Chapter 8 - The Blackwood Heir Project
The phrase appeared in a document discovered beneath an old laboratory property outside Baltimore.
BLACKWOOD HEIR PROJECT.
The facility had been abandoned for twenty-six years.
Its underground archive survived.
Inside were photographs.
Family trees.
Embryo codes.
Inheritance projections.
Medical histories.
Garrison's father, Henry Blackwood, had founded the project.
Conrad had continued it.
The original objective was horrifying in its simplicity.
Preserve the Blackwood genetic line.
Control who inherited.
Control who reproduced.
Control which branches of the family survived.
The project began during an era when Henry Blackwood feared his industrial empire would fracture between relatives.
Medicine became his solution.
"Selective inheritance," Ross explained.
Emily shook her head.
"They treated human beings like estate planning."
"Yes."
The records revealed another secret.
Garrison had not been Henry's intended heir.
Conrad had.
But Henry's will changed unexpectedly three weeks before his death.
Garrison inherited controlling ownership.
Conrad received wealth but not authority.
Since then, Conrad had spent decades attempting to reconstruct a line of inheritance that could challenge Garrison's descendants.
There was one problem.
Garrison had no living descendants.
Until now.
Rebecca's surviving embryo.
And possibly Emily's twins.
"Why would Conrad preserve Rebecca's child if it strengthens your line?" Emily asked.
Garrison looked at the family charts.
"Because ownership doesn't only pass downward."
Ross nodded.
"If Garrison dies without a legal descendant, certain legacy assets transfer through collateral trusts. But if a direct descendant exists and is under controlled guardianship..."
"Conrad could control the child," Emily finished.
"And through the child, control the trust."
Emily felt sick.
"What about my twins?"
Ross hesitated.
"Their legal status is more complicated."
Garrison stared at him.
"Explain."
"If they carry genetic material taken from Garrison, Conrad may intend to use them to establish competing inheritance claims."
Emily laughed bitterly.
"They're not even born and people are preparing lawsuits over their blood."
Garrison's expression softened.
"They will never be property."
Emily looked at him.
"Promise me something."
"Anything."
"If something happens to me, they don't go into the Blackwood family."
Garrison went still.
"Nothing is going to happen to you."
"Promise."
He looked into her eyes.
"I promise."
A week later, Julian contacted Emily again.
This time he sounded terrified.
"Conrad is cleaning house."
"Meaning?"
"People are disappearing."
"Like Chloe's baby?"
Silence.
"Where is she, Julian?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I handed the child to Miriam. That's all."
"For twenty-five million dollars."
"I didn't know whose baby she was."
"Would that have made kidnapping acceptable?"
"No."
"Then stop pretending ignorance makes you innocent."
Julian's voice broke.
"Chloe doesn't know."
"Doesn't know what?"
"She thinks the baby died."
Emily closed her eyes.
Despite everything Chloe had done, that knowledge hurt.
Julian continued.
"Conrad told the hospital to sedate her. When she woke up, I told her there had been complications."
"And then you erased the pregnancy."
"I was trying to protect her."
"You protected yourself."
Julian whispered, "Probably."
It was the first honest thing he had said.
Then his tone changed.
"I have something you need."
"What?"
"A location."
"Where?"
"Not over the phone."
"What do you want?"
"Immunity."
Emily laughed.
"No."
"Emily."
"You murdered my children."
"I never intended those pregnancies to survive."
The sentence hung between them.
Julian realized what he had admitted.
Emily stopped breathing.
Garrison looked toward Ross.
The entire call was being recorded.
Julian whispered, "That's not what I meant."
Emily's voice became calm.
"Say it again."
"Emily."
"Say what you did."
He disconnected.
Ross removed his headset.
"We have him."
Emily looked toward the darkened window.
"No."
Ross frowned.
"We have an admission."
"We have Julian."
May you like
She placed a hand over her twins.
"I want Conrad."
