THE COLD CEO OBSESSIVE POSSESSION

THE FATHER IN THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 18

The hospital corridor was silent except for the steady beeping of machines.

Amelia sat outside the emergency room, her hands trembling.

Adrian stood several feet away, his shirt stained with blood.

Victoria was still inside.

The doctors had been working on her for almost an hour.

Neither of them had spoken much.

Finally, Amelia broke the silence.

"Adrian."

He turned.

"Yes?"

"Your father."

His expression hardened.

"What about him?"

"He is alive."

"Yes."

"Why did you believe he was dead?"

"Because I saw his coffin."

Amelia stared.

"You saw his body?"

"No."

"Then how did you know?"

Adrian looked away.

"My uncle told me he died."

Amelia's heart sank.

"So your uncle lied."

"Apparently."

She stood.

"Then who have you been fighting all these years?"

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"I don't know anymore."

Amelia walked toward him.

"Your father, your uncle, the Black Rose, my grandmother..."

She shook her head.

"Everyone is connected."

Adrian nodded.

"And we're going to find out how."

VICTORIA WAKES

The emergency-room doors opened.

A doctor stepped out.

"She's alive."

Amelia immediately rushed forward.

"Can I see her?"

"Briefly."

Adrian followed.

Victoria lay on the bed, pale and exhausted.

Amelia took her hand.

"You scared me."

Victoria opened her eyes.

"I knew you would come."

"Who shot you?"

Victoria looked at Adrian.

"His father."

Adrian's expression darkened.

"Why?"

"Because I found out the truth."

"What truth?"

Victoria looked at Amelia.

"About your father."

Amelia swallowed.

"What about him?"

Victoria whispered:

"He's not Daniel."

Amelia's heart sank.

"We already know there are twins."

"No."

Victoria shook her head.

"That's not what I mean."

She looked directly at Amelia.

"The man you know as Daniel Carter isn't your father."

Amelia froze.

"Then who is?"

Victoria's eyes filled with fear.

"Your real father is the man who created the Black Rose."

Adrian stared.

"Who?"

Victoria's lips trembled.

"Richard Blackwood."

Adrian's face went completely pale.

"My father?"

Victoria nodded.

"Yes."

Silence.

Amelia felt as though the room had stopped.

"You mean..."

She looked at Adrian.

"Your father is my father?"

Victoria closed her eyes.

"Yes."

Adrian took a step backward.

"No."

Victoria continued.

"Your grandmother and Richard Blackwood worked together."

Amelia shook her head.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It will."

Victoria took a breath.

"Your mother was used as a surrogate."

Amelia stared.

"What?"

"Richard's genetic material was combined with Eva's."

Amelia's blood ran cold.

"Eva..."

"Yes."

Victoria looked at Adrian.

"Which means Amelia is connected to the Blackwood bloodline."

Adrian didn't move.

Amelia looked at him.

"We..."

She couldn't finish.

Victoria whispered:

"You and Adrian share the same father."

The words struck like a bullet.

Amelia stepped away.

"No."

Adrian's face was expressionless.

"That can't be true."

Victoria looked at him.

"Your father kept it hidden."

Amelia shook her head.

"We can't..."

She began crying.

"We can't be related."

Adrian looked at her.

His eyes were filled with shock and pain.

"We need to verify this."

Victoria nodded.

"Do it."

THE DNA TEST

Two hours later, the hospital laboratory was silent.

Amelia sat alone.

Adrian stood beside the window.

Neither looked at the other.

The results arrived.

A doctor handed the envelope to Adrian.

He opened it.

His eyes moved across the page.

Then stopped.

Amelia's voice trembled.

"Well?"

Adrian looked at her.

"The result is negative."

She froze.

"What?"

"We aren't siblings."

Amelia released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Then..."

Adrian looked at the report again.

"It says Richard Blackwood isn't my biological father."

Amelia stared.

"Then who is your father?"

Adrian shook his head.

"I don't know."

They looked at each other.

For the first time that night, relief appeared in Amelia's eyes.

But it lasted only seconds.

Because Victoria suddenly screamed from the hospital room.

They rushed inside.

Victoria was sitting upright.

Her face was terrified.

"The test..."

"What?"

She pointed at the report.

"That's not the real result."

Adrian frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"They changed it."

"Who?"

Victoria whispered:

"Your uncle."

THE HIDDEN FILE

Adrian immediately took Amelia back to his private office.

He locked the door.

"We need to stop trusting paper."

Amelia nodded.

"What do we trust?"

"DNA from a secure source."

He opened a hidden safe.

Inside was a small device.

"What is that?"

"My father's private DNA database."

"You had this all along?"

"I didn't know what it contained."

He connected it to the computer.

A password appeared.

Adrian stared at the screen.

Then he typed something.

