Chapter 12 - The Coward's Bargain.
The applause died as Grant locked the ballroom doors from the balcony.
He announced that armed criminals had infiltrated the gala and ordered the guests to remain calm.
Every camera turned toward Luka.
Eleanor recovered quickly.
“That man kidnapped a newborn from St. Catherine's and forced a traumatized mother to assist him.”
I walked onto the stage with Ava in my arms.
“Then let the traumatized mother speak.”
Murmurs moved across the ballroom.
Vivian took the microphone from Eleanor.
“Morrow Biologics stole tissue, falsified deaths, and selected Nora Bennett before she ever met Grant Hale.”
Eleanor slapped her daughter.
Vivian did not fall silent.
Miriam entered through a side door with federal investigators and the court-appointed child advocate.
June followed them with a bandage above her temple.
She had regained consciousness at the hotel, found the disabled alarm panel, and given investigators the vehicle description used in Ava's abduction.
The child advocate took Ava long enough to check her heel and confirm that she needed immediate care but was stable.
When Ava was returned to me, June positioned herself between us and Vale Meridian's security team.
She had sent copies of the underground archive to reporters before coming inside.
Screens around the ballroom changed from Vale Meridian's logo to Grant's signed M-17 contract.
The maternal termination clause appeared twenty feet high behind him.
Guests began filming.
Grant raised the detonator.
“Turn it off.”
“You first,” I said.
He looked at Ava, and his face tightened with something that resembled regret only because fear had stripped away the arrogance.
“Nora, give me the DNA envelope.”
My hand closed around it inside the file box.
“Why?”
“Because nothing in that laboratory can be trusted.”
“You trusted it enough to sell my pregnancy.”
“I was told one thing, and Thomas changed something.”
My father moved toward the stage.
Eleanor's security chief seized him from behind.
At the same moment, Eleanor struck the fire alarm and disappeared through a concealed door with Thomas.
Grant pressed the remote.
The ballroom lights went dark, but no explosion came.
The device had controlled only the underground purge system.
Luka crossed the balcony stairs before Grant could run.
Grant dropped the useless remote and drew his weapon.
They struggled against the railing.
I handed Ava to Miriam and climbed the stairs.
“Grant, look at your daughter.”
He froze.
That single hesitation allowed Luka to disarm him.
Federal agents pulled Grant away in handcuffs.
He twisted toward me as they moved him down the stairs.
“Do not open those reports.”
“Tell me why.”
“Because I don't know whose child she is anymore.”
“She is mine.”
His expression crumpled.
“If Thomas restored the original sample, she may be mine too.”
An agent interrupted us with news that Eleanor's car had left the underground garage.
The final DNA envelope was no longer inside my file box.
Eleanor had taken it when the lights failed.
Luka checked the tracker Miriam had hidden among the paper records.
May you like
One signal moved north toward the condemned maternity wing of St. Catherine's.
The same hospital where my mother had died was about to become my father's grave.
