Chapter 7 - Adrian Was Hiding With Sophie The answer came through a
security camera at the Greenwich house.
Adrian appeared on footage from three days earlier.
Older.
Bearded.
Alive.
Victor watched his son carry groceries through the back door while
Sophie ran behind him.
His hands trembled.
Nora did not share his relief yet.
“That man has my daughter.”
Victor looked at her.
“He may have saved her.”
“He may have kept her.”
Both could be true.
Investigators found a burner phone in the house.
One number dominated the call history.
Reeves.
Nora’s anger hardened.
Then Harris found messages.
They were not friendly.
REEVES: GIVE ME THE TOKEN.
ADRIAN: STAY AWAY FROM HER.
REEVES: SHE BELONGS TO THE STUDY.
ADRIAN: SHE BELONGS TO HERSELF.
Nora closed her eyes.
Adrian had been protecting Sophie.
But another message hurt.
REEVES: HER MOTHER THINKS SHE HAD ONE CHILD.
ADRIAN: KEEP IT THAT WAY UNTIL I END THIS.
Nora stared.
Adrian knew.
For seven years.
He knew Nora existed.
He knew Sophie had a mother.
And he chose silence.
Victor whispered, “He was afraid.”
Nora turned.
“Do not defend him yet.”
Victor nodded.
She was right.
Fear explained.
It did not erase.
A location ping from the burner led to an abandoned Kane Biomedical
research facility in upstate New York.
Victor recognized it.
“Lantern’s original lab.”
They traveled with federal investigators.
Emily stayed with Nora’s closest friend under security.
She protested.
Nora promised to call.
The lab looked dead.
Inside, electricity still ran.
They found Adrian in a records room.
Sophie stood behind him.
Nora saw her daughter for the first time.
Same dark eyes as Emily.
Same small crease between the eyebrows when frightened.
Nora stopped walking.
Sophie stared.
“Who are you?”
Nora’s throat closed.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Nora.”
She slapped him.
The sound echoed through the lab.
Victor flinched.
Adrian did not.
“I deserved that.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew for seven years.”
“Yes.”
“You let me think I had one daughter.”
“Yes.”
Nora’s eyes filled.
“Why?”
Adrian looked at Sophie.
“Because Reeves would have used you to find her.”
“You don’t get to decide that for me.”
“I know.”
“No, you know now.”
Sophie began crying.
Nora immediately lowered her voice.
Adrian crouched beside the girl.
“This is Nora.”
Sophie looked at him.
“Emily’s mom?”
Nora froze.
“You know Emily?”
Sophie nodded.
“Dad showed me pictures.”
Nora stared at Adrian.
He had followed them.
Protected them from a distance.
And stolen years at the same time.
Sophie looked at Nora.
“Are you my mom too?”
Nora nearly collapsed.
She knelt.
“Yes.”
Sophie stared at her face.
Then whispered, “You look like me.”
Nora laughed through tears.
“You look like Emily.”
Sophie smiled faintly.
The reunion was not a movie.
Sophie did not run into her arms.
She stayed close to Adrian.
That hurt.
Nora respected it.
Then Victor stepped forward.
Adrian looked at his father.
Twenty feet.
Eight years.
Neither moved.
Victor whispered, “Son.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“Don’t.”
Victor stopped.
Adrian looked toward the brass disk in the evidence bag.
“You found the first key.”
Nora frowned.
“First?”
Adrian nodded.
“There are two.”
“Where is the second?”
Sophie touched the necklace around her neck.
A small brass pendant hung there.
Victor stared.
Two pieces.
Two keys.
Adrian said, “Together they open Lantern’s archive.”
Harris asked, “What’s inside?”
Adrian looked at his father.
“Proof that Project Lantern never ended.”
Then alarms erupted through the building.
May you like
Adrian’s face changed.
“Reeves found us.”
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