Chapter Eleven: What Am I To You?

Sylar's POV

"Mistress Candice's." James said.

"Explain." My expression hardened as I stared at James.

"Her access credentials were used to retrieve the restricted schedule for Miss Eden's insemination." He explained.

"What exactly was accessed?" My voice was calm but my hands slowly curled into fists.

"Everything, Sir. The time of the procedure, the laboratory location and your planned security route." He kept a straight face.

I closed my eyes for a moment as my mind churned. Everything John needed had come from my house.

"Could her credentials have been stolen?" My eyes narrowed. 

"We haven't found evidence of a reported breach or compromised account. Until we complete the investigation, I can't say whether Mistress Candice used the credentials herself or someone else gained access to them." His expression remained calm.

I stood up immediately. 

Candice was one of the few people who had known about Eden's insemination and she not only hated Eden, she had previously assaulted her. 

"Where is she?" I asked.

"In her room, Sir." James answered.

I walked past him with heavy footsteps.

"Sylar." James rarely used my name.

I stopped to look at him. 

"If she was involved, confronting her now could cause her to destroy whatever evidence remains." He tried to persuade me. 

"If Candice betrayed me, evidence will be the least of her problems." My tone was sharp as I continued down the corridor.

I pushed Candice's door open without knocking.

She sat in front of her mirror, removing her earrings and her eyes instantly met mine through the reflection.

"Have you forgotten how to knock?" She sounded slightly startled.

"Did you tell Julian where I was taking Eden?" My tone was sharp. 

Her hand froze as she slowly turned toward me.

"What?" Her expression instantly morphed into annoyance.

"You heard me right. Did you give my family information about Eden's insemination?" I closed the door as I stepped further in. 

"Of course not." Candice stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Your access credentials were used." I said, watching her face for the slightest reaction.

"What are you talking about?" The colour drained slightly from her face.

"Someone used your credentials to access the restricted schedule." My voice was calm. 

"I… I didn't." Candice said as she slowly shook her head.

"You knew about the insemination." I stepped closer.

"I said I didn't do it." Candice stood.

"You wanted Eden gone, you attacked her and you've repeatedly told me to replace her." My eyes were locked with hers.

"So that's what this is?" Candice's eyes flashed. "You've already decided I'm guilty."

"I haven't decided anything." I shook my head. 

"Don't lie to me, Sylar." She walked toward me. "You came in here accusing me of helping Julian kidnap that woman because you know I don't like her."

"That woman has a name." My jaw tightened.

"Listen to yourself." Candice gave a bitter laugh. "I wanted Eden out of this house. I wanted another surrogate but I did not give Julian her location."

"Why should I believe you?" My expression hardened.

For the first time, there was something other than anger in her eyes.

"Because I would never help Julian and I certainly wouldn't help anyone put a bullet in you." Her voice cracked slightly towards the end. 

"Who else had access, Candice? Did you leave your phone or access card unattended?" I pressed.

"No one. I… I don't think so." She struggled.

"Think." My voice rose slightly. 

"I don't know!" Her voice echoed through the room.

I watched her carefully.

Candice opened her mouth but then stopped. Her eyes instantly flashed. 

"My tablet." She paused. "The morning of the insemination, I left it downstairs for a while." Her eyes fell. 

"Who was there?" I asked. 

"Staff." She responded.

"Who?" I pressed. 

"I wasn't taking attendance, Sylar." She shook her head.

"And you didn't think leaving a device with access to confidential information unattended was worth mentioning?" My eyes narrowed. 

"I didn't know someone was planning to kidnap your surrogate!" She sounded exasperated.

"Eden. Her name is Eden." My voice was cold. 

"You're accusing me of betraying you because of her." Her expression shifted between disbelief and anger. 

"This isn't about Eden. It is about you, Candice." I replied. 

"Everything is becoming about Eden." A cold laugh escaped her. 

"You abandoned Julian when you finally had him cornered. You moved her two doors away from yourself and you've turned against me, all because of her." She pointed her finger at me as she stepped closer. 

I remained silent.

"You've known this woman for what? Days? And yet you were willing to risk your life for her." Her eyes searched mine.

"She may be carrying my heir." My jaw tightened.

"That excuse might have worked yesterday." Candice laughed again.

"Watch yourself." My expression darkened.

She stepped closer until only a small distance remained between us.

"You want to accuse me? Fine. Then, at least have the courage to admit what's actually happening." Her gaze met mine without flinching. 

"And what's that?" I asked. 

"You care about her." Her pointed finger landed on my chest.

