Chapter 296 Calista's Implant Dilemma
Chapter 296 Calista's Implant Dilemma
Gabriel's POV
The grandfather clock in my study chimed three in the morning as I finished reviewing the quarterly reports from our European subsidiaries.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called, setting down my fountain pen.
My head butler, Barry, entered with his usual composed demeanor, though I caught the slight tension in his shoulders. "Sir, I have an update regarding Mr. Derek."
I leaned back in my leather chair, already knowing this wouldn't be pleasant news. "What's he done now?"
"He's been... agitated in the guest quarters. Demanding to be released, making quite a scene. The staff are becoming concerned about the noise level," Barry replied.
"Let him rage," I said coldly. "A few more days of reflection might do him some good. Derek's spent too many years thinking the world owes him something simply because he was born first."
After Barry left, I returned to my paperwork, but another knock broke through my brooding. This time it was Adam carrying a manila folder that looked thick.
"Sir, you need to see this immediately."
The urgency in Adam's voice made me straighten. "What did you find?"
Adam placed the folder on my desk with careful precision. "The fire that killed your second brother, and the car accident that took your parents—they weren't accidents."
My blood turned to ice. "What are you saying?"
"Derek orchestrated both incidents." Adam's words hit like physical blows. "I found financial records showing payments to a demolition expert and a mechanic who specialized in brake line tampering. The trail leads directly back to Derek."
I opened the folder with hands that wanted to shake but wouldn't allow it. Bank statements, phone records, witness testimonies—all pointing to my own brother systematically murdering our family members for control of the Rothschild empire.
"There's more," Adam continued grimly. "Derek's been in contact with someone from the Dark Organization. Frequent calls to an encrypted number, always lasting exactly three minutes. The pattern suggests regular briefings or instructions."
"How long has this been going on?" My voice sounded distant, controlled, though fury was building like pressure in a closed system.
"Based on the phone records, at least five years of active communication. Possibly longer if they used other methods before."
I stood and walked to the window, looking out at the pre-dawn darkness of Manhattan. Somewhere out there, innocent people slept peacefully, unaware that monsters walked among them wearing familiar faces.
"Sir?" Adam's voice brought me back to the present.
"Release Derek and Jack immediately," I said, my decision crystallizing with cold certainty.
"Sir? I'm not sure that's—"
"Do it now." I turned back to face him. "We're going to give Derek exactly what he wants—freedom to operate. Let him think he's won."
Adam's confusion was evident. "You want to let him continue working with the Dark Organization?"
"I want him to lead us directly to them." The strategy was forming in my mind like pieces of a complex chess game. "Derek's arrogant enough to believe he's untouchable. We'll use that against him."
"And if he tries to harm you or your family?"
My smile felt sharp enough to cut glass. "Then Derek will discover that some Rothschilds are more dangerous than others."
---
Scarlett's POV
My body ached for rest, but my maternal instincts overrode everything else. If Calista posed a threat to the children, I needed to be completely alert and ready to respond.
A soft chime from my nightstand made me reach for my encrypted phone. The message was from Iris: [Ms. Harper has exited her quarters.]
My feet hit the floor before I'd fully processed the implications. I grabbed the silk robe draped over my chair and moved silently toward the door, every sense heightened.
A gentle knock echoed through my room—too soft for an emergency, too deliberate for an accident.
"Victoria?" Calista's voice carried through the thick wood, trembling with what sounded like genuine fear. "Please, I need to talk to you."
I opened the door to find Calista standing in the hallway, her usually perfect composure completely shattered. Her face was pale, eyes wide with something that looked disturbingly close to terror.
"What's wrong?" I kept my voice neutral, though every fiber of my being was on high alert.
"Something's not right with me," she whispered, glancing around as if expecting someone to be listening. "Can I come in? I don't want anyone else to hear this."
I stepped aside, watching her carefully as she entered my room. Her movements were different—less fluid, more jerky, like someone fighting against invisible restraints.
"I was talking to Damon about wedding plans," Calista began, her hands shaking as she twisted them together. "Everything was normal, we were laughing about something silly, and then suddenly..." She paused, swallowing hard. "I lost control of my own body."
Moving to my desk, I pulled out my phone and started typing rather than speaking aloud. The chip might have a listening function, and if my suspicions were correct, we needed to be very careful about what we said out loud.
I showed her the screen: [Don't speak about this anymore. Type your responses.]
Her eyes widened as she read, but she nodded and took the phone.
Calista: [Why can't we talk?]
Me: [Because I think you've been compromised. Someone injected you with a liquid chip—nanotechnology that can influence behavior and decision-making.]
The color drained from her face completely.
Calista: [That's impossible. When could someone have done that?]
Me: [Probably when you were very young. You might have been part of an experiment by the Dark Organization.]
Calista: [What kind of experiment?]
I hesitated before typing the next part, knowing it would shatter her understanding of her own life.
Me: [Nicholas investigated your background. You have a twin sister who disappeared after birth. The Dark Organization has been experimenting with twin subjects—testing behavioral modification on one while keeping the other as a control group.]
Calista: [A twin sister?]
Me: [We think your sister might be the "aunt" who's been caring for Luna and Liam. The woman everyone assumes is dead but who's actually been living a separate life, possibly with no memory of you.]
Calista's hands were shaking so badly she could barely type.
Calista: [This is insane. How is any of this possible?]
Me: [The Dark Organization has resources and technology most people can't imagine. They've been playing a long game with multiple families, using children as test subjects for various experiments.]
I watched her process this information, seeing the exact moment when disbelief gave way to a terrible kind of recognition. She'd probably always felt like something was missing, some fundamental piece of herself that never quite fit.
Me: [We need to get you to a medical facility immediately. I need to scan your brain and confirm what we're dealing with.]
Calista: [If this is true, if I really have been controlled this whole time, how do I know anything I feel is real?]
The question broke my heart a little. I reached over and squeezed her hand, letting her feel the warmth and reality of human connection.
Me: [The fact that you're aware of the control means you're fighting it. That's all you, Calista. That's your real strength showing through.]
An hour later, we were in the secure medical wing of the Langley family's private hospital. I'd called ahead using my Dr. S credentials, ensuring we'd have complete privacy and access to the most advanced imaging equipment.
Calista lay perfectly still in the CT scanner while I studied the results on multiple screens. The technology was sensitive enough to detect abnormalities as small as a grain of sand, and what I found made my stomach clench with sick recognition.
There, nestled against her brainstem like a malignant pearl, was a tiny white spot that matched exactly what I'd seen in Victoria's medical files months ago. The liquid chip was real, active, and positioned precisely where it could influence mood, decision-making, and behavioral control.
"Found it," I murmured, zooming in on the image.