Alicia hadn't realized how much she'd taken for granted—her safety, her identity, her life—until it was all ripped away in a matter of days. The silence in the estate's grand hall was suffocating. They'd just arrived, but she could already feel the weight of the walls closing in on her.
Dominic had been relentless with the security. No one was allowed near the perimeter. Guards had been posted at every entrance, and even the few staff members who remained here after the estate's purchase were given strict instructions to stay out of the way.
Yet despite all the precautions, Alicia couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. She had this constant prickling sensation on the back of her neck, like invisible eyes were on her even in the most secure places.
"What's wrong?" Dominic's voice startled her as he walked into the sitting room where she was staring out at the moonlit grounds.
Alicia turned, offering him a tired smile. "Nothing. Just… getting used to this place."
Dominic studied her for a moment, before sitting beside her. His hand instinctively reached for hers, intertwining their fingers. "You don't have to get used to this, Alicia. I know it's overwhelming. But I'll get you out of here. You'll have a life again."
Her eyes softened, but there was a new, determined edge to her voice. "I don't want to run anymore, Dominic. I can't keep hiding, pretending like I'm someone else."
He tensed. "You're not pretending to be someone else. You're trying to protect yourself."
"I was pretending," she whispered. "I was pretending everything was fine. But now… Now, I know who I am. And I'm not going to let them control me anymore."
Dominic frowned, his jaw clenching. "And you think facing them will change anything? They'll stop? Because I'm telling you, Alicia, this isn't some game. You're in danger, and I can't lose you."
Alicia's heart fluttered at the intensity in his eyes, the raw emotion that he rarely allowed to surface. She had spent so long thinking of herself as a pawn in everyone else's game—but now she understood, even if she was powerless in many ways, she could still make her own choices.
"I don't want you to lose me either," she whispered. "But I don't want to run forever, hiding. I want to fight. And I need to start with the truth."
Dominic's expression softened. He could see the resolve in her eyes, and for the first time since all of this began, he knew she wasn't going to back down.
"Alright. We'll do it your way. But we do it carefully. We need to find out who's behind all of this—who exactly is trying to take you down."
Alicia nodded, her mind racing as she processed everything she had learned about the genetic code in her DNA. But she still didn't know the why behind it. Why was she the target?
Hours passed in tense silence as they prepared for the next steps. Alicia had insisted on meeting with one of Dominic's most trusted allies, a hacker named Quinn, who could potentially decrypt more information about the hidden prototype her mother had created. The meeting was set for tomorrow. But tonight, Alicia couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to shift in their fragile world.
Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door echoed through the estate. Dominic's eyes narrowed as he immediately went on high alert. The security system had not been triggered, so it couldn't have been a threat from outside.
He moved swiftly, his footsteps light as he approached the door. Alicia followed closely behind, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Who is it?" Dominic called.
A voice replied from the other side of the door, cold and distant: "It's me."
Alicia's breath caught in her throat. That voice—she hadn't heard it in years.
Dominic's gaze met hers. "Stay here."
"No." Alicia stepped forward, her decision made. "I'm not hiding anymore."
Dominic hesitated for a fraction of a second before opening the door.
Standing there, bathed in the dim light from the hallway, was a figure from Alicia's past—her estranged brother, Nathaniel.
His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the lavish surroundings, before landing on her. "I didn't think I'd find you here."
Alicia's heart dropped. She hadn't seen Nathaniel in nearly five years. Their family had fractured long ago after her mother's death, and Alicia had been too absorbed in her own survival to keep in contact with anyone.
"What are you doing here?" Alicia demanded, her voice cold, guarded.
Nathaniel stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. "I need to talk. There are things you don't know. Things that affect you."
Dominic's posture remained tense, his hand hovering near the gun at his side. "You're not welcome here."
Alicia shot him a glance, signaling for him to stand down. She wasn't afraid of Nathaniel. But she didn't know what game he was playing.
"Nathaniel, what do you want?" Alicia asked, her voice steady.
He looked at her, and for a moment, there was a flash of something—guilt? Regret? But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm here to warn you. You're in more danger than you think."
Alicia's pulse quickened. "What do you mean?"
"The Board isn't the only one after you," Nathaniel continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They've been watching you. Not just because of the code, but because of what you represent."
Alicia frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Nathaniel hesitated, clearly weighing his words. "I can't tell you everything now, but there are forces at play—people who want you dead. They've been planning this for years."
Dominic's jaw clenched. "Enough with the cryptic nonsense. If you have something to say, say it."
Nathaniel glared at him but didn't back down. "It's not just about you two. It's about the bloodline—the lineage your mother tried to protect. And Alicia…" He turned his gaze back to her. "You're the key."
Alicia's head spun. What was Nathaniel trying to tell her? And why did it feel like the world was closing in on her?
Before she could ask another question, the lights flickered. The temperature in the room dropped, and a cold breeze rushed through the open windows.
Something wasn't right.
Dominic tensed, his eyes darting around the room. "We're not alone."
And that's when the door slammed shut behind them.