CHAPTER 121: I’M TRYING TO HELP

Back at the house, Marlowe sat in the living room, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone as she tried Darrell’s number for what felt like the twentieth time. When it rang out yet again, she tried Serena’s. That call also went unanswered. Her heart continued to tighten with every passing second, and her unease continued to grow.

Marlowe had always been one to trust her instincts, and right now, every fiber of her being screamed that something was wrong. She stood abruptly, gripping the phone tighter in her hand. The silence that followed the unanswered calls was louder than any scream, and she knew that she could no longer wait. The council was up to something sinister and the only thing that kept echoing her head was that they were trying to force Serena and Lucian to make that baby even against their will.

Without wasting another second, she rushed back into her room, dressed up in battle ready outfit, and retrieved two slim, black bottles from her drawer. These were not ordinary pepper sprays; they were enhanced with a secret formula she had designed herself—lethal enough to disorient any opponent for a solid five minutes. She slipped them into the inside pocket of her jacket, secured her phone in the other, and marched to the front door.

Just as she stepped out of the house, one of the guards who had been stationed at the gate approached her. His face was tense, and he held out an envelope. "This just came in, ma’am," he said. "Someone dropped it off. Said it was specifically for you."

Marlowe blinked, her fingers trembling slightly as she took the envelope. The handwriting was delicate but unfamiliar. She tore it open on the spot and pulled out the neatly folded letter inside. Her eyes scanned the words quickly, her breath catching as she recognized the name at the bottom. It was from Maria. The content of the letter made her heart drop. It confirmed everything she feared—Lucian and Serena were in danger and needed help.

She did not wait another moment. Turning around without a word, she headed straight for the garage. Her hand trembled only slightly as she opened the driver’s side of her sleek black car and slid behind the wheel. Her mind raced as she started the engine and backed out of the driveway, tires crunching against the gravel. She drove fast, slicing through the streets with sharp precision, heading directly to Bonnie’s office.

By the time she arrived at the building, her nerves were strung tight, but she managed to hold herself together. The guards looked up as she approached.

"I’m here from Lucian. I need to see Bonnie immediately. It’s urgent." Marlowe introduced herself quickly.

The guard she had just spoken to, seeing the distress on her face, only hesitated for a second before nodding. The signaled to another guard and told that one to take Marlowe right to Bonnie’s office.

Marlowe didn’t wait to be told twice. She moved with quick, purposeful strides down the hallway with the guard who has been assigned to lead her, until she reached the thick wooden door. The guard went in first to speak with Bonnie, then when he came out, he motioned for her to go in.

Bonnie was seated behind his desk, his fingers typing something quickly on a sleek laptop. He looked up, his sharp eyes registering surprise for only a moment before he leaned back in his chair.

"Doctor Marlowe. I assume this is about Lucian?"

"Yes," she replied, barely restraining the urgency in her voice. She went on to narrate everything that happened that morning up until she received the note.

She held out the letter from Maria, and Bonnie reached for it, unfolding the paper and reading through it quickly. When he was done, he exhaled slowly and nodded.

"I’ve been alerted. After I last spoke to Lucian, I planted a spy in the Council. Since then, I’ve received some disturbing reports. This morning, my source reported unusual activity in the Council’s laboratory wing."

Marlowe felt both alarmed and relieved at the same time. Alarmed that her suspicions were true. Relieved that Bonnie was already aware.

"We don’t have much time," she said firmly. "I have reasons to believe that they are planning to carry out a dangerous experiment on Lucian and Serena, we have to stop it immediately. This could shake the world to its core."

Bonnie nodded solemnly. "I agree. And I am already on it."

Without another word, he picked up his phone and began making calls. Marlowe stood off to the side, watching as he spoke with calm urgency to several powerful people. Names she recognized. Names that held influence and authority. Each call ended with swift promises of action.

Then, Bonnie dialed another number and pressed the phone to his ear. This time his expression changed slightly. It became more intense.

"Update me on the current situation," he said into the receiver. "What is going on over there right now?"

While he waited for a response, Marlowe’s fingers curled into fists. The uncertainty of the situation gnawed at her insides. She needed to know that Lucian and Serena were still safe, and alive.

***

Meanwhile, back at the Council building, the air in the hallway was thick with tension. Lucian and Serena finally stepped back into the room from which they had just exited and Modi followed closely behind them, the gun in his hand never once lowering.

His steps were precise, deliberate, and filled with unspoken authority. Once inside, he motioned toward the bed with the gun.

"Sit down."

Neither of them argued. Lucian pulled Serena toward the bed, and they both sat, backs straight, eyes fixed on the man who had turned their morning upside down. Modi moved slowly toward the door, locked it, and then turned back around.

His eyes fell on Salvador, whose body was sprawled motionless on the cold floor. His expression shifted instantly, his brows furrowing in a deep frown.

"What did you do to him?" Modi asked sharply, not moving his gaze from the figure on the floor. "Did you kill him?"

Lucian did not bother to look at Salvador. His voice was cold and flat. "I don’t know. And I do not care."

Modi exhaled heavily and crouched down beside Salvador’s still form. He reached out and pressed two fingers to the side of the man’s neck, searching for a pulse. After a moment, he found it—faint, but present. However, his fingers also brushed against something else.

Blood.

He pulled his hand back and examined the side of Salvador’s head. There was a swollen bruise, already darkening, and a slow trickle of blood had begun to leak from it.

Modi stood, his face etched with frustration. "For fuck’s sake, Lucian. Must you always resort to violence?"

Lucian leaned back on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wonder who I learned that from."

Modi sighed and shook his head. "Yes. You are the way you are because of me. And I am trying to fix that. I’m trying to help you."

Serena’s patience finally snapped. Her voice, sharp and laced with fury, cut through the tension. Hearing his voice and looking at him was making her anger soar to high heavens. He had acted all calm this morning only for her to find out that behind that calm facade was a plotting devil.

"Help him out in what way? By deceiving me? By dragging us into this nightmare?" Serena asked, her tone catching modi by surprise.

Modi’s lips parted, but before he could answer, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Without hesitation, he answered it.

As he listened to the voice on the other end, his expression changed. The shift was subtle at first, then more pronounced. His brows furrowed deeply, his jaw clenched, and the veins in his neck began to bulge slightly.

The call ended after only a few seconds. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even look at Lucian or Serena. He simply turned and walked to the door. He opened it, stepped outside, and locked it from the other side, leaving them trapped in the room with an unconscious Salvador.

Serena stared at the closed door for a long moment before turning to Lucian. "What do you think that was about?"

Lucian remained silent for a while, then stood up and walked over to the window, peering through the small slit in the glass.

"Whatever it was," he said quietly, "something just shifted. And I don’t think we’ll be stuck here much longer."

Serena watched him, her heart pounding with renewed urgency. Whatever Modi had heard on that phone call had clearly rattled him. That alone gave her hope.

Lucian, on the other hand, moved around, searching for a rope or something of similar nature to tie Salvador up. He had broken the hold of the glove, but he didn’t know if it would still work if used again, and he didn’t want to risk finding out late.