Chapter 306 WHAT MARCO DID

Chapter 306 WHAT MARCO DID
The word stays in the tunnel.

Samuel.

For a few seconds, I can't move.

The figure standing in the darkness doesn't come closer.

Marco doesn't either.

He is staring at the man like he's looking at a ghost.

My heart pounds.

"Samuel?"

The figure takes another step forward.

The light from the damaged station barely reaches his face.

I still can't see him clearly.

But Marco can.

And the look on my brother's face tells me enough.

Then the lights above us flicker.

The figure disappears into the darkness.

"What the—"

A gunshot echoes from somewhere above.

Amani grabs me.

"Move."

We rush back toward the small room.

Ghost and Rex take positions near the passage.

"Where did he go?" I ask.

Ghost shakes his head.

"Lost him."

I turn toward Marco.

He hasn't moved.

"Marco."

He looks at me.

I walk straight toward him.

"You said you handed me to someone."

His face tightens.

"Zuri..."

"No."

I stop inches from him.

"You are going to tell me what you did."

Marco looks toward the tunnel.

Then back at me.

"I found you after Samuel disappeared."

My chest tightens.

"How?"

"You were unconscious."

The words make my stomach twist.

"Where?"

"Near the station."

He swallows.

"You were hurt. Your clothes were torn. You had blood on your face."

I close my eyes.

Another piece of the night tries to come back.

Nothing.

Only darkness.

Marco continues.

"I checked your pulse. You were alive."

"What did you do?"

"I picked you up."

His voice shakes.

"I carried you."

I stare at him.

"Where?"

"Toward the second route."

"The route my mother planned?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you take me home?"

Marco looks at me.

"Because Antonio's men were searching for you."

"And?"

"Your mother had warned me never to trust anyone inside Antonio's organization."

My heart pounds.

"So who did you trust?"

Marco doesn't answer.

I wait.

He looks away.

"Marco."

His eyes close.

"Someone your mother trusted."

"Who?"

"I wasn't thinking about names."

He opens his eyes.

"I was thinking about keeping you alive."

I shake my head.

"And that was the moment you decided my life for me."

"I was sixteen."

"So was I."

The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

Marco freezes.

Something breaks across his face.

For the first time, I see the boy he used to be.

But I can't let that erase what happened.

"Tell me the rest."

He nods slowly.

"I tried calling Samuel."

"No answer."

"I called again."

Nothing.

"I used the emergency Silver Wolf channel."

My skin prickles.

"And someone answered."

"Yes."

"What did they say?"

Marco looks at me.

"'Don't bring her back to the estate.'"

My heart drops.

"Who said that?"

"I didn't know."

"You followed their instructions?"

"I had no other choice."

"There is always a choice."

Marco looks down.

"I took you to a temporary safe location."

"The person was there?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Marco hesitates.

"Someone we believed we could trust."

I feel my anger rising again.

"And you left me there."

"I thought I'd be back."

"But you weren't."

"I was going to return."

"What happened?"

Marco's voice becomes quieter.

"Voss."

I stare at him.

"He got involved."

"How?"

"He told me your memories were becoming dangerous."

I don't understand.

"What does that mean?"

"Your mind had been through too much. Voss said the memories were fighting against each other. He said if they returned too quickly, you could suffer serious damage."

"And you believed him."

"I didn't know what else to believe."

"You believed him."

Marco looks at the ground.

"Yes."

The answer cuts deeper than I expect.

"Did you agree to let him erase them?"

Marco doesn't speak.

I already know.

"Marco."

His eyes meet mine.

"Yes."

The word destroys something inside me.

I take a step back.

"You agreed."

"I thought I was saving you."

"You agreed to let someone change my memories."

"I thought it would give you a chance."

"A chance to do what?"

"Live."

I laugh bitterly.

"You call that living?"

Marco's eyes fill with tears.

"You were alive."

"Without knowing who I was."

"Without being hunted."

"Without knowing my mother."

"Without remembering the people who wanted to hurt you."

"Or the people who loved me."

He goes silent.

I can barely breathe.

"Did you ever ask me what I wanted?"

Marco's face crumples.

"I was sixteen."

"So was I."

This time, he looks away.

I don't know what hurts more.

That he made the decision...

or that he knows exactly what it cost me.

"You didn't protect me from my past."

