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Doctors gave my six-year-old twins ten days to live, and for the first time, every dollar, weapon, and ounce of power attached to my name meant absolutely nothing. / Chapter 9 / 10

Chapter 9 - Dawn of a New BloodlineThe hours that followed blurred into a relentless, exhausting battle against time and biology.

Working side-by-side, Elena and Dr. Yates synthesized the custom antisense therapy directly from the data files unlocked by the master server. Using the estate’s advanced medical lab equipment, they spun down the synthetic retroviral blockers and prepared two intravenous drips, each dosed down to the exact microgram for a six-year-old’s failing biology.

At 4:15 a.m., as the first pale fingers of dawn began to stretch across the Chicago skyline, the needles were inserted into Jonah and Blythe’s arms.

For ten agonizing minutes, nothing happened. The monitors hummed their steady, nerve-wracking rhythm.

Then, the color on the oxygen saturation monitors began to tick upward.

88... 92... 96... 99.

The frantic, jagged lines on the heart monitors smoothed out into strong, rhythmic peaks. The shallow, rattling wheeze in their chests deepened, turning into clean, unhindered breaths.

Jonah’s eyelids fluttered. He blinked against the bright lights of the bunker, groggily turning his head.

"Dad?" he whispered, his voice still weak, but clear.

I dropped to my knees beside his cot, burying my face in the blanket near his hand, tears finally breaking free and spilling over my cheeks. I didn't care who saw. I didn't care about the Mercer legacy, the power, or the empire.

"I'm here, buddy," I choked out, kissing his knuckles. "I'm right here."

Blythe stirred next to him, her eyes opening wide as she looked around the high-tech bunker, then up at me.

"Daddy... did we go to the moon?" she whispered sleepily.

I let out a wet, broken laugh, pressing my hand against her warm cheek. "No, sweetheart. We just came home."

Across the room, Elena stood watching us with a quiet, peaceful smile, a single tear tracking down her face.

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Let them come. My walls were reinforced, my armory was stocked, and my bloodline was finally safe.

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