Chapter 30 - Patricia’s ReservationPatricia had followed the boat using the tracking signal.
Sofia and a tactical team were still several minutes behind because the offshore structure blocked navigation systems.
Patricia kept the weapon aimed at Margaret.
“She ordered me to bring Dr. Trent,” Patricia said.
Mara looked at Margaret.
“Why?”
“Because all seven roles must be present.”
Dr. Trent pressed a cloth against the wound in his side.
“Someone attempted to stop us at the marina.”
“Who?”
“Victor.”
Victor had vanished from the docking chamber during the blackout.
Margaret denied working with him, though Mara had seen them arrive together.
Rose appeared from an adjoining corridor holding Celeste by the arm.
“Victor isn’t working alone.”
Celeste’s expression was unreadable.
Rose held up Celeste’s phone. It contained encrypted messages exchanged with Victor for months.
Adrian stared at Celeste.
“You came to Mara’s apartment because Victor sent you.”
“I came because he promised to tell me who I was.”
“You already had the DNA report.”
“The report was fake.”
Celeste looked at Eleanor’s daughter listing on the registry.
“I didn’t know whether any of it was true.”
Charles began laughing from the floor.
“That was Eleanor’s masterpiece. She gave every child a mother and every mother a replacement.”
The registry announced that all seven founding roles were present.
A circular chamber opened beneath the lobby.
Seven chairs surrounded a black table.
One chair displayed Mara’s name.
The others showed titles rather than identities.
OWNER.
WITNESS.
GUARDIAN.
PHYSICIAN.
COUNSEL.
MEMORY.
BENEFICIARY.
A final seat stood at the end of the table.
It had no title.
Mara remembered Eleanor’s warning:
Do not allow Patricia to control the table.
Patricia approached the unmarked chair.
The registry recognized her immediately.
RESERVATION HOLDER PRESENT.
Mara stared at her cousin.
“What did Grandmother leave you?”
Patricia looked terrified.
“I thought she left me nothing.”
The tabletop opened.
Inside was a sealed document bearing Patricia’s childhood fingerprint.
Eleanor had created a reservation in Patricia’s name when she was five years old.
Unlike Mara’s false death, Patricia’s reservation was not an escape identity.
It was an ownership transfer.
If Mara terminated the registry, every property in the network would pass to Patricia.
Charles smiled.
“That is why Eleanor taught you to hate each other.”
Patricia looked at Mara.
“She wanted us to fight over the final chair.”
The blank chair moved backward by itself.
Someone was already sitting in it.
May you like
Victor emerged from the darkness.
And he was holding Eleanor Sutton’s death certificate.
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