Chapter 8

Zia

The quiet sound of the computers in my office was like a steady, comforting beat. It made me feel steady after how crazy the last day had been. Here, in my control room, I was in charge. My fingers moved fast on the keyboards, setting up new ways to search, checking different computer files, following every small online hint. Project Genesis had truly begun. This is where my power was: breaking down information, finding the hidden truths in the huge amount of information.

Angie walked in later that afternoon, holding a warm cup of coffee and looking at a tablet. "Hey, boss lady," she said, sitting in the chair across from my main screen. "First look at the Ryans. After you were adopted. It's… interesting."

I leaned back, taking a sip of my own coffee. "Tell me."

"Okay, so their money really started growing a few years after your adoption," she said, scrolling through the information. "Nothing huge, but a slow, steady increase. Richard, your 'dad,' somehow managed to do a couple of small real estate deals that, on paper, seem like good luck. But the timing is too good. And then, there’s this." She turned the tablet so I could see it. It was an old, faded paper.

"A small company called 'Horizon Capital.' They put money into one of Richard's failing businesses a year after you were adopted. Basically, they saved him. And guess who has a small, secret part in Horizon Capital?"

My eyes narrowed at the name on the screen. Thorne Group Holdings. " Let me guess Alaric Thorne," I said, as things started making sense.

It wasn't just a random loan years later. It was a slow, planned way of giving them money, keeping the Ryans from going broke. Keeping them needing him. He wasn't just getting back money he was owed; he was getting a tool. Me.

"Bingo " Angie confirmed, a serious look on her face. "He' been controlling them Zia all these years and not just with money, but it looks like he was slowly gaining long-term control over them. The Ryans probably knew they were just people holding a spot for him, maybe they even liked getting regular money for 'managing' you."

The cold anger made my stomach feel hard. They didn't just sell me; they signed up to be Alaric’s puppets for their whole lives, all for a small amount of money that kept them comfortable. It was sickening. "Okay, so we know my supposed parents are Fucked in the head. What about Isabella Thorne?"

Angie brought up another screen. "Looking deep into Isabella Thorne’s past is turning out to be really hard. It's like someone did an early clean-up. Before she married Arthur, there’s a a very suprising lack of online records for someone from a well-known family, even back then. few social media posts, hardly any public information before she got engaged to Arthur. It's almost like she just showed up out of nowhere to marry into the Thornes."

"That's interesting," I said softly. My feeling about Isabella was getting stronger. "Dig deeper into her. Find anything you can. Look into her private schools, family ties, old job papers, anything that shows something about her life before she married Arthur. I need to know where she came from. I mean every single thing."

"Got it," Angie said, already writing notes. "As for the places that handle adoptions and orphanages… that’s the really hard part. Papers from twenty-five years ago aren't always on computers, and private adoptions leave almost no public record. We’re looking for patterns, trying to find anything unusual in birth records that links to adoption papers, but it’s going to take time. A lot of time."

"I know," I said, leaning back and rubbing my temples. "But it's really important Angie. I need a real name. A real past. I'm tired of being hidden, of being used. when this is all over i'll treat you to a night out"

"You better or i'm kicking your ass" She said smiling as she left.

I spent the rest of the day deep in information. The Thorne family's empire was huge, tricky, and harsh. Every business deal, every company bought, every political move seemed to fit into Alaric’s big plan. He wasn't just rich; he was a master planner, playing a chess game with real people. And I was now a big part of his trickiest move.

As it got later, the office lights shone in the dark windows. Angie brought me another coffee. "Are you planning on sleeping here?" she asked, with a look that showed she understood.

"Feels safer than the Thorne mansion right now," I said, without looking up from the screen. "At least here, I know exactly who's watching me. Or who's not."

Angie sat down again. "Listen, I checked the mansion's inside computer system, just because I was curious. It's very well protected, with the best security. Xander's got good people. But there are a few hidden connections. Nothing clearly harmful, but they’re… watching. It's inside watching, not just for people trying to break in. They’re tracking movement, calls, even body heat in some areas."

My jaw got tight. "So he's keeping an eye on me."

"Or on everyone," Angie corrected, her voice low. "It's normal for a place like that, especially since its a Thorne residence . But just be careful. Your new secret phone is safe, and your safe way to get into Quantum is impossible to track from outside your network. But inside the mansion, just assume people are watching and listening."

"Yea i figured so," I said, with a small, dry laugh. "He likes his little games. Giving me the new ID and credit card was just another way to control me. He wants to know where I go, what I buy. He wants me to think I have freedom when really, I'm just on a longer leash."

"Exactly," Angie said. "But we're smarter. Use it to help you. Make him think he knows what you're doing, while you're actually far ahead."

I nodded, my eyes looking out at the city lights. Xander Thorne. He thought he was playing me. He thought he was just another piece in his grandfather's puzzle. But I'd seen the way he looked at me during dinner, that quick flash of surprise, of real interest under his proud look. He was starting to dig, too. He was looking for answers, just like me. And that made him either a dangerous problem or a helper without knowing it. I hadn't decided which yet. For now, he was something to watch closely.