Emily, Rachel, Sofie, Megan, Abigail, Alex and ánh gather in the living room. Waiting for Megan to tell them everything that had happened. Megan sits on a chair and her sister stands behind her. Rachel and Alex stand on the opposite side of the room. Emily, Abigail and ánh sit together on the couch.

  “When I reached the factory, I used the power to destroy everything that I could,” Megan starts and everyone looks at her. “I didn’t find anyone there. When I left to come back here…”

  Sofie closes her fists behind the chair Megan is sitting on.

  “My body reacted. I couldn’t activate any of my powers.”

  “You are powerless now?” ánh asks.

  Emily contains her smile.

  “Yes. Death was long gone. Now life and the white light, too. I’m powerless. My sister’s house was nearer. I went there.”

  “That was weeks ago.” Rachel says.

  “Yes. Without any powers and still recovering. I couldn’t come back here. I tried to access the forum. It wasn’t working.”

  “They shut down the forum. ánh’s trying to put it back on.” Rachel explains.

  “To no avail so far…” ánh shakes her head. Abigail puts her hands on ánh’s shoulder.

  “This morning. Saif Ahktar and three other people got into the apartment, and Sofie tricked them. Pretended to be on their side. We left and came here.”

  “How did they know where you were?” Rachel asks.

  “I work with Marianne.” Sofie says and focuses on Alex now. “I ran several tests on you.”

  Alex smirks and focuses back on Sofie. He activates his ability and keeps his focus on her. Nothing. Just like Megan. Alex can’t reach her. You are a deviant.

  “Why didn’t you let me go?” Alex asks.

  “Jeopardize my position there? For you?” Sofie scoffs.

  “What?!” ánh gets up and Abigail grabs her hand. Patiently asking her to sit down.

  “Sofie…” Megan looks back at her.

  “I’m sorry if this was insensitive. You were in pain. I know that. However, like I said, I couldn’t ruin everything for you and Diego álvarez.”

  “Ruin what?” Rachel faces her.

  “Protecting my sister, Rachel Moore.” Sofie smiles. “That’s all that matters to me.”

  “So, Marianne Olsen is the one behind it?” Rachel asks.

  “No. Marianne works for Edward Hall. She leads one of the departments there, but that’s it.”

  “Where is she?” Megan asks.

  “She moved away to a hotel downtown. I don’t know which.”

  “ánh.” Rachel looks at her.

  “I’ll check every hotel. Especially the Ortiz ones and try to find her.” ánh says.

  “Where’s Diego?” Megan asks.

  “He left.” Alex scoffs. “Because of you, my dearest.”

  “Diego felt betrayed, Megan. With the forum down, he left to meet his friends in person.” ánh explains.

  “I see.” Megan gets up.

  “Megan, a word. Now.” Rachel gets up and Megan follows her.

  Megan closes the door behind on their bedroom.

  “That’s Marianne’s daughter.” Rachel tries to keep her voice steady.

  “Yes.”

  “The one you said… you!” Rachel raises her voice and immediately takes a step back. “You…” she lowers it again. “Said she killed herself. You told me that, Megan. Remember?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why would you lie to me?” Rachel covers her mouth and turns her back on her.

  “If I didn’t. What would you do?” Megan maintains the same tone of voice.

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  “What would I do?” Rachel turns again and faces her. “What are you implying?”

  “You’d find her and use her to find Marianne.”

  “So, what, Megan? What if I did? Do you think I’d what? Torture her?”

  “She’s had enough.”

  “If you told me not to go after her. I wouldn’t have. You didn’t have to lie. I thought we were honest with one another.” Rachel shakes her head. What do you really know about her, huh? You think that just because you follow her around that you know her? When did you last speak with her?”

  “Stop.” Megan sharpens her tone.

  “How can you tell that she isn’t working for your mother? Or if your mother is even really her boss? Did you see Marianne today, Megan? Alex and Diego didn’t see her when they were captive. Now… Marianne is apparently living in the city, but your sister doesn’t know where. She works with her but coincidently now she can’t help us find her. How strange.”

  “What are you saying? My sister saved me today.”

  “Did she? Why didn’t she tell you weeks ago about working with them? Why didn’t she tell you the truth right away?”

  “Say what you want to say. Now.”

  “Megan, what if Sophie is working with them still? What if she only pretended to betray them, so she’d have your trust, and you’d bring her here? What if-”

  “Enough!” Megan shouts.

  Rachel shakes her head. Her eyes fill with water. There’s a first time for everything.

  “I trust my sister. If she’s not welcome here, then neither of us are staying!” Megan opens and slams the door behind her.

  ***

  Rachel moved to the basement with ánh. She set up an improvised bed there. Megan is staying with Sofie in their room. Sofie took off her contact lenses and put them in the trash.

  “Last pair. The blue is back for now.” Sofie looks at her sister. Sitting on her bed.

  “Sofie.”

  Sofie looks at her and goes nearer. Sits next to her. “What is it?”

  “You don’t really know where mum is, right? She didn’t tell you.”

