan's stomach tightened.
“That's where Claire was kept?”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That's where Lily was born.”
Ethan froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked at Emma.
“She never told you?”
Emma shook her head.
“I couldn't.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because the facility wasn't abandoned.”
“What is it?”
Emma whispered:
“It's still operating.”
Richard nodded.
“Exactly.”
Ethan looked at Claire and Lily.
“We're going.”
Richard stepped aside.
“You can try.”
Ethan frowned.
“You're letting us leave?”
Richard smiled.
“I want you to go.”
“Why?”
“Because you'll lead me directly to the person I'm looking for.”
“Who?”
Richard's expression became almost amused.
“Your wife.”
Emma froze.
Richard continued.
“She knows where the original records are.”
Ethan looked at Emma.
“What records?”
Emma's face went pale.
“The first records.”
“What first records?”
“The records of the children.”
Richard smiled.
“And if Emma reaches them before I do…”
He looked at Ethan.
“…everything Halcyon has hidden for forty years will become public.”
Ethan finally understood.
This wasn't just about his family.
It was about hundreds of children.
Possibly thousands.
Names erased.
Births rewritten.
Deaths fabricated.
Families destroyed.
And Emma had been hiding the evidence.
A gunshot exploded upstairs.
Then another.
Daniel grabbed Ethan.
“Move!”
They rushed through the hidden tunnel.
Emma carried Claire.
Maria held Lily's hand.
Ethan followed.
Behind them, Richard didn't chase.
He simply stood at the top of the stairs.
Watching.
Smiling.
As the tunnel door closed, Ethan heard his father's final words.
“Run, son.”
His voice echoed through the darkness.
“Because when you reach the facility…”
A pause.
“…you'll finally discover who Lily's real mother is.”
The tunnel door slammed shut.
Ethan looked at Emma.
She was crying.
“Emma…”
She wouldn't look at him.
“Who is Lily's mother?”
Emma whispered:
“Vanessa.”
Ethan stopped dead.
But before he could say another word, Claire screamed.
“Mommy!”
Everyone turned.
The little girl was pointing at the darkness behind them.
A red laser dot appeared on Claire's chest.
May you like
Then a voice echoed through the tunnel.
“Found you.”
