Chapter Five: Ten Million Dollars

Eden's POV

My eyelids stirred as I struggled to open them. A moan escaped my lips while trying to adjust my body in an uncomfortable chair. 

But to no avail, my hands and feet were bound tightly to the chair. 

I took a moment to grasp my situation as the memories of being taken by Sylar's mother flooded my mind. 

My first thought was Sylar. Had they killed him? Was he alive?

Then reality hit me.

Whatever had happened to him, I was the one they had taken. 

I struggled hard, yanking and shaking to try and break free from the ropes.

The big dark room seemed more imposing by the second.

Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead as panic set in. 

A single dull footstep echoed as it closed in on the room. The door swung open and a man walked in. 

I squinted to see better, but couldn't make out much in the darkness. 

“Who are you?” My voice shook towards the end, betraying the confidence I was trying to show.

He took short unhurried steps as he wordlessly approached me.

“Stop. Don't come any closer.” I said, struggling violently against the ropes.

“Why the hell is it so dark in here? One of you idiots should turn the lights on.” He barked. 

Several clicking sounds flooded my ears and light burst into the room. 

My eyes closed shut instinctively, then opened back slowly as I tried to adjust to the brightness of the room. 

“Much better. Good to have you awake, Miss Petrelli. I was getting worried you got knocked out too hard. Don't want to damage the merchandise.” He said, slowly walking towards me even more. 

The memory of being dragged into the car came back to me. I remembered trying to go for one of their guns but blacking out instead.

I also remembered him. This was John, the one who attacked Sylar and kidnapped me.

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, matching his gaze. 

His expression tightened when our eyes met. He seemed to realize I wasn't going to make this easy for him. 

He brought his face closer and leaned slightly, barely inches away from my face. “You think you're suddenly tough because you got knocked up by a Wayne?” His finger traced my face before firmly grabbing my chin. 

I stiffened up.  

“Once my employer gives the go ahead to break you, I'll show you just how weak you are.” His tone turned vile as a wicked smile spread across his face. 

Without hesitation, I formed a ball of spit in my mouth and spat on his face. 

“Get your dirty hands off me, you lowlife.” My voice was full of disgust. 

His smile froze as his face tightened. “I'm going to make you pay for this, you bitch”

He raised his hand to retaliate. “It’s unbecoming of my head of security to be rattled by such a small woman.”  A voice came from behind. 

“Boss….” John said as he stepped back from me and straightened. 

“I just wanted her to know her place.” John replied, his body still tensed. 

“You may leave.” 

John immediately scurried out of the room leaving only me and his boss behind.

My gaze landed on his face. For one terrifying second, I thought he was Sylar. His black hair and grey eyes immediately struck a chord within me. 

“You're Sylar's brother.” I said without thinking, because of the uncanny resemblance.

He closed in and calmly placed a chair right in front of me.

“And you're the woman who's about to give him everything I've spent my entire life trying to take from him.” His voice was a clear, rich baritone. 

I took a moment. “Why did you kidnap me?” I asked.

“To answer my own questions.” He said, holding my gaze for a minute. 

“Did it work?”

I said nothing.

“Are you carrying Sylar's child?”

My fingers tightened against the ropes.

“Does your sister, what's her name…. Claire? Does she know about the terms of your contract?” 

The question caught me off guard as my expression hardened. 

A light smile flashed across his face. 

“It seems you're not aware of your situation so I'll be generous enough to break it down for you.” He paused as his gaze met mine.

“If the procedure failed and you are not with child, you are of no use to me. I could simply take your life or let you go. Depending on how useful you prove yourself to be.” He stressed the ending of his sentence.

“But if it succeeded...”

His eyes fell toward my stomach.

“You become the most valuable woman in this family.”

A shiver ran down my spine as his eyes lingered on my belly. 

He stood.

I watched him walk toward the door.

“Wait.”

He stopped without turning his back.

“What happens if I'm pregnant?” I asked.

Julian slowly turned around with a faint smile on his face.

“Then, Eden Petrelli…”

His eyes dropped to my stomach.

“Your sister's life won't be the only life hanging in the balance.”

He turned around and left without further explanation. 

I sat in silence, struggling to process everything. A simple surrogate arrangement had turned into a matter of life and death. 

My mind drifted to Claire. I wondered if she was okay and if the treatment was working. 

The door opened again. I raised my head, expecting to see Sylar's brother, but his mother walked in instead. 

She was calm. Almost unnervingly so.

She carried a slim leather folder in one hand and a white envelope in the other.

My eyes immediately narrowed.

“What do you want?” I asked.

She ignored the question and  walked toward me, pulled the chair opposite mine closer, and sat down.

Then she placed the envelope on the floor beside my chair.

“Ten million dollars.”

My eyes dropped to the envelope.

“What?” I asked. A hint of confusion in my voice.

“Your payment.” She paused. “Leave Sylar. You can keep the child, if there is one. Claire will continue receiving treatment, and the ten million dollars will ensure neither of you ever needs anything from my son again.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. “You kidnapped me, tied me to a chair, and now you expect me to trust you?”

“I'm not just offering you more money than Sylar ever did. I'm offering you a ticket out. For you and for Claire.” She said with an unreadable expression.

$10,000,000.00

My breath caught slightly just thinking about it. 

It was more than enough to pay for Claire's treatment and enough to change our lives completely. 

She opened the leather folder and removed several documents.

“You can't expect me to sign anything when I'm tied to a chair.” My voice was uncertain. 

Evelyn's lips curved into a faint smile.

“I'm not asking you to sign anything.” She said as she leaned forward and held the first document directly in front of my face

She tapped the document with one finger.

“I'm asking you to read.” Her voice was almost like a whisper.

I stared at the document she held between us.

“What is it?” I asked. 

“You still believe Sylar is trying to save your sister.” Her gaze met mine. 

My brows furrowed.

“He is..”

Evelyn's expression softened into something almost resembling pity.

“Then perhaps you should see what he's really doing to patients with HEMA-7.” She said as she turned the document toward me.

My eyes moved across the page.

Patient: HEMA-7

Treatment: Sylar Wayne Protocol

Outcome: Acute deterioration

She flipped through different pages, showing me several Sylar patients. 

The first patient had died three days after receiving the treatment.

The second had suffered acute organ failure.

The third had gone into cardiac arrest less than twenty-four hours after Sylar's protocol was administered.

All of them had one thing in common.

Sylar's name appeared on every authorization.

My heart skipped.

I searched the documents for any obvious signs that the papers had been fabricated. I couldn't find one but I couldn't trust them either.

“There's a very high chance this could happen to Claire.” She said calmly.

“No. You're lying.” My voice rose. 

Her hand slowly flipped to the last document.

I almost looked away.

‘Patient: Claire Petrelli.’

Everything inside me stopped.

I leaned forward as far as the ropes allowed.

“No.”

Beneath Claire's name was a proposed treatment protocol.

‘Experimental HEMA-7 treatment.’

My eyes moved lower.

‘Authorization: S. Wayne.’

The colour drained from my face.

“Claire.” My throat tightened. 

“Claire would never have agreed to this.” 

“Do you know why they call my son the mad scientist?” Evelyn spoke calmly as she straightened back up.

She tapped the document.

“Because unlike everyone else, Sylar Wayne is willing to cross lines other scientists wouldn't dare approach.”

Her finger moved to Claire's name.

“Now ask yourself how far he's willing to go when the patient is your sister.”

I stared at Claire’s name beneath Sylar’s authorization.

My face was already pale.

Had I just sacrificed myself to save Claire, only to hand her over to the man who could kill her?