BLACKTHORN.

Access denied.

He tried another.

VICTORIA.

Access denied.

Amelia looked at him.

"What password would your father use?"

Adrian thought.

Then typed:

OBSESSION.

The screen unlocked.

Amelia stared.

"What?"

Adrian's father had left hundreds of files.

One folder was highlighted.

AMELIA CARTER.

Adrian opened it.

The first document read:

BIOLOGICAL PARENTAGE: CLASSIFIED.

The second:

FATHER: RICHARD BLACKWOOD — 47%.

Adrian froze.

Amelia stared at the screen.

"Forty-seven percent?"

"That's not a father-child match."

"Then what is it?"

Adrian opened another file.

A genetic analysis appeared.

RICHARD BLACKWOOD — GENETIC CONTRIBUTION: 47%.

EVA CARTER — GENETIC CONTRIBUTION: 47%.

UNKNOWN SOURCE — 6%.

Amelia's heart raced.

"Unknown source?"

Adrian nodded.

"Someone else contributed to my genetic material."

She looked at him.

"Who?"

Another file opened automatically.

SOURCE: SUBJECT ZERO.

Amelia frowned.

"Subject Zero?"

Adrian clicked.

The screen went black.

Then a photograph appeared.

A man.

Neither Amelia nor Adrian recognized him.

But underneath the photograph was a name.

ALEXANDER CARTER.

Amelia's face went pale.

"My grandfather."

Adrian looked at her.

"Your grandfather?"

She nodded.

"Daniel's father."

Adrian stared at the screen.

"So your grandfather was the unknown source."

Amelia whispered:

"Then I'm not just Eva's daughter."

"No."

She looked at him.

"Part of me comes from my grandfather."

Adrian nodded.

"Which explains why your grandmother's research was so important."

THE REAL PURPOSE OF THE BLACK ROSE

A hidden recording suddenly played.

Richard Blackwood's voice filled the room.

"If you're hearing this, then everything has already begun."

Adrian froze.

His father's voice continued.

"The Black Rose was never created to destroy the Carter family."

Amelia stared at the screen.

"It was created to protect them."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Protect?"

Richard continued:

"There are people more powerful than the Black Rose."

"The organization was created to keep Amelia hidden."

Amelia's heart stopped.

"Me?"

Richard continued.

"Amelia is the final carrier."

"Her blood contains the completed genetic pattern."

"That pattern must never fall into the hands of the government, corporations, or private military organizations."

Adrian looked at Amelia.

The recording continued.

"Because whoever controls Amelia controls the future of genetic regeneration."

The screen went black.

Amelia whispered:

"All those people..."

"They weren't trying to kill you."

"They were trying to capture you."

THE PHONE CALL

Adrian's phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

"Who is this?"

A familiar voice replied.

His uncle.

"You finally found the recording."

Adrian's expression became cold.

"Where are you?"

"Close."

"What do you want?"

"The truth."

"You've done nothing but lie."

His uncle laughed.

"Then ask Amelia's mother."

Adrian turned toward Amelia.

"What about her?"

"She knows who Subject Zero really is."

The call ended.

Amelia stared.

"My mother?"

Adrian nodded.

They immediately returned to the hospital.

Maria was sitting beside Victoria.

When Amelia entered, Maria looked up.

Her face immediately changed.

"You found it."

"What?"

"The file."

Amelia stepped closer.

"Tell me about Subject Zero."

Maria closed her eyes.

"You weren't supposed to know."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

She began crying.

"Subject Zero was your grandfather."

"We know."

"No."

Maria shook her head.

"You're wrong."

She looked at Amelia.

"Your grandfather wasn't Alexander Carter."

Amelia froze.

"Then who was he?"

Maria whispered:

"Richard Blackwood."

Adrian's face changed.

"No."

Maria nodded.

"Richard Blackwood was your biological grandfather."

Silence.

Amelia looked at Adrian.

Adrian looked at her.

Their entire understanding of their families had just collapsed.

Maria continued:

"Your grandmother and Richard had a child together."

"Who?"

Maria's eyes filled with tears.

"Eva."

Amelia's breath caught.

"So Eva is..."

"Richard Blackwood's daughter."

Adrian stepped backward.

His entire family was connected to Amelia.

But Maria wasn't finished.

She whispered:

"And there's one more thing."

Amelia looked at her.

"What?"

Maria's voice broke.

"Adrian isn't Richard's biological son."

Adrian froze.

"Then who is my father?"

Maria looked toward the door.

Before she could answer, the door opened.

A man stepped inside.

Everyone froze.

He looked directly at Adrian.

Then at Amelia.

And smiled.

"My name is Alexander Carter."

Amelia's blood ran cold.

"The real Subject Zero."

He closed the door behind him.

And in his hand was a black rose.