Chapter 16 - THE MAN IN ROOM 417
We returned to Saint Gabriel before dawn.
Luka used a private investigator to search admissions.
No Michael Carter.
No Martin Cole.
Then Samuel called.
He was back at work under restricted access.
He listened when I mentioned S.G.H.
Then he became silent.
“Elena.”
“What?”
“Your father contacted me.”
My heart stopped.
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes.”
I nearly dropped the phone.
“Where is he?”
Samuel hesitated.
“He told me not to tell you unless Helix moved against Grace.”
“They moved.”
“Room 417.”
I ran.
Luka followed.
Ryan stayed behind with Grace and my mother.
Room 417 was on a private neurological floor.
A guard sat outside.
Luka spoke one sentence to him.
The guard moved aside.
I opened the door.
An old man sat by the window.
White hair.
Thin shoulders.
A scar crossed his temple.
For a moment, I saw a stranger.
Then he turned.
His eyes were the same.
“Elena.”
My knees gave out.
He stood.
I crossed the room.
And I hit him.
Once.
Across the chest.
Not hard.
Then I hit him again.
Then I collapsed into his arms.
“You were alive.”
“I know.”
“You were alive.”
“I know.”
“I buried you.”
His body shook.
“I know.”
I cried against his shoulder like I was thirteen again.
He held me.
“I’m sorry.”
“You missed everything.”
“I know.”
“My graduation.”
“I watched from across the street.”
I pulled away.
“What?”
“Your wedding.”
My breath stopped.
“I was there too.”
“Why didn’t you stop me from marrying Ryan?”
Pain crossed his face.
“Because at the time, I thought keeping Helix convinced you knew nothing was safer.”
“You sacrificed my life to maintain a cover.”
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt.
He looked older than I ever imagined my father.
“I made terrible decisions trying to protect you.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
He lowered his head.
“I know.”
I showed him a photograph of Grace.
He touched the screen.
“My granddaughter.”
“Grace.”
He smiled.
“Your grandmother’s name.”
I nodded.
Then I asked.
“Is she safe?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Samuel sent me the cord analysis.”
“The M-17 correction transferred exactly as I hoped.”
“No defects.”
“No instability.”
Relief made me dizzy.
Then his expression darkened.
“But Helix cannot be allowed to reproduce it.”
“Why?”
“Because M-17 was never ready for widespread use.”
“What’s missing?”
“The origin key.”
He tapped his forehead.
“Only I know it.”
Luka stepped closer.
“Then Cross will come for you.”
My father looked at him.
“Antonio’s son.”
“Luka.”
“You look like him.”
Luka’s expression softened.
“He died eight months ago.”
My father closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“You knew?”
“He sent me a letter.”
Luka stared.
“My father knew you were alive?”
“Yes.”
Anger flashed across Luka’s face.
“He died without telling me.”
“He believed the fewer people who knew, the safer Elena remained.”
Luka laughed bitterly.
“Everyone had a reason.”
My father looked at me.
“There’s one more thing you need to know.”
I almost smiled from exhaustion.
“Of course there is.”
He reached into a drawer.
He removed two sealed envelopes.
DNA RESULTS.
One had my name.
The other had Grace’s.
My body went still.
Ryan’s final fear returned to me.
The last DNA envelope.
“Why do you have these?”
May you like
My father looked at me.
“Because Ryan is not Grace’s biological father.”
