Chapter 7 - THE HOUSE THAT BURNED
We did not bring Ava to the Mercer Foundation House.
Luka would not even consider it.
Neither would I.
For the first time since this began, we agreed without arguing.
Dr. Sloan arranged for Ava to be moved under federal protection with a neonatal nurse I trusted.
Agent Ortiz objected to me going anywhere near the Mercer property.
I went anyway.
At eleven forty-eight that night, Luka and I sat inside an unmarked vehicle across from a dark mansion on the Hudson.
The Mercer Foundation House had once been a private estate.
Now it was used for board retreats, medical galas, and quiet meetings rich people preferred not to have in office buildings.
Rain struck the windshield.
Luka checked his watch.
“You stay behind me.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Amelia.”
“I am not spending another night standing behind men who already know the truth.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“Because Celeste may be armed.”
“So may Elias.”
“Yes.”
“And Ethan is inside.”
“Probably.”
I looked at the house.
“I need him alive.”
Luka’s jaw tightened.
“For the truth.”
“Yes.”
He did not ask whether I cared about Ethan beyond that.
I appreciated him for not asking.
Agent Ortiz had officers positioned around the property.
The plan was simple.
I would enter with Luka.
No baby.
No documents.
No original M-17 evidence.
If Celeste wanted the genetic key, she would have to explain why.
At midnight exactly, the front doors opened.
Celeste stood beneath the portico.
No glamorous dress.
No perfect hair.
She wore black pants and a gray sweater.
For the first time, she looked like herself.
Whoever that was.
She raised both hands.
“No weapons.”
Luka stepped out of the car.
“Then you first.”
She smiled.
“I always liked you.”
“I doubt that.”
“You remind me of Dominic.”
His expression changed.
“You knew my father?”
“Better than Ethan did.”
“That isn’t difficult.”
She looked at me.
“Amelia.”
I hated hearing my name from her.
“Where is Ethan?”
“Inside.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“Elias?”
“Also alive.”
Luka scanned the windows.
“Where?”
“Library.”
We walked in.
The house smelled like old wood and expensive furniture.
Nothing moved.
No staff.
No lights except a lamp at the end of the hall.
Celeste led us through a pair of doors.
Ethan sat in a chair exactly as shown in the photograph.
His wrists were bound.
His face was bruised.
He looked at me.
“Where’s Ava?”
“Safe.”
Relief flashed across his face.
Celeste noticed.
“That ruined the plan.”
Luka stepped forward.
“Untie him.”
“No.”
“Then tell us where Elias is.”
A voice came from the balcony above.
“Right here.”
Elias Mercer descended the stairs.
I had known him for six years.
He had hugged me at my wedding.
He had given a speech about family.
He had kissed my forehead when I announced my pregnancy.
Now I looked at him and saw a man my father feared enough to build secret bank boxes.
“Amelia.”
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
“You’ve been told a very dramatic story.”
“I’ve seen the records.”
“Records can be manipulated.”
“You should know.”
His expression cooled.
Luka moved slightly in front of me.
Elias smiled.
“Dominic’s son.”
“Your son’s brother.”
That hit him.
Not emotionally.
Strategically.
“Have you tested?”
“Not yet.”
Elias looked at Celeste.
She folded her arms.
“I told you they were faster than expected.”
I stared at her.
“You work for Harrow & Pike.”
“Yes.”
“You were assigned to verify Ethan’s heir.”
“Yes.”
“And sleeping with him was part of your job?”
Ethan looked away.
Celeste almost smiled.
“No.”
“What?”
“That part was his idea.”
I looked at Ethan.
He looked ashamed.
Celeste continued.
“He thought having an affair made him powerful.”
“In reality, I was auditing him.”
“For the trust?”
“For the Moretti Legacy Vault.”
Luka’s expression hardened.
“You used Amelia.”
Celeste looked at me.
“Yes.”
At least she admitted it.
“I needed to know whether the pregnancy would reach term.”
“You stood outside my hospital room.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To see the baby.”
“The birthmark.”
“Yes.”
Rage rose through me.
“You photographed my daughter.”
Celeste did not deny it.
Elias spoke.
“The mark was unexpected.”
Luka stared at him.
“You stole my sample.”
Elias tilted his head.
“I authorized its transfer.”
“It wasn’t yours.”
“Your father signed broad storage agreements.”
“He did not consent to reproduction.”
“Consent standards were different.”
Luka crossed the room so quickly Ethan shouted.
“Luka.”
He stopped inches from Elias.
“You built a son with my father’s blood.”
Elias did not step back.
“I raised Ethan.”
“You manufactured him.”
“I saved a family line.”
“You stole one.”
The two men stared at each other.
I stepped forward.
“What happened to my father?”
Elias looked at me.
“That is why you came.”
“Yes.”
He looked toward Ethan.
“My son has carried guilt for twelve years.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“I’m not your son.”
For the first time, Elias flinched.
It was tiny.
But everyone saw it.
Ethan continued.
“You made sure I found out at nineteen.”
“You told me Dominic Moretti was my biological father.”
“Then you told me if anyone else learned, I would lose my name, my inheritance, my future.”
Elias’s voice was calm.
“You were young.”
“You made me afraid of the truth.”
“I protected you.”
“You used me.”
The words echoed.
I looked at Ethan.
“Tell me about Dad.”
Ethan’s face tightened.
“Thomas wanted to expose everything.”
“I know.”
“I went to meet him.”
“Why?”
