Chapter 31
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The tension in the small lighthouse cottage was palpable as Leo traced a scarred finger over the map spread across the wooden table. The sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs outside served as a violent backdrop to the devastating truth he was about to reveal.
"Grace didn't just hide me," Leo explained, his dark eyes fixed on the map. "She spent the last two decades tracking the movements of the Ashford empire. She wanted to know what happened to the third child. The one Malcolm refused to let go."
"The records at St. Agnes said the third child was retained by the primary benefactor," Vivienne recalled, standing beside him. "Malcolm raised him."
"He didn't just raise him," Leo corrected, a bitter edge to his voice. "He forged him into a weapon. Malcolm knew the genetic anomaly we carry made us resilient, but he couldn't extract the cure without killing the host. So he kept the boy close, manipulating him, convincing him that he owed his entire existence to the Ashford legacy."
"Who is it, Leo?" Richard demanded, his patience wearing thin. "Who is the third child?"
Leo looked up, meeting Richard's frantic gaze. "His name is Julian. Julian Vance. Malcolm’s head of private security and his supposed corporate heir."
Samuel physically recoiled, uttering a low curse under his breath. "Julian. The man who orchestrated the raid on my warehouse. The man who has been hunting us since the hospital fire."
"He doesn't know," Vivienne whispered, the tragic reality sinking in. "Julian doesn't know he was a test subject. He thinks Malcolm is his savior."
"Exactly," Leo nodded. "Malcolm conditioned him to be a loyal attack dog. But Grace believed that if Julian learned the truth—if he saw the Protocol Omega ledger and the matching lockets—he would turn against Malcolm and tear the empire down from the inside."
"That's a massive gamble," Laura stated pragmatically. "Julian Vance is a ruthless killer. If we walk into his territory holding a book and a necklace, he's more likely to shoot us than listen to a story about a secret bloodline."
"We don't have a choice," Leo said, picking up his shotgun and checking the chamber. "Grace and Theodore are already moving into position at the safe house. They are preparing to breach Malcolm’s central communications hub to broadcast the truth to the board of directors. But they can't do it if Julian's security teams are active."
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"We have to neutralize Julian," Richard concluded grimly.
"No," Vivienne interjected, her voice ringing with absolute authority. "We have to recruit him. He's our brother. I won't let Malcolm destroy another member of this family."