My voice shakes.

"You stole my right to know it."

Marco doesn't defend himself.

He doesn't make excuses.

He just stands there and takes the words.

And somehow, that makes it worse.

Amani remains beside me.

Silent.

He doesn't step between us.

He doesn't tell Marco what he thinks.

He lets me have this.

My head suddenly begins to ache.

I press my fingers against my temple.

Then the tunnel disappears.

I'm somewhere else.

It's dark.

I'm being carried.

Arms around me.

Strong.

Familiar.

Marco.

I'm crying.

I can't see his face.

But I hear his voice.

"I'm sorry, Zuri."

My small hands clutch his shirt.

"I promise I'll come back."

He keeps walking.

"I'm coming back for you."

Then we stop.

Someone is waiting.

A figure stands beneath a weak light.

I can't see the face.

But I know the person knows my mother.

Marco looks at them.

"Keep her safe."

The person steps forward.

"If you love your sister, leave her with me."

Marco hesitates.

Then lowers me into their arms.

I reach for him.

"Marco..."

He steps backward.

"I'm sorry."

Then he turns away.

The memory shatters.

I gasp.

Amani catches me before I fall.

"Zuri."

I look at Marco.

He knows.

He saw it on my face.

"You did come back."

Marco's voice is broken.

"Yes."

"But I was gone."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"By the time I returned, you weren't there."

My heart breaks.

"Voss had already taken control of your treatment."

"Where did they take me?"

"I searched."

"For how long?"

"Years."

"And you never found me?"

"I found traces."

"That's not what I asked."

Marco looks at me.

"I found you."

Everything inside me stops.

"When?"

"Years later."

"You found me."

"Yes."

"And you still didn't come for me."

His eyes fill with tears.

"I was warned that exposing the truth could put you in danger."

"By Voss?"

"By everyone who knew what had happened."

I shake my head.

"You had years to come for me."

Marco's voice breaks.

"And every year I convinced myself I was giving you another year to live."

I stare at him.

He loved me.

I know that now.

And somehow, that makes the betrayal hurt even more.

Because he didn't stay away because he stopped caring.

He stayed away because he convinced himself that loving me meant deciding what was best for me.

I look down.

Amani quietly takes my hand.

I hold on.

I don't forgive Marco.

But for the first time, I understand him.

And understanding is sometimes more painful than anger.

A sharp sound comes from the main station.

Ghost appears at the entrance.

"We have movement."

Amani turns.

"How close?"

"Close enough."

Rex looks toward the tunnel.

"We need to move."

I wipe my face.

Before I follow them, I turn back to Marco.

"One question."

He waits.

"Who did you hand me to?"

His face goes pale.

"You don't want that answer yet."

"I do."

Marco looks at me for a long moment.

Then he finally says:

"Someone your mother trusted more than she trusted Antonio."

My heart pounds.

"Name."

He looks toward the darkness.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because when I found out what they had done to you..."

He stops.

"What?"

Marco looks at me.

"It was already too late."

I stare at him.

"What did they do?"

He doesn't answer.

Amani steps closer.

"We need to go."

I nod.

We begin moving back toward the main station.

I walk beside Amani.

Marco follows behind us.

Nobody speaks.

The tunnel feels different now.

Every shadow looks like someone watching.

Every sound makes my pulse jump.

Then I hear it.

A faint rumble.

I stop.

Amani turns.

"What?"

I listen.

A motorcycle engine.

Somewhere deep beyond the tunnel.

It grows louder.

Then suddenly—

it disappears.

Marco stops behind me.

His face has gone white.

I turn toward him.

"What?"

He looks into the darkness.

"That was the sound."

"What sound?"

"The sound I heard the night Samuel disappeared."

A cold shiver moves through me.

I look back toward the tunnel.

Something is lying on the floor.

It wasn't there before.

I slowly walk toward it.

Amani follows.

Ghost raises his weapon.

I crouch.

My fingers hover above the object.

A piece of black fabric.

Torn.

Wet with old blood.

I know the jacket immediately.

Samuel.

My breath catches.

Attached to the fabric is a small folded note.

I open it.

Three words are written across the paper.

YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER.

I stare at the message.

Then slowly look toward the darkness.

Someone has been watching us.

Someone knows exactly what I'm remembering.

And they are afraid of what I will remember next.