Chapter 12 - The Man Who Stayed
The bullet passed through Damian's side.
No organ damage.
That was what the surgeon said.
Noelle made him say it twice.
Then a third time.
"No major organ damage."
"He's stable."
"He's lucky."
Noelle laughed bitterly.
"Nobody in this story is lucky."
The surgeon did not ask what story.
Probably smarter.
Damian remained unconscious for four hours.
Noelle refused to leave.
The triplets slept in a secure private room nearby under Teresa and six guards.
Federal agents now surrounded the hospital.
Not Damian's people.
Actual federal agents.
Sofia's files had finally entered the system.
The conspiracy could no longer be quietly erased.
Noelle sat beside Damian's bed.
He looked different unconscious.
Younger.
Less dangerous.
Just a man with dark hair falling across his forehead and bruises along his jaw.
She hated that she noticed.
She hated even more that she reached over and moved the hair away.
His eyes opened.
Noelle jerked her hand back.
"Don't."
His voice was rough.
"Don't what?"
"Stop."
She stared.
"Are you drugged?"
"Very."
"Good."
She wiped her eyes.
"You scared me."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"Children?"
"Safe."
"All?"
"All three."
His eyes closed.
Relief.
Noelle swallowed.
"Crane?"
"Missing."
His eyes opened again.
"Reyes?"
"Alive."
"Hale?"
"Federal custody."
"Bell?"
"Alive."
Damian exhaled.
"Good."
Noelle folded her arms.
"You were shot."
"I noticed."
"You chased a woman carrying a gun."
"I also noticed that."
"You're an idiot."
"Probably."
"Do mafia bosses have health insurance?"
One corner of his mouth moved.
"Excellent coverage."
Noelle laughed through tears.
Then she hit his shoulder lightly.
He winced.
"Ow."
"Sorry."
"Violent."
"You bought my diner."
"Technically—"
"Don't."
He smiled.
Then pain passed across his face.
Noelle sobered.
"What happened inside?"
"Crane had another exit."
"Who shot you?"
"Her."
"Did you shoot back?"
"Yes."
Noelle went still.
"Is she dead?"
"No."
"You're sure?"
"Blood trail."
"Where did it end?"
"River access."
Noelle closed her eyes.
Still out there.
Damian watched her.
"We'll find her."
"No revenge."
His face tightened.
"Noelle."
"No revenge."
"She kidnapped our children."
Our.
The word slipped out naturally.
Both noticed.
Noelle looked down.
Damian's expression softened.
She continued.
"She kidnapped our children."
This time deliberately.
"She shot you."
"She stole my body from me."
"She stole your DNA."
"She killed people."
Noelle leaned closer.
"So she goes to prison."
Damian's eyes darkened.
"If prison works."
"It has to."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then we make it."
He almost laughed.
"That's not usually how prison works."
"You know senators."
"I know worse."
"Good."
She squeezed his hand.
"Use them legally for once."
He looked at their joined hands.
Noelle almost pulled away.
She didn't.
Three days later, Damian returned home.
Against medical advice.
Of course.
Noelle discovered quickly that injured Damian was worse than healthy Damian.
"I can walk."
"No."
"I was shot in the side, not the legs."
"Sit down."
"This is my house."
"Then you should know where the chairs are."
Teresa laughed from the kitchen.
Damian glared.
Noelle pointed.
"Chair."
He sat.
Matteo climbed onto his knee.
Damian winced.
Noelle lifted the boy.
"No climbing Dad's bullet hole."
"Dada."
Matteo said.
Damian looked at him.
Noelle smiled.
"Dada."
Luca echoed.
Emilia pointed.
"Dada."
Damian's eyes filled.
He looked away.
Noelle pretended not to notice.
Later that afternoon, federal agents arrived.
Special Agent Maya Carter led the investigation.
Noelle liked her immediately because she did not seem impressed by Damian.
"Mr. Marchetti."
"Agent Carter."
"Your reputation is irritating."
"So I've been told."
"Your cooperation is more irritating."
Noelle covered a smile.
Carter laid out the case.
Victor Hale had begun talking.
Not because of conscience.
Because Evelyn Crane had tried to kill him.
