Chapter 17: The Truth They Hid
918 Words
"Tell her what Eclipse really made."
Aiden's voice echoed through the warehouse.
The rain battered the roof overhead.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
I looked from my father to Damien.
Both of them wore the same expression.
The expression people wore when they knew the truth would change everything.
My patience snapped.
"Tell me."
My voice rang through the warehouse.
Still no answer.
I laughed bitterly.
"Why am I not surprised?"
My father looked away.
The movement alone told me everything.
Whatever this was, it was bad.
Very bad.
"Aria..."
The guilt in his voice made my stomach twist.
"No."
I pointed at him.
"You don't get to say my name like that."
Pain flashed across his face.
Good.
Because I was tired of being the only one hurting.
"Eight years."
My voice shook.
"Eight years I thought you were dead."
The warehouse fell silent.
"And now you're standing here acting like everything you did was for me?"
His shoulders slumped.
"I was trying to protect you."
The words ignited my temper instantly.
"Protect me?"
I laughed.
A sharp, broken laugh.
"That's what we're calling it?"
No one answered.
Because there was no good answer.
Finally, my father took a breath.
Then said the words that changed everything.
"The final stage of Project Eclipse wasn't stored in a file."
I frowned.
"What?"
"It wasn't stored in a vault."
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
"It was stored inside a person."
The warehouse seemed to shrink.
My pulse quickened.
No.
No.
No.
My father looked directly at me.
And I already knew.
Before he even spoke.
Before he confirmed it.
Some part of me already knew.
"It was stored inside you."
The world stopped.
"What?"
My voice barely worked.
My father looked devastated.
"When Eclipse was compromised, I had to move the research."
I couldn't breathe.
"I encoded it into your DNA."
The words slammed into me.
Hard.
Brutal.
Unforgiving.
Silence filled the warehouse.
Then—
"You did what?"
My father closed his eyes.
"I didn't have a choice."
Rage exploded through me.
"No."
I took a step forward.
"You always had a choice."
"Aria—"
"No."
Tears burned my eyes.
"You used me."
The accusation landed like a slap.
My father flinched.
Actually flinched.
"You turned me into an experiment."
His face crumpled.
"I was saving lives."
"You were playing God."
The warehouse went silent.
Even Aiden stopped smiling.
My chest hurt.
My throat burned.
Everything inside me felt broken.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
My voice cracked.
"People have hunted me my entire life because of your decision."
His eyes filled with regret.
Real regret.
But it wasn't enough.
Not even close.
"You disappeared."
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
"You left me alone."
His voice broke.
"I thought it was the only way."
I shook my head.
Furiously.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
"You chose your research."
The words hit him harder than anything else.
"You chose your project."
Silence.
"You didn't choose me."
For the first time, my father had nothing to say.
Because deep down, he knew I was right.
Then Aiden laughed.
A slow, mocking laugh.
"Family reunions are fascinating."
I wanted to punch him.
Instead, I ignored him.
My attention shifted to Damien.
Because there was still one question.
One answer I needed.
"You knew?"
His jaw tightened.
Not a good sign.
My stomach dropped.
"You knew something."
Damien exhaled slowly.
"I knew who you were."
Confusion hit immediately.
"What does that mean?"
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time, the billionaire alpha looked uncertain.
"Eight years ago."
My pulse accelerated.
The fire.
Everything kept coming back to the fire.
"I was there."
The warehouse fell silent again.
"I found you trapped inside the building."
I frowned.
Trying to remember.
Trying to find something.
Anything.
Nothing.
Just emptiness.
Damien continued.
"You were seventeen."
The number sounded strange.
Distant.
Like it belonged to someone else.
"Smoke was everywhere."
His gaze softened.
"The building was collapsing."
I stared at him.
Unable to look away.
"I got you out."
My heart pounded.
"But..."
I swallowed.
"Why don't I remember?"
A shadow crossed his face.
"The doctors said trauma can affect memory."
The answer hurt more than it should have.
Because judging by the look in his eyes...
He remembered everything.
"I don't remember you."
The confession came quietly.
Damien nodded once.
"I know."
For a second, genuine sadness flashed across his face.
Then he smiled.
Small.
Almost heartbreaking.
"But I remembered you."
The warehouse disappeared around me.
There was only him.
Only those words.
"I recognized you the second you walked into my office."
My breath caught.
Every intense stare.
Every warning.
Every possessive moment.
Every time he protected me.
Suddenly it all made sense.
He hadn't been watching me because I was investigating him.
He'd been watching me because he already knew me.
Because he had carried that memory for eight years.
Aiden suddenly c****d his gun.
The sound shattered the moment.
Before I could react, Damien stepped in front of me.
Completely shielding me.
His body between mine and the weapon.
Instinct.
Pure instinct.
Aiden smirked.
"There he is."
Damien's voice turned deadly.
"Try it."
The temperature in the warehouse seemed to drop.
And standing behind him, protected by him, I realized something terrifying.
Project Eclipse wasn't the only thing I was in danger of.
Because somewhere along the way, I'd started falling for Damien Blackwood.
And that might be the most dangerous thing of all.
- Writer
