Chapter 13 - THE BROTHER WHO DISAPPEARED BEFORE I KNEW HIM
Thomas refused to answer over the phone.
That was answer enough.
I returned to Mercy General.
I placed the M-12 page on his bed.
“Who is Lucas?”
My father closed his eyes.
Roman stood near the door.
Nathan remained outside.
I had allowed him to come.
Nothing more.
Thomas whispered,
“Your brother.”
“Where is he?”
“He died.”
“When?”
“You were three.”
I searched my memory.
Nothing.
No brother.
No funeral.
No photographs.
“You erased him.”
“No.”
“Then why don’t I remember?”
“You were little.”
“My mother never mentioned him.”
“She couldn’t.”
My father began crying.
That frightened me more than anything.
“He was seven.”
I sat.
Thomas explained.
Lucas had been born with Mercer-Field degeneration.
The disease Evelyn claimed to be curing.
My parents entered him into an early legitimate study.
He improved.
Then Evelyn escalated dosage without authorization.
Lucas developed seizures.
Organ failure.
He died within weeks.
My mother never recovered emotionally.
Thomas began investigating.
That investigation eventually uncovered everything.
“So M-17…”
I whispered.
“Was created after Lucas died?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Evelyn wanted a replacement subject from our family.”
My stomach turned.
“Me.”
Thomas nodded.
“She tested you secretly for years.”
I stood.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted one part of your childhood untouched.”
“Another lie disguised as kindness.”
“Yes.”
He did not defend himself.
I paced.
Then the most important question came.
“Did M-17 actually help anyone?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Thousands.”
That stopped me.
The therapy built from corrupted research had saved lives.
Real lives.
Children who would have died.
That complicated everything.
Evelyn was not a cartoon villain.
She had committed monstrous acts.
And produced medicine that helped people.
Thomas understood what I was thinking.
“That is why I hesitated seventeen years.”
“Because exposing them might destroy treatment access.”
“Yes.”
“And Graham knew.”
“Yes.”
“He used patients as shields.”
“Yes.”
That was worse.
A criminal hiding behind children his company helped.
I looked at Ava.
“What happens if we stop the Aurelia sale?”
“Nothing immediate.”
Thomas said.
“The current drugs remain available.”
“But?”
“Cross Meridian will claim the injunction threatens research funding.”
“So they’ll use sick children to turn public opinion against us.”
“Yes.”
A new strategy formed.
“We don’t destroy the company.”
Thomas watched me.
“We take it.”
Roman straightened.
I continued.
“The trust has forty-five percent.”
“Graham has twenty-eight.”
“We need eight percent more.”
Thomas almost smiled.
“The institutional pension funds.”
Angela had said the same thing.
If we showed them Samuel’s confession and a plan to preserve patient access while replacing management, they might support us.
The sale was now eight days away.
The clock had started.
By evening, Angela arranged meetings with three institutional shareholders.
Nathan asked to speak to me alone.
I refused.
Then he said,
“I can get you six percent.”
I stopped.
“How?”
“Employee voting trust.”
“Graham controls it.”
“No.”
Nathan looked toward the hospital room.
“I do.”
Of course.
The fake heir had been given voting control over employee shares.
“What do you want?”
He flinched.
“Nothing.”
“I don’t believe that anymore.”
“You shouldn’t.”
He handed me a signed proxy.
Six percent.
Irrevocable for thirty days.
“Why?”
Nathan looked through the glass at Ava.
“Because my mother made me a weapon.”
He swallowed.
“I don’t want Ava becoming one.”
I took the proxy.
That gave us fifty-one percent.
Control.
For one moment, victory felt possible.
Then Angela called.
Her voice was urgent.
“Do not file the proxy.”
“Why?”
“Graham just moved the shareholder meeting.”
“To when?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
My heart stopped.
“The sale vote?”
“Yes.”
“He moved it seven days early.”
Thomas swore.
Angela continued.
“And there’s more.”
“What?”
“Graham filed a challenge claiming the M-17 trust was activated through fraudulent DNA.”
I looked at Nathan.
“Fraudulent how?”
Angela hesitated.
“He says Ava Bennett isn’t your biological child.”
The world went silent.
I looked down at my daughter.
“That’s impossible.”
May you like
Angela’s voice softened.
“Then we have until nine tomorrow morning to prove it.”
