Chapter 13 - THE THREE CHILDREN
We reached Blackwood Medical just before sunrise.
Adrian's security team had already locked down the building.
Every elevator.
Every entrance.
Every service corridor.
But I didn't care about security.
I cared about one thing.
My children.
We entered the restricted medical wing.
The corridor was silent.
Too silent.
Adrian walked ahead.
Ethan followed.
I stayed between them.
Then we reached a door marked:
RESEARCH — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
Adrian scanned his identification.
The door opened.
Inside were three people.
Adults.
Two men.
One woman.
I stopped.
The woman looked at me.
She was crying.
“Mom?”
My knees gave out.
I grabbed the wall.
The woman stepped forward.
“Mom?”
I couldn't speak.
Adrian whispered:
“Grace.”
I looked at her.
“Are you…”
She nodded.
“My name is Grace Bennett.”
I started crying.
“I thought you were…”
“Dead?”
“Yes.”
She smiled sadly.
“So did I.”
Lucas and Noah approached.
Lucas looked exactly like the photograph.
Noah had my father's eyes.
Three children.
Three adults.
My children.
Alive.
I touched Grace's face.
She flinched.
Then she leaned into my hand.
“I've waited my entire life to meet you.”
I couldn't breathe.
“I didn't know.”
“We know.”
Noah stepped forward.
“You were told we died.”
“Yes.”
“Dad told us.”
I froze.
“Who?”
Noah looked at Ethan.
“My father.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Ethan?”
Noah nodded.
“You knew them?”
Ethan shook his head.
“I thought you were dead.”
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“You always thought that.”
“What happened?”
Grace answered.
“Thomas took us.”
“When?”
“After we were born.”
“Where?”
“Several facilities.”
“Why?”
“To study us.”
I began crying.
“I'm sorry.”
Grace shook her head.
“You were a child too.”
“No.”
“You were seventeen when they started.”
I froze.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“You were seventeen.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
Grace nodded.
“They took samples from Claire when she was seventeen.”
My heart stopped.
“I don't remember.”
“They drugged you.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“Who?”
Grace looked at him.
“Your company.”
Silence.
I looked at Adrian.
“What company?”
“Blackwood.”
He looked stunned.
“No.”
Grace continued.
“Your father was involved.”
Adrian stepped backward.
“My father died before I inherited the company.”
“He wasn't the owner.”
“What?”
“He worked for the board.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“My entire life…”
He stopped.
Lucas spoke.
“They used your company to hide the research.”
I looked at Adrian.
He seemed genuinely horrified.
“I didn't know.”
Grace nodded.
“We believe you.”
Then Noah said something that changed everything.
“There's another person involved.”
“Who?”
He looked at Ethan.
“Your mother.”
Ethan froze.
“My mother died.”
“She didn't.”
I stared.
“What?”
Noah continued.
“She runs the project now.”
Ethan looked like he'd been struck.
“No.”
Grace nodded.
“She is alive.”
“Where?”
“Los Angeles.”
I felt cold.
“Sabrina.”
Grace shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She looked at Ethan.
“Your mother.”
Ethan's face went white.
“My mother is the woman behind Project Three.”
Silence.
I looked at Adrian.
Then at my children.
Everything was connected.
My father.
Ethan's family.
Adrian's company.
My babies.
The research.
The disappearances.
Then Grace reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“This was left for you.”
“By whom?”
“Your father.”
I opened it.
One sentence.
Claire, never trust the person who tells you they love you while asking you to surrender your freedom.
I looked at Adrian.
Then Ethan.
My heart sank.
Because both men had done exactly that.
Grace took my hand.
“There's one more thing.”
“What?”
She looked at my abdomen.
“You're still part of the project.”
I frowned.
“My pregnancy is over.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“The triplets aren't the final experiment.”
My blood froze.
“What is?”
May you like
Grace whispered:
“You.”
