CHAPTER 26 — THE BACKUP HEIR
Peter led them to a small office connected to the maternity annex.
Inside, Claire found records documenting Olivia’s pregnancy.
The embryo had been implanted four months earlier.
Olivia had not given informed consent.
Neither had Claire when Lily was conceived.
Cole read the genetic identifiers.
“This donor number is not mine.”
Peter leaned against the wall.
“It belonged to another Vane descendant.”
“Who?”
Peter looked toward Mason.
Mason’s face hardened.
“Do not look at me. Sarah tested me years ago. I am not part of the bloodline.”
Dana opened a sealed page.
The paternal source had been identified only as V-2.
Cole was Source Zero.
Whoever V-2 was, Gray Tide had considered him equally valuable.
Claire studied the transfer plan.
“Sarah does not need to kill Lily.”
“No,” Cole said. “She needs one uncontested heir.”
“If Olivia gives birth, Sarah has another option.”
Mason understood first.
“She will force Claire to challenge the trust using Lily.”
“And after the property is restored to the Vane line,” Dana continued, “Sarah will replace Lily with Olivia’s baby.”
Elaine looked sick.
“She is turning children into legal documents.”
Peter opened a drawer containing old court seals.
“Sarah has judges, physicians, and adoption officers who can rewrite an identity within hours.”
Claire picked up the phone connected to the annex network.
Sarah answered.
“You found the backup.”
“Release Rebecca and Olivia.”
“Bring me Peter.”
Claire looked at her father.
“Why?”
“He took something that belongs to me.”
Peter removed a small capsule from beneath his tongue.
Inside was a piece of microfilm.
“The original Vane family registry,” he said.
Sarah heard him.
“That registry proves Aaron and Olivia are my children.”
Cole approached the phone.
“You abandoned me.”
“I protected you.”
“You harvested my DNA.”
“I preserved our family.”
“You created Lily without anyone’s consent.”
“I created the heir who can return what was stolen.”
Claire took the receiver.
“Lily is not yours.”
“Biology, law, and history disagree.”
“She is a child.”
“She is the last clean claim.”
Claire looked at the pregnancy record.
“What happens when Olivia’s baby is born?”
Sarah became quiet.
Then she said, “That depends on which mother cooperates.”
The line disconnected.
A metal door opened behind them.
Daniel Cross entered alone.
His shoulder was bandaged.
He raised both hands.
Cole aimed at him.
“Where is Olivia?”
“With Sarah.”
“Why are you here?”
“To keep Sarah from completing Phase Four.”
Claire laughed without humor.
“You built Gray Tide.”
“No. I managed one branch of it.”
“People died because of you.”
“Yes.”
Daniel did not deny it.
“But Sarah is about to obtain legal control of North Harbor, Bennett Coastal, the Vane trust, and every medical archive connected to the succession program.”
“You expect us to trust you?”
“No.”
He placed the pendant’s memory card on the table.
“I expect you to understand that my survival now depends on yours.”
Mason picked up the card.
“Why give this back?”
“Because Sarah ordered me to kill Olivia after the child is born.”
Daniel looked directly at Claire.
“And she has already selected the person who will replace Olivia as the baby’s legal mother.”
Claire felt the answer before he spoke.
May you like
Daniel pointed at her.
“You.”
