Two days after Sofie and Megan arrived at the group, Sofie is in the living room, reading on the tablet, when Abigail and Emily enter the room.

  Emily grabs a cup from the cabinet and fills it with water. Abigail goes over to the couch and turns on the tv screen. She goes through every news channel. Trying to see if they mention her parents or her siblings at all.

  “I just can’t believe they broadcasted that to the entire world.” Abigail says.

  “Part of me wishes that I could see my parents’ reaction to their name being called out.” Emily smiles.

  “My mom couldn’t even say their names. She just called them ‘Emily Roberts’ parents’. I just hope that they’re okay. Same for Vero and Zach.”

  “If they did this, they have a pn, Abigail. I’m sure everything will be alright. The character assassination is working. I don’t think the president’s popurity will suffer, though.” Emily puts her hand on Abigail’s leg.

  “So… Sophie. You worked for these people. Anything you can tell us about them?” Abigail turns around and looks at her.

  “Nothing that I haven’t said before.” Sofie doesn’t even raise her eyes to meet her gaze.

  “So… you were never with Madeleine Crk or my parents?” Emily asks.

  “No. Never even seen them. The factory had several floors. I worked in one of them.”

  “With Marianne Olsen. Who else?” Abigail asks.

  “The second in command was Aymee Ortiz. There were some others… mental controllers and analysts. No one remarkable.” Sofie continues to read.

  “You tortured deviants. Experimented. Is that right?” Abigail scoffs.

  “All funded by your parents. Is that right?” Sofie doesn’t even hide her smirk.

  “What are you saying?” Abigail gets up and Emily grabs her hand, pulling her.

  “That I purposely infiltrated that b so I’d protect my sister. Your parents were pyed. Worse, their funding is what made the torture and experiments possible. Your hands are as dirty as mine, Abigail Parker, perhaps even more so.” Sofie raises her eyes and smiles.

  “You…” Abigail leaves instead.

  “You probably had access to a lot of information about deviants. Their levels… abilities.”

  “Yes.” Sofie doesn’t look at her.

  “Have you seen my report? My levels? Have you seen Jade’s? Megan’s?”

  “What is your question, really, Emily Roberts?” Sofie puts down the tablet and looks at her.

  “I know that your sister is more talented than me, but after her, I am the most powerful. More than Jade.”

  “Look, Emily, all I can say is that they are extremely racist. You are exactly what one imagines when they think of the world’s most powerful, isn’t it? Looking good on the t-shirts.” Sofie smirks and picks up her tablet.

  Alex slowly walks in, grabs a cup. Slowly pouring water into it.

  “I am the most powerful… after your sister.”

  “Whatever you say, Emily Roberts, deep down you know the truth.”

  Emily shakes her head and leaves.

  “What a talent, my dearest. In less than five minutes, you sent away two people. Impressive.”

  “I enjoy the peacefulness of silence.”

  “You and me both.”

  “Yet, you keep bbbing. What’s your question? Go ahead.”

  “It puzzles me that you’d give up on your education, betray your mother for this…”

  “This… being?”

  “Living on the run. The people you worked for are extremely powerful. They won’t be happy that you betrayed them, my dearest.”

  “My dearest… that’s Matthew Moore, isn’t it? I thought it sounded familiar. Are you the newest, cheapest version of him?”

  Alex ughs, “Interesting way to avoid answering. Does it usually work?”

  “It does,” Sofie ughs, differently than she did before. Genuinely. “What can I say? She’s my sister. To some people, she’s a monster, I know that. Not to me. I only have her, she only has me. Marianne Olsen is a liar. She’s the true monster. I don’t feel bad about betraying her, especially not if it’s helping my sister. Everything I did has been for her. I regret nothing.”

  “Even torturing me and Diego.”

  “Yes. Even that. I am sorry that you suffered, but not that I had to do it.”

  ánh enters the room, frenetically going around, racing from one part to another, never completing a single task.

  “ánh…” Alex says softly. Stop.

  ánh stops and looks at him.

  “I can’t! I have to bring the forum back!” ánh taps continuously her foot.

  “You don’t have the same power, ánh. Maybe it’s time to admit that we’ll never have the forum again.”

  “No!” She goes in circles around the room.

  Stop.

  She tops and faces him, “I have to bring the forum back!”

  “He won’t come back, even if you do. You know that.” Alex faces her.

  ***

  Late in the evening, everyone gathers in the suite at the Ortiz Hotel. The advisors chit chat with one another. Padma discusses some matters with Saif. Madeleine and Jessica ugh loudly. Edward sits next to Laurence and Thomas. They exchange some thoughts. Aymee is in her seat, reading on her tablet. Marianne takes the seat in front of her.

  “Good evening.”

  “Evening, Dr. Olsen.”

  Marianne turns around and looks at her. “how are you?” She softly asks.

  “Good.” Aymee raises her eyes to face her. The greenness on them isn’t as bright as before.

  “Maybe ter we could talk.”

  “There’s nothing on the schedule.” She checks her phone.

  “Not work-”

  “Then, no, Dr. Olsen. We have nothing to discuss. Here are the topics on the research you asked for.” Aymee hands her the papers.

  “Aymee.”

  The President of the United States walks into the room with her security detail. She takes her seat, and everyone sits down too.

  “Laurence, you have some wonderful news to share.” Edward smiles.

  “Yes, we have located Mark Parker and Rebecca Lewis. They are in Germany, on their way to the Nethernds. We located their hotel. Our best chance is to either act in the hotel or divert their transportation. We are running the pns to see which one has a higher chance of success. Either way, a few more weeks and we’ll have them.”

  “They are too powerful to stay alive.” The president says.

  Drips of sweat slowly run down on Padma’s forehead. She grabs one hand with the other and focuses on the papers in front of her.

  Marianne doesn’t look at her to avoid any suspicion. Aymee will take care of this if necessary. Nothing will happen to Padma.

  “Agreed.” Edward says. “Laurence, I want it to look like they died out of their own actions. Not suicide. But that they went to buy drugs or something in a dangerous pce and that is what killed them.”

  “We’ll contact our partners in Eurasia and see what they can do.” Laurence says.

  “This Parker nonsense needs to be over, Edward.” The president says.

  Edward ends the meeting and slowly, one by one, everyone goes away. Marianne says goodbye to Padma and looks back to the room. Aymee is packing her things.

  “Do you need something, Dr. Olsen?” Aymee keeps packing.

  “I thought, maybe, we could have dinner and talk.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Aymee grabs her backpack and heads to the door. “I have pns already.”

  “Who are you having dinner with?”

  “That’s none of your concern. We can discuss the work matters tomorrow or send me a message and I’ll get to it after dinner.”

  “Aymee…” Marianne tries to grab her hand and the girl softly pushes her away.

  “I mean it, Dr. Olsen. Take care. We’ll see each other tomorrow.” Aymee leaves the room.

  Marianne goes after her but stops when Aymee enters the elevator and pushes the button. Facing each other. The doors close.