Self-interest could apparently produce useful testimony.
He confirmed Sofia's account.
Confirmed Project Legacy.
Confirmed financial records.
Confirmed dozens of crimes.
But not Crane's location.
"How many children?"
Noelle asked.
Agent Carter opened a folder.
"At least seventeen linked to illegal embryo use."
Noelle went cold.
"Seventeen?"
"Nine potentially connected to Damian's stored material."
Damian's face tightened.
"So more than Bell knew."
"Yes."
"What about the mothers?"
Carter hesitated.
"That's complicated."
Noelle hated that word.
"How many didn't consent?"
"At least six."
"Names?"
"Noelle—"
"Names."
Carter looked at her.
"You're not entitled to their identities."
Noelle flinched.
Then nodded.
She was right.
Those women deserved privacy.
"Will you tell them?"
"Yes."
Noelle's throat tightened.
Six lives about to split open.
Six women receiving impossible phone calls.
Carter continued.
"Some children are with biological carriers."
"Some with adoptive families."
"Some with intended parents who had no idea the genetic material was obtained illegally."
Damian rubbed his face.
"Don't destroy families if they're safe."
Carter looked surprised.
He noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"That sounded like something."
"Your reputation."
Damian sighed.
"Again."
Noelle said quietly.
"Truth first."
Everyone looked at her.
"But children aren't property."
She continued.
"We don't move them around like evidence boxes."
Carter nodded.
"Family courts and trauma specialists will handle placement."
Damian looked at Noelle.
"We'll pay for everything."
She frowned.
"For what?"
"Counseling."
"Lawyers."
"Medical testing."
"Whatever these families need."
Agent Carter raised an eyebrow.
"Legally?"
Damian looked offended.
"You're ruining my image."
For one brief moment, the room relaxed.
Then Carter's phone rang.
She answered.
Listened.
Her expression sharpened.
"When?"
Everyone went silent.
"Send it."
She ended the call.
"What?"
Damian asked.
"They found Crane's vehicle."
Noelle's pulse jumped.
"Where?"
"Indiana."
"Crane?"
"No."
The answer chilled the room.
Carter looked directly at Noelle.
"But they found a laptop."
"On it was a video recorded yesterday."
She opened the file.
Crane appeared on-screen.
Pale.
A bandage around her shoulder.
Alive.
She looked directly into the camera.
"Noelle."
Noelle's stomach tightened.
"If you're seeing this, Damian survived."
"I expected he would."
Damian muttered something in Italian.
Crane continued.
"You think you won because you recovered the children."
"You didn't."
Noelle's heart accelerated.
"Project Legacy was never mine."
"Hale thought it belonged to him."
"Carlo thought he created it."
"They were both wrong."
Damian leaned closer.
Crane smiled faintly.
"The first records predate Carlo Marchetti by twelve years."
Agent Carter froze.
Damian looked at her.
"Meaning?"
Crane answered from the video.
"There are hundreds of children."
Noelle stopped breathing.
"Thousands of samples."
"Families in six countries."
"Judges."
"Doctors."
"Politicians."
"Businessmen."
"And some of the people who will investigate this are people who paid for it."
The video ended.
Silence.
Agent Carter's face had changed.
Damian looked at her.
"Do you believe her?"
Carter didn't answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
Noelle looked toward the nursery.
The story was bigger again.
Too big.
Then Damian spoke.
"No."
Everyone turned.
He leaned back carefully.
"Not tonight."
Carter frowned.
"What?"
"Tonight my children are home."
His eyes found Noelle.
"The rest of the world can be corrupt tomorrow."
Noelle almost argued.
Then she heard Emilia laughing upstairs.
She understood.
For one night, they chose life over conspiracy.
Dinner.
Baths.
Milk.
Three ridiculous pajamas.
Matteo refused sleep.
Luca hid Damian's phone inside a toy drum.
Emilia fell asleep against Noelle's chest.
At midnight, Noelle stood in the nursery doorway.
Damian beside her.
Three cribs.
Three breathing children.
Noelle whispered.
"I thought I'd never have this."
Damian looked at her.
"Neither did I."
May you like
Their hands touched between them.
Neither moved away.
