Chapter 14 - The Mother Who Chose Power
Wind tore loose strands from my bun.
I stopped six feet from Eleanor.
Up close, I saw that she had aged beautifully.
That used to matter to her.
She had taught Audrey and me to sit straight, speak carefully, and never show fear.
I no longer cared whether she saw mine.
“You loved the Navy more than us,” she said.
“No. I loved something that did not require me to become cruel.”
She glanced at my scars.
“Those are the rewards of loyalty?”
“They are proof I stood where I was needed.”
“You could have inherited Meridian.”
“I inherited enough damage.”
The timer reached:
01:20.
Arthur pleaded with her.
“Eleanor, give me the remote.”
She laughed softly.
“You built ships. I built history.”
Audrey stepped forward.
“You built nothing. You stole people.”
Eleanor finally looked at her.
“You were always too emotional.”
Audrey’s hands trembled.
For years, she had copied our mother’s coldness to earn approval.
Now she understood there had never been enough cruelty to make Eleanor love her.
I moved closer to the core.
Eleanor raised the remote.
“Stop.”
“You need my medal to unlock the archive.”
“Yes.”
“And you need Arthur’s biometric code to stabilize the core.”
Her eyes narrowed.
Arthur had lied earlier.
Two confirmations were required.
But not because the weapon was designed securely.
Because Eleanor and Arthur each feared the other.
I held out the medal.
“Take it.”
Admiral Thorne said my name.
I ignored him.
Eleanor reached.
At the last second, Audrey threw a champagne bottle at the remote.
It struck Eleanor’s wrist.
The device fell.
Arthur lunged for it.
Eleanor pulled a concealed pistol and fired.
Arthur staggered backward.
The bullet struck his chest.
Audrey screamed.
I tackled Eleanor before she could fire again.
We hit the rooftop hard.
The remote slid toward the edge.
Time:
00:32.
Admiral Thorne restrained Eleanor.
Audrey crawled toward Arthur.
I reached the remote.
Its screen required a six-digit code.
Arthur was bleeding heavily.
He looked at me.
“Your birthday,” he whispered.
I entered it.
ACCESS DENIED.
Eleanor smiled from the ground.
“He never remembered the right daughter.”
Audrey froze.
May you like
The code was her birthday.
📖 Audrey held the final code, but saving everyone required trusting the sister she had spent years trying to destroy. 👇
