Chapter 12 - THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE BULLET
Evelyn screamed.
Lily closed her eyes.
Then she realized she was still hearing her mother scream.
She opened them.
Serena was on the floor.
Blood spread across her shoulder.
She had thrown herself sideways at the exact moment Lauren fired.
The bullet meant for Evelyn had hit Serena instead.
Lauren stared.
“What did you do?”
Serena groaned.
“Something useful for once.”
Victor lunged.
Lauren fired again.
The bullet shattered a lamp beside his head.
He hit the floor.
Police crashed through the side entrance.
“DROP THE WEAPON!”
Lauren grabbed Lily and dragged her upright.
The gun pressed beneath Lily’s chin.
“BACK OFF!”
Ruiz entered slowly.
“Lauren.”
“Don’t say my name.”
“Okay.”
“Tell them to leave.”
“No.”
Lauren laughed wildly.
“Then I kill her.”
Lily felt the barrel against her skin.
Her heart was beating so hard she could barely hear.
Ruiz lowered his weapon slightly.
“Nobody wants that.”
“I do.”
Lily whispered, “No, you don’t.”
Lauren tightened her arm around Lily’s throat.
“You still think you know me?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“But you came here for me.”
Lauren stopped.
“You could have killed me at the mansion,” Lily continued.
Victor slowly pushed himself up.
Lauren saw him.
“Stay down!”
He did.
Lily kept talking.
“You had chances.”
“Shut up.”
“You planted evidence. You scared me. You brought me here.”
“So?”
“You wanted me to see you.”
Lauren’s breathing became uneven.
“You wanted someone to know what happened.”
“No.”
“You wanted Mom to see you.”
“NO.”
Evelyn cried openly.
“I see you.”
Lauren’s face contorted.
“Don’t.”
“I see you.”
“DON’T!”
“I should have found you.”
Lauren’s gun trembled.
“I should have burned every Blackwood building to the ground until I found you.”
Victor flinched.
Evelyn continued.
“I was afraid.”
“You chose her.”
“I was trying to keep one daughter alive.”
“You chose her!”
“Yes!”
The word hit the room like another gunshot.
Evelyn sobbed.
“Yes. I chose Lily.”
Lily stared at her.
Lauren went completely still.
Evelyn stepped forward despite the weapons.
“When they threatened her, I chose the child I could still reach.”
Tears streamed down Lauren’s face.
“And I have hated myself every day since.”
Lauren’s voice became very small.
“You left me.”
“Yes.”
“You left me with him.”
“Yes.”
“You knew what he was.”
“Not everything.”
“But enough.”
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“Yes.”
Lauren started crying.
Not dramatic tears.
Not rage.
Just a quiet collapse.
Her grip loosened.
Lily felt it.
So did Ruiz.
“Lauren,” Lily whispered.
“What?”
“Give me the gun.”
Lauren laughed through tears.
“You think this ends with sisters hugging?”
“No.”
Lily’s voice stayed gentle.
“You hurt people.”
Lauren’s face hardened again.
“You think I don’t know?”
“You have to answer for that.”
“Then what exactly are you offering me?”
“The chance to stop.”
Lauren stared at her twin.
Lily slowly lifted one hand.
“Give me the gun.”
For one second, it seemed possible.
Lauren’s fingers loosened.
Then Serena coughed from the floor.
Lauren looked down.
Something changed in her eyes.
She saw Serena.
Victor.
The police.
Evelyn.
A room full of witnesses.
A life with no escape.
“No.”
Lily felt her body tighten.
Lauren whispered, “He taught me one last rule.”
Victor knew before she said it.
Never get captured.
Lauren shoved Lily away.
Raised the gun toward Ruiz.
Ruiz fired.
The shot hit Lauren in the leg.
She fell.
The gun slid across the floor.
Lily ran toward her.
Lauren screamed and reached inside her jacket.
Victor saw the wire first.
“LILY, BACK!”
A small explosive device was strapped beneath Lauren’s coat.
Ruiz lunged.
Lauren’s hand found the switch.
Lily stared into the face that could have been her own.
Lauren smiled through tears.
“Now you’ll remember me.”
Lily dropped to her knees.
“No.”
Lauren’s thumb pressed down.
Nothing happened.
She frowned.
Pressed again.
Nothing.
Daniel’s voice came from the doorway.
“Remote frequencies are jammed.”
Lauren stared at him.
For the first time, she looked almost offended.
Then exhausted.
Completely exhausted.
Ruiz kicked the switch away.
Officers surrounded her.
Lauren didn’t fight anymore.
As they lifted her onto a stretcher, she turned toward Lily.
“Did Mom really look for me?”
Lily looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn nodded through tears.
“For years.”
Lauren closed her eyes.
“Good.”
Lily stepped closer.
“Why?”
Lauren’s eyes opened again.
“Because I needed one thing not to be a lie.”
Then paramedics carried her away.
Victor rushed to Serena.
Her face was pale.
She looked at him.
“Ethan?”
“Safe.”
She exhaled.
“Good.”
Victor pressed a towel against her wound.
Serena winced.
“I guess this is a bad time to ask if the wedding is still on.”
Victor stared at her.
Serena smiled weakly.
He almost laughed.
Almost.
Then Ruiz’s radio came alive.
A detective at the Blackwood company headquarters spoke.
“Ruiz, you need to see what we found in Charles Blackwood’s private server.”
Ruiz answered, “What?”
The detective paused.
“Project Mirror wasn’t shut down when Charles died.”
Victor looked up.
The voice continued.
“Someone has been funding it for the last six years.”
Victor’s stomach dropped.
“Who?”
The answer came.
May you like
“Victor Blackwood.”
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