Page 162 of Fractured Devotion
“My darling Celeste, if you’re reading this, I fear I’m already gone. Trust no one and question everything. Your strength is in your truth. Forgive me for leaving you unprotected. I tried. Remember, you are stronger than their lies.”
I clutch the letter close, my mother’s final words becoming a lifeline, anchoring me to a purpose clearer than ever before.
Morning sunlight creeps into my apartment, highlighting the scattered remnants of my parents’ past spread across my desk. I haven’t moved in hours, afraid to break the fragile connection I’ve forged with their lost truths. My mother’s letter lies open, her words etched permanently into my mind.
A gentle knock at my door pulls me reluctantly back to the present. Standing on stiff legs, I carefully conceal the contentsback into the box and tuck it securely beneath my bed. At the door, I find Alec, concern shadowing his features.
“Celeste,” he says gently, his eyes scanning my exhausted face, “I’ve been worried.”
“Come in,” I say softly, stepping aside. Alec enters, glancing cautiously around my disheveled apartment.
“Did you speak to Irene yet?” he asks, his voice low.
I nod, swallowing the heavy lump in my throat. “I did. Everything you and Reyes found, Alec, it’s real. All of it.”
He sighs deeply, his shoulders slumping with a mix of relief and dread. “I wish it weren’t, but knowing gives us a chance to fight back.”
“How?” I ask, my voice strained. “There’s no proof strong enough to hold them accountable.”
Alec reaches into his jacket, pulling out a small USB drive. “Maybe not yet. But Reyes and I found something else—a hidden data cluster deep within Miramont’s servers. We think it contains the identities of others involved. People who might help us, hidden allies or potential whistleblowers.”
My heart skips painfully in my chest. “Can you access it?”
“Not without you,” Alec replies, holding my gaze steadily. “We need your clearance, your codes. And your courage.”
I stare at the drive, hope starting to ignite alongside the fear within me. “Then let’s uncover the rest of the truth. Together.”
The short walk back to Miramont feels like stepping willingly into a trap, every step tightening the knot in my chest. The clinic is barely five minutes from my apartment on foot, yet the path feels longer tonight, weighed down by everything I now carry. Alec keeps pace silently beside me, his presence a steadying force against the storm within.
The clinic stands ominous and silent in the early morning mist, its halls eerily deserted at this hour. Alec guides mediscreetly to the lower levels, through corridors I’ve walked countless times, now foreign under the weight of hidden agendas. Reyes waits patiently outside a secured server room, anxiety etched across his normally composed features.
“Glad you’re here,” Reyes says, visibly relieved as he sees us approach.
“Let’s get this over with,” I reply, inserting my clearance key with practiced efficiency.
The heavy doors open, revealing banks of servers humming quietly in the cool, sterile room. Reyes moves swiftly, plugging the drive into a terminal. His fingers dance over the keys, his eyes fixed intently on the screen as lines of code flash rapidly.
Minutes feel like hours until, finally, a list emerges, names and titles scrolling rapidly. My heart races with each entry, the realization of just how widespread the corruption extends hitting me like a physical blow.
“This is bigger than we imagined,” Reyes whispers, stunned.
“But now we know who to target,” Alec says resolutely, determination replacing dread in his voice.
I scan the names, committing them to memory, knowing these revelations will shatter more than just my life. This knowledge will destroy the very foundations upon which Miramont was built.
Alec places a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Ready to fight back, Celeste?”
I take a deep breath, gathering every shred of courage left within me. “I’m ready to end this. No more shadows. No more lies.”
Together, we step out of the darkness, prepared to face whatever awaits, driven by the resolve that truth, no matter how painful, will always lead us forward.
Chapter 48 – Alec - No Exit
We agree to meet again tonight after dark, after the clinic empties. It has to be strategic—no sudden moves, no emotional outbursts, and no rash decisions that get us caught before we even make our first strike.
Celeste warns me before we leave the clinic, her voice firm and steady as steel. “My aunt said they’ll be watching everything now. She told me to be careful, Alec. Very careful. They don’t need another excuse to make people disappear.”
Her words sit like a stone in my gut for the rest of the day.