The words hit harder than they should have as my chest tightened.

I remained silent, momentarily unable to refute. 

"You don't? Tell me I'm wrong." Candice watched me.

"She is under my protection." My voice was almost like a whisper.

"That's not what I asked." Her tone rose.

A faint sound came from outside the room.

Candice and I both turned toward the door.

I crossed the room and pulled it open to find Eden standing in the corridor.

A file was clutched against her chest as our eyes met.

For several heartbeats, no one spoke.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"Long enough." Eden replied.

Candice appeared behind me.

Her face immediately changed when she saw Eden.

"Of course, she's here." Candice clicked her tongue.

"I wasn't listening intentionally." Eden's eyes moved toward her.

"Yet somehow you always end up exactly where you shouldn't be." Her voice was laced with annoyance.

"Candice." I called her name slowly.

She ignored my warning and walked towards Eden.

"You want to know what we were discussing?" Candice asked.

"I heard enough." Eden said. 

"You think you've won something because Sylar came running to save you?" Her voice leaked venom.

"I don't think I've won anything." Eden shook her head. 

"You should remember that." Candice paused as her eyes dropped briefly toward Eden's stomach. "Because the moment he finds out you're not carrying his child, you'll discover exactly how replaceable you are."

Eden's face changed.

"That's enough, Candice." My voice was stern.

"What? Afraid she'll start asking questions you can't answer?" Candice looked at me.

"Leave." My voice was cold.

"This is my room." Candice shrugged her shoulders.

"Then I'll leave. Let's go, Eden." I looked at Eden.

She hesitated before following me.

"Ask him what happens to you if there is no baby." Candice's voice followed us into the corridor.

Eden didn't speak until we reached my study.

She placed the file she'd been carrying on the desk.

"What is that?" I asked.

"One of Claire's treatment summaries. I didn't understand something and came looking for you." she said almost in a whisper. 

I nodded but she made no attempt to open it.

Instead, she stared at me.

"If the procedure failed and there is no baby, what happens to me?" She asked.

"You'll remain here until I'm certain you're safe." I said. 

"And then?" She pressed.

"Eden." My jaw tightened.

"And then, Sylar?" She didn't relent.

I didn't have an answer or at least not one I was prepared to give her at this moment. 

"Right." Her expression slowly changed as she reached for the file.

"That's what I thought." She said as she walked towards the door. 

"Candice doesn't decide what happens to you, Eden." My voice stopped her.

"Then who does?" she asked as she turned back. 

I didn't answer immediately.

"You?" A bitter smile touched her lips.

Her question irritated me more than it should have.

"No one owns you." My voice came out sharper than I intended. 

"That's funny coming from the man who made me sign a contract determining what happens to my body and my child." She countered. 

"Our agreement was your choice." I stood up. 

"My choice?" Her eyes flashed. "My sister was dying."

"And I gave her an option she didn't have." I said calmly. 

"At a price, Sylar." She emphasized.

"Yes." I wasn't going to deny that.

Eden stared at me for several seconds , and her expression softened slightly.

It wasn't forgiveness but something closer to exhaustion.

"I don't know what I am to you, Sylar." Her voice almost cracked. 

"You're Eden." My chest tightened. The answer had left my mouth before I could stop it.

"What does that even mean?" She blinked.

"It means you ask too many questions as usual." I looked away.

She stared at me in disbelief and then despite everything, a small laugh escaped her.

A knock sounded at the door.

Eden immediately straightened as James entered.

"What did you find?" I asked the question before he could speak.

"More than we had an hour ago." His gaze briefly shifted toward Eden.

"Say it." I ordered.

"We traced the access request. It originated from inside the estate." He said. 

Eden's expression changed.

"From where?" Eden asked.

"There's something important first." James looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"The credentials were used at 10:17 that morning while Mistress Candice was captured on security footage in the west dining room at 10:17." He said. 

"Could she have accessed the system remotely?" I frowned.

"Not through the method that was used." He shook his head.

"So Candice didn't do it?" Eden looked between us.

"We can't rule out the possibility that she gave someone her credentials intentionally," James paused. "But she wasn't the person who entered them into the terminal."

"Then someone used her. We have a mole." My jaw tightened.

"That's what it looks like." James replied.

"Where were her credentials used?" I asked.

"From inside the estate…" James hesitated.

"Where exactly?" My expression hardened.

His eyes moved briefly toward Eden then back to me.

"From the terminal outside Miss Eden's old room."

Eden's face went pale. 

Whoever betrayed us hadn't just been inside my estate.

They had been watching Eden.