“To beg him.”
“Not to expose your parentage.”
“Yes.”
“Then Dominic arrived.”
“Yes.”
“Then Elias.”
Ethan looked at his legal father.
“My father had followed me.”
“What happened?”
“Thomas had copies of the ledger.”
“Elias wanted them.”
“Thomas refused.”
“Then?”
Ethan swallowed.
“We left the building.”
“Who?”
“All four of us.”
My heartbeat quickened.
“Dad was alive?”
“Yes.”
“Did he get in his car?”
“Yes.”
“Dominic followed him.”
“Why?”
“To keep him safe.”
Luka stared.
“My father tried to save him.”
Ethan nodded.
“Yes.”
“What did Elias do?”
Silence.
“Ethan.”
“He called someone.”
“Who?”
“I didn’t know then.”
“And now?”
Ethan stared at Elias.
“Mercer security.”
My skin went cold.
“What happened?”
“A black sedan followed Thomas.”
“Dominic followed the sedan.”
“I followed all of them.”
Elias remained perfectly still.
Ethan continued.
“Thomas lost control near the bridge.”
My chest tightened.
“Was he hit?”
“Yes.”
“By the sedan?”
“Yes.”
Luka’s face went hard.
“Who was driving?”
Ethan looked at Celeste.
She went pale.
My eyes moved between them.
“What?”
Celeste whispered.
“My father.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“Your father killed mine?”
“No.”
Her voice cracked for the first time.
“He was supposed to stop the car.”
“How?”
“Force Thomas to pull over.”
“He hit him instead.”
My hands began shaking.
“Then what?”
Ethan spoke.
“Thomas’s car went down the embankment.”
I closed my eyes.
I remembered the police officer at Aunt Maggie’s door.
The funeral.
The closed casket.
Dad had supposedly died instantly.
“Was he alive afterward?”
Ethan hesitated.
Luka noticed.
“Was he?”
“Yes.”
My eyes opened.
“What?”
“He was alive.”
My entire body went cold.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where?”
“At the crash.”
“What did you do?”
“I ran down.”
“Was Dominic there?”
“Yes.”
“He pulled Thomas out.”
Luka stared at Ethan.
“My father saved him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Dad die?”
Ethan looked at Elias.
“He didn’t.”
The room disappeared.
“What?”
My voice barely existed.
Ethan looked at me.
“Your father survived the crash.”
I could not breathe.
“No.”
“He was unconscious.”
“Dominic called an ambulance.”
“Which hospital?”
“No hospital.”
Ethan’s face twisted.
“The ambulance belonged to Mercer Medical.”
I turned toward Elias.
He did not deny it.
My legs weakened.
“Where did they take him?”
Elias finally spoke.
“To a private facility.”
I stared.
“For what?”
“He had a traumatic brain injury.”
“You told everyone he died.”
“It was safer.”
“For who?”
No answer.
I screamed.
“For who?”
Elias remained calm.
“For everyone.”
Luka moved before I did.
He grabbed Elias by the front of his jacket and slammed him against the bookshelf.
Ethan shouted.
Celeste backed away.
I did not stop Luka.
“Where is Thomas Hayes?”
Luka’s voice was almost quiet.
Elias smiled.
“That is the wrong question.”
Luka tightened his grip.
“Try me.”
“The question is whether he still remembers her.”
Something inside me broke.
I stepped forward.
“My father is alive.”
Elias looked at me.
“He was three months ago.”
My knees nearly gave out.
“Where?”
He looked toward the red folder on the table.
“Bring me Ava.”
“No.”
“Then you don’t get the address.”
Luka’s fist clenched.
Ethan spoke.
“I know the facility.”
Everyone turned.
Elias’s face changed.
Ethan smiled weakly.
“You should have changed your passwords.”
Then the lights went out.
Complete darkness.
A second later, the fire alarm screamed.
Luka grabbed my arm.
“Move.”
Smoke began pouring from the hallway.
Celeste cursed.
Ethan shouted from the chair.
“Amelia.”
I could not see him.
Luka pushed me toward the side door.
“What about Ethan?”
“I’ll get him.”
The smoke thickened impossibly fast.
This was not an accidental fire.
Someone had planned it.
Luka disappeared back into the room.
I stumbled into the corridor.
Emergency lights flashed red.
A figure appeared through the smoke.
I thought it was Agent Ortiz.
Then the person grabbed me.
A hand covered my mouth.
A voice whispered against my ear.
“Your father remembers everything.”
I kicked backward.
The grip loosened.
I turned.
The person wore a firefighter mask.
Before I could see the face, they shoved a small card into my hand and disappeared through the smoke.
Luka emerged carrying Ethan over one shoulder.
“Run.”
We reached the lawn seconds before flames blew through a downstairs window.
Federal agents swarmed the property.
Celeste made it out.
Elias did not.
At least no one saw him.
I opened my fist.
The card inside had one address.
RIVERGLEN NEUROLOGICAL RESIDENCE.
Beneath it, handwritten in blue ink, were four words.
PATIENT NAME: MARTIN HALE.
I stared at it.
Then Ethan, coughing on the grass, looked at the card.
His face went white.
“That’s him.”
I turned.
“My father?”
Ethan nodded.
“Yes.”
Tears filled my eyes.
Then he whispered something even worse.
May you like
“But if Elias realizes you know where Thomas is, he’ll move him before sunrise.”
And suddenly I had only hours to find the father I had buried twelve years ago.