  We had so many lunches on the street of her hotel. Nice neighborhood. Expensive. Focus, Sofie. Sofie puts her hand on her sister’s.

  “I don’t know where she lives. We only met at the factory.” Forget about her, Megan. It’s for the best. Marianne can only hurt you.

  “Why did you keep me in the dark? Even today. You had me thinking you hated me for a second there.”

  Sofie exhales loudly. “I didn’t know how you’d react. For years, I worked with Marianne. I worked with the people that hate you. I hated every second of it. Thinking that they killed father. That Marianne killed father.”

  “She didn’t.”

  “Megan, she did.”

  “No. They did, but she didn’t kill him.”

  “She didn’t pull the trigger, but she put the target on his back. If she had never gotten involved with any of them, dad would still be alive.”

  “I wouldn’t be in your lives if she hadn’t.”

  “You know what I meant, M. After you came to live with us, she should’ve found a way out for you. If Marianne had made the smart choice, Dad would still be with us. She didn’t. Here we are. I didn’t know how you’d react. Those people are dangerous. If they got there and suspected that you knew about something, they’d kill us both. I was also waiting for your abilities to come back.”

  “I think they are gone for good.” Megan looks away.

  Sofie hugs her tight, “they are not. We’ll do it together. Remember when you couldn’t control your ability? Who helped you?”

  Megan breaks the embrace and puts her hands on her sister’s face. “You.”

  “Us. Forever.” Sofie smiles.

  Megan finally sees her father’s eyes in her. The little that she had of Marianne was gone.

  ***

  Aymee stands in front of Marianne’s door. She knocks. No response. She knocks again. Several minutes go by and nothing. Aymee grabs her phone and calls Marianne. She hears the phone ringing on the other side of the door.

  Inside, Marianne lies unconscious in bed. A lethal mix of pills and alcohol.

  Aymee grabs a master card from her pocket and passes it on the key reader. The door opens, and she quietly goes in.

  “Marianne?” She closes the door behind her.

  Slowly, Aymee passes the hallway and sees Marianne on the bed. She reads her mind and sees everything that happened between the meeting and now. Marianne left the meeting, went to the lab to grab the pills, bought the bottle of vodka from the bar in the lobby. There was no hesitation.

  “Goddamn it, Marianne!” Aymee runs to her. Raises her head and calls her assistant while holding her.

  The hotel staff come and help her. They transport her to a level below in which a team of doctors pump her stomach. A few hours later, they tell Aymee that Marianne can be moved to her bedroom, but she can’t be alone. They should report that.

  “Don’t you close your eyes to so much worse?” Aymee tells them.

  Marianne lies on her bed. Slowly, she opens her eyes. She notices that Aymee is next to her.

  “I thought hell wasn’t real.” She softly says.

  Aymee helps her sit down and puts another pillow on her back.

  “That was a joke.”

  “Didn’t know you Nordics had a sense of humor.” Aymee shakes her head.

  “Mmm, and I thought Latinos had. Last thing I remember, I was here alone. How did you find me?”

  “I came here, knocked, you didn’t answer. Called, you didn’t answer. I used my master card.”

  “Why did you come here, Aymee?”

  “Hall told me to. I’m sure he had me followed. A few more minutes and I’ll get a call from him to report.”

  “To report on what?”

  “On whether you were part of your daughter’s betrayal or not.”

  Marianne slowly gets up, “I always suspected it. Never thought you’d admit it. You are Edward’s lapdog.”

  “I’m no one’s lapdog. Don’t try to leave, Marianne.”

  “It’s Dr. Olsen. Are you ordering me?”

  “If I ordered, you’d obey. No. I am asking you.”

  “No. Go ahead, Aymee. Read my mind. See if I knew about my daughter.”

  “I only came here because he followed me. I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t…”

  “No. You came here because you work for Edward. Always have. Since the beginning. You want to know. Read my mind.”

  “Mar… Dr. Olsen. I know you. I don’t need to read your mind.”

  Marianne laughs. “You know nothing about me, Aymee. You are nothing more than a spoiled child that goes around each room that she’s in acting like she owns it.”

  “Well, I do own it.” Aymee smiles. “When you were at the meeting and first found out the news. You were scared-”

  “Shut up, Aymee.” Marianne raises her finger and points at her.

  “Scared that your daughter…” Aymee gets out of the bed and stands in front of Marianne. “Megan. Killed Sofie-” Aymee pronounces it perfectly.

  “Get out of my head. You-”

  “Truly are a sociopath… Heartless.” Aymee’s voice breaks.

  “Aymee-” Marianne slowly gets up and faces her.

  “Stop what you are doing. Stop-” Aymee makes a pause waiting for Marianne to continue.

  “Reading my mind.”

  “I’m not reading your mind, Marianne. I’m not on your head.”

  Marianne flinches and her eyes open wider than before, “how many times-”

  “Have we had this conversation before?” Aymee turns her back.

  Marianne grabs her shoulder and pulls her, “You erased my memories.”