Chapter 10 - WHEN THE CALLOWAY EMPIRE FELL
By sunrise, the world knew.
Videos from Facility Nine appeared across every major network.
Survivors told their stories.
Medical records were authenticated.
Financial transfers surfaced.
Politicians began denying connections.
Board members resigned.
Calloway Children's Institute was surrounded by federal agents.
Charles Calloway's empire collapsed before breakfast.
But one person disappeared.
Evelyn.
Derek's mother.
She had escaped during the evacuation.
Three days later, I sat in a protected hospital room holding Grace.
Luka stood by the window.
Derek was outside speaking with investigators.
Our marriage was over.
We both knew it.
Some betrayals could be understood.
That didn't mean they could be repaired.
Derek entered quietly.
“Can we talk?”
Luka looked at me.
I nodded.
He left.
Derek sat across from me.
“No excuses.”
“Good.”
“I lied to you.”
“Yes.”
“I approached you because my father told me to.”
“Yes.”
“I should've told you before we got married.”
“Yes.”
His eyes filled.
“But I did love you.”
I looked at him.
“I believe you.”
That seemed to hurt him more.
“Then is there any chance?”
“No.”
He lowered his head.
“I can't build the rest of my life wondering which memories were mine and which ones your father designed.”
“I understand.”
He wiped his eyes.
“What about Grace?”
“She deserves her father.”
His face changed.
“You mean me?”
“Biologically, legally, emotionally.”
“Yes.”
“But you earn the rest.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
A knock interrupted us.
An investigator entered carrying three envelopes.
“Mrs. Calloway?”
“Emma.”
He placed them on the table.
“These were recovered from Charles Calloway's private vault.”
Each envelope had a label.
DNA — EMMA HALE.
DNA — DEREK CALLOWAY.
DNA — GRACE CALLOWAY.
My stomach tightened.
“What are these?”
“Parentage analyses.”
Derek stared.
“Why did my father test us?”
The investigator hesitated.
“There is another envelope.”
He placed it down.
DNA — LUKA MORETTI.
Silence.
Derek looked at me.
“No.”
I immediately understood what he feared.
“No.”
The investigator continued.
“Charles apparently ran comparisons years ago.”
“Comparisons for what?”
“We don't know.”
Luka entered.
He saw the envelopes.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get those?”
“Charles's vault.”
Luka grabbed his own envelope.
“Don't open it.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because Charles manipulated everything.”
“Then it shouldn't matter.”
He didn't answer.
That terrified me.
“Luka.”
His jaw tightened.
“What aren't you telling me?”
Before he could answer, the hospital lights went out.
My heart stopped.
Not again.
Emergency lighting flickered on.
Grace's bassinet was beside me.
I reached for it.
Empty.
My scream tore through the room.
“GRACE!”
The window was open.
A white envelope lay inside the bassinet.
Derek grabbed it.
Three words were written across the front.
BRING THE DNA.
May you like
And underneath:
COME ALONE, EMMA.
