“You were useful then.”
The cruelty of it struck Melanie harder than a blow.
All her life, she had believed she was the chosen daughter.
Now she understood she had only been a tool.
A door slammed behind us.
My father appeared from a service tunnel, blood on his shirt and rage in his eyes.
He had somehow escaped police custody.
Mother turned in surprise.
“Arthur?”
He raised a second gun.
But he did not aim at me.
He aimed at her.
“You were going to leave without me.”
Mother’s face hardened.
“You were arrested.”
“You had passports for yourself and Melanie.”
“Melanie was necessary.”
“And me?”
“You were always replaceable.”
Father fired.
The bullet struck the gun from Mother’s hand.
Chaos exploded.
Beckett’s officers rushed forward. Wyatt dragged me down. Melanie threw herself over Walter.
My parents fought like animals—shouting, clawing, accusing each other of theft, murder, betrayal, and hidden bank accounts.
Within seconds, both were pinned to the ground and handcuffed.
Mother turned her face toward me.
“You think this is over?”
I stood above her, shaking.
“It is for you.”
She smiled through blood on her lip.
“No, Sadie. Virex knows you’re alive.”
Then the police dragged her away.
Walter looked at me from the floor.
“She’s right.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the company has been waiting twelve years for the last surviving research subject to reappear.”
My heart hammered.
