Chapter 11 - THE MAN ABOVE VICTORIA
Victoria’s medical records confirmed it.
Repeated treatment.
Memory suppression.
Behavior conditioning.
The same compounds.
Who authorized them?
Alan Royce.
But Alan’s records showed someone else giving him instructions.
Initials:
E.P.
Everyone looked at Elias Porter.
He went still.
“No.”
Nathaniel said nothing.
Elias shook his head.
“Those are not mine.”
“Then whose?”
Elias looked frightened.
For the first time in thirty-four years, Nathaniel saw the old man frightened.
“Edward Porter.”
Nathaniel frowned.
“Who?”
“My brother.”
Clara stared.
“You have a brother?”
“Had.”
“Dead?”
Elias hesitated.
“I thought so.”
Nathaniel almost laughed.
Nobody stayed dead in wealthy families.
Elias explained.
Edward Porter had been a psychiatrist.
Brilliant.
Ambitious.
He worked with Nathaniel’s grandfather.
Designed the earliest behavioral studies.
Then disappeared thirty-five years earlier after an ethics investigation.
“My brother created the protocol.”
Elias’s voice broke.
“I spent my life trying to undo what he helped build.”
Nathaniel looked at him.
“And never told me.”
“I was ashamed.”
“Of him?”
“Of myself.”
“Why?”
“I introduced him to your grandfather.”
Silence.
Elias had carried guilt for decades.
Clara spoke first.
“You didn’t design the experiments.”
“No.”
“You didn’t force him.”
“No.”
“Then stop taking responsibility for choices he made.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
She was good at saying exactly what people needed and hated hearing.
Marcus located Edward Porter.
Alive.
Eighty years old.
Living under the name Edward Price in Rhode Island.
They drove there with federal agents.
Edward lived in a modest seaside house.
He opened the door himself.
Saw Elias.
And smiled.
“Little brother.”
Elias looked like he had been punched.
“You’re alive.”
“Obviously.”
Nathaniel stepped forward.
“Did you control Victoria?”
Edward smiled.
“No.”
“Alan?”
“No.”
“The medical network?”
“Yes.”
Finally.
No games.
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened.
“Sarah?”
Edward’s smile faded.
“She became unfortunate.”
Clara inhaled sharply.
Nathaniel took one step forward.
Agents moved closer.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing personally.”
“You ordered it.”
“Yes.”
The calm confession was worse than denial.
“Why?”
“She found the trial records.”
“So you poisoned her.”
“I authorized treatment.”
Nathaniel almost lost control.
Clara’s hand touched his sleeve.
Not restraining.
Reminding.
He looked at her.
Then back at Edward.
“You are going to prison.”
Edward smiled.
“At eighty?”
“Yes.”
“You think that gives Sarah back?”
“No.”
Nathaniel’s voice was steady.
“It proves I am not my father.”
Edward’s expression changed.
Good.
Then Elias asked:
“Why Victoria?”
Edward sighed.
“She wanted to destroy the work.”
“So you drugged her.”
“Yes.”
“Camille?”
“Victoria selected her before treatment became severe.”
Nathaniel frowned.
“Why?”
“She thought marriage to a conventional woman would stabilize you.”
“Conventional?”
Edward looked at Clara.
“Not resistant.”
Clara’s face hardened.
Edward continued.
“Then Clara entered the dataset.”
“You arranged that.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To test whether attraction was chemical or psychological.”
Nathaniel stared.
“What attraction?”
Edward smiled.
“You don’t know?”
Clara looked uncomfortable.
Edward continued:
“The cameras were not only security.”
Nathaniel went cold.
“You were watching us.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Researchers.”
Clara’s face went pale.
Every moment.
Her humiliation.
Her kindness.
Nathaniel watching.
All data.
Edward smiled faintly.
“And the most fascinating result was you.”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened.
“What?”
“You changed behavior before receiving any compound.”
Silence.
“Explain.”
Edward looked at Clara.
“You became protective of her naturally.”
Nathaniel did not like where this was going.
Edward added:
“And she became the first variable in thirty years the protocol could not predict.”
Then agents arrested him.
As they took him away, Edward laughed.
“You think the experiment is finished?”
Nathaniel stared.
Edward looked toward Clara.
“She’s pregnant.”
Everything stopped.
Clara went white.
“That’s impossible.”
May you like
Edward smiled.
“Ask your doctor.”
