Semua Bab The Twist of Fate : Bab 21 - Bab 30

Lucy didn't sleep. She spent the night in her hotel room, staring at the photograph of William and Catherine arguing, the traffic camera footage playing on loop in her mind.Every instinct screamed that William was innocent. But the evidence was damning. And his refusal to explain where he'd really been that night felt like a betrayal worse than any lie.At dawn, her phone buzzed. A text from her father: [Come to my room. Now. Alone.]Lucy found Jackson sitting up in bed, his laptop open, his expression grim."I couldn't sleep either," he said. "So I did some digging. Lucy, sit down.""Dad, what…""Just sit." Jackson turned the laptop toward her. "I've been going through old Carson Holdings records. Transactions I never authorized, accounts I never opened. Mirabel was more thorough than I thought. But she made one mistake."He pulled up a series of bank transfers. "These payments went to a private investigator named Robert Chen. Does that name sound familiar?"Lucy's breath caught. "C

Lucy and William met Brad three blocks from the research facility as planned. He emerged from the shadows, looking haggard."I've been watching the building," Brad said. "There's movement inside. At least three people. And all the exits are chained from the outside.""They're sealing us in," William said grimly."Worse." Brad showed them thermal imaging on his phone. "See these heat signatures? They're not human. They're equipment. Furnaces or incinerators.""She's going to burn us alive," Lucy whispered. "Just like Catherine."William pulled out his phone. "We call Morris, get SWAT…""No signal." Lucy checked hers. "They're jamming it."Brad held up a small device. "Signal jammer. Industrial grade. Covers three blocks." He pocketed it. "Mirabel's thought of everything."William opened his duffel bag—rope, crowbar, bolt cutters. "We find Jackson, we get out. Fast."They approached the side entrance. Brad cut through the chains, and they descended into darkness, flashlights cutting thr

The plan was simple: announce William's terminal illness, wait for Mirabel and Morrison to make their move, then capture them with the police lying in wait.The execution, however, was anything but simple.They set up in a private medical facility—one of the few assets William still controlled. Detective Morris had agreed to help, stationing undercover officers throughout the building. The bait: a press conference announcing William's sudden decline and imminent death.Lucy stood in the bathroom of their temporary suite, staring at her reflection. Dark circles under her eyes, hollowed cheeks from stress and lack of sleep. She barely recognized herself.“You're a Chen”, Mirabel's voice echoed in her head. “It's in your blood.”"No," Lucy whispered to her reflection. "I'm not like them. I'm not."But the doubt lingered, poisonous and persistent.A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.“Lucy? It's time," William called.She took a deep breath and emerged. William sat in his wheelch

The transition to Switzerland was harder than Lucy had anticipated. William's condition deteriorated during the flight—seizures, disorientation, moments where he didn't recognize her. By the time they landed in Zurich, he could barely walk.The medical facility was state-of-the-art, all glass and steel nestled in the Swiss Alps. Dr. Helena Strauss, the lead researcher, met them personally."Mr. Ashcroft, Mrs. Ashcroft, welcome," she said in lightly accented English. "I've reviewed your case, William. The damage is extensive, but I believe we can reverse it.""How long?" William asked, his voice slurred."Six months minimum. The gene therapy requires careful calibration." Dr. Strauss looked at Lucy. "It will be difficult. There will be setbacks."They settled into a small apartment near the facility. Brad stayed in New York managing what remained of Ashcroft Enterprises. Jackson was in rehabilitation. Lucy was alone with William in a foreign country, watching him slowly die while prayi

The board meeting started at nine AM sharp. Lucy sat beside William, facing Ethan Blackwood and his two allied board members across the polished mahogany table. Brad sat at the end, taking notes, his expression carefully neutral.Ethan opened with a presentation on pharmaceutical expansion. Numbers, projections, market analysis—all professionally done, all compelling. Lucy watched William's face grow darker with each slide."The initial investment would be substantial," Ethan concluded. "But the profit potential is enormous. We'd be entering a market with minimal competition and maximum demand.""We'd also be entering a market we know nothing about," William countered. "Ashcroft Enterprises has never dealt in pharmaceuticals. We don't have the expertise, the infrastructure, or the regulatory relationships.""Which is why I've already secured partnerships with established pharmaceutical companies. They provide the expertise, we provide the capital and distribution network." Ethan smile