Chapter 14 - THE FATHER WHO OWNED NOTHING
Charles backed toward the laboratory chamber holding Grace.
Luka's weapon was aimed at his head.
Derek's was too.
Neither could shoot.
Charles held Grace against his chest.
One wrong movement could kill her.
“Put her down.”
My voice sounded strangely calm.
Charles smiled.
“You sound like Elena.”
“Good.”
“She was brilliant.”
“You destroyed her.”
“She destroyed herself.”
“You raped her.”
For the first time, his smile disappeared.
Derek looked at him with pure disgust.
Charles shrugged.
“History rarely cares how greatness begins.”
I wanted him dead.
But I needed Grace alive.
So I kept talking.
“You wanted M-17.”
“Yes.”
“You have me.”
“Yes.”
“Then you don't need her.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Come here.”
Luka shook his head.
“No.”
I stepped forward anyway.
“Emma.”
I ignored him.
“Give Grace to Derek.”
Charles laughed.
“Derek?”
“He isn't her biological father.”
“No.”
“But he loves her.”
Derek's eyes filled.
I looked at him.
“And that's what makes him her father.”
Charles looked almost offended.
“Sentimental nonsense.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“That's the one thing you never understood.”
“You thought biology meant ownership.”
“You thought money meant ownership.”
“You thought creating something meant you could control it.”
I looked directly into his eyes.
“But you don't own me.”
“You don't own Derek.”
“You don't own Grace.”
“And you never owned my mother.”
Charles raised the gun toward me.
That was his mistake.
For one second, the weapon moved away from Grace.
Luka fired.
The bullet struck Charles's shoulder.
Derek lunged.
Grace slipped.
I caught her before she hit the floor.
Charles and Derek crashed against the laboratory table.
Luka moved in.
Charles grabbed a scalpel.
He slashed Derek's arm.
Derek punched him.
Once.
Twice.
Years of betrayal exploded through every blow.
Charles fell against the glass chamber.
“You ungrateful little bastard.”
Derek stared at him.
“You made me marry my own sister.”
“You made me believe my mother was dead.”
“You turned my daughter into an experiment.”
Charles laughed.
“She isn't your daughter.”
Derek looked at Grace.
Then at me.
“Yes.”
“She is.”
Charles lunged.
A gunshot rang out.
He froze.
Evelyn lay on the floor.
Blood covered her dress.
Her gun smoked.
Charles looked down at the wound in his chest.
Then at her.
“You…”
Evelyn smiled weakly.
“For once…”
“I'm choosing my son.”
Charles collapsed.
This time nobody tried to save him.
Luka kicked the gun away.
Derek rushed toward Evelyn.
“Mom.”
She touched his face.
“I am sorry.”
Derek cried.
“For what?”
“For letting him turn you into a number.”
Her eyes moved toward me.
“And for doing the same thing to Grace.”
She coughed.
“Destroy M-17.”
I looked around.
Decades of research surrounded us.
Research that could potentially save millions.
Research built on kidnapping.
Abuse.
Murder.
Luka found the original drive.
He handed it to me.
“Your choice.”
I looked at Grace.
Then at my mother's photograph.
I didn't destroy it.
I did something Charles never would have understood.
I gave it away.
Every legitimate university medical research center received the files.
Publicly.
Open source.
No patents.
No ownership.
No Calloway monopoly.
If my mother's work could save lives, then it would belong to everyone.
Charles Calloway had spent twenty-five years murdering people to own M-17.
May you like
By sunrise…
M-17 belonged to nobody.
