Page 24 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“It was easier to bury it than have those of less power start to panic. It’s helped in a way. To keep bloodlines pure, I mean.”

“How so?”

“Well… if someone suddenly pops up with another male in their family, we know it’s not through their bloodline. We know they are lying to us.”

“Does anyone else know the full extent?” I ask.

“Only those who need to,” he says. “It is not widely discussed for obvious reasons.”

I nod slowly.

“And Fisher?”

“What about him?”

“Did he have access to the protocol?”

“The medical archive is restricted,” my father’s gaze sharpens slightly. “Why?”

“He’s been collecting data,” I reply carefully. “What if he was somehow running tests on genetics? Or gender? Or fuck, I don’t know… the notes he had in this file,” I tap the one with the diary entries of the girls, “are written like a clinical study.”

“If he is, it’s not authorised,” Dad responds with a frown.

Silence settles around us. I don’t care about legacy politics. I don’t care about eighty-year-old injections or founders trying to engineer succession like a breeding programme. The only part of this that matters to me is what it means right now. If male heirs are that rare, if they are that valuable, then a potential pregnancy isn’t just a private moment between lovers.

It’s motive.

And that means Fae isn’t just missing. She’s an asset. I don’t need to chase genetic theory or understand the science to know that I need her home before anyone realises exactly how valuable she might be.

“If she is pregnant,” Dad speaks eventually, “and if Fisher has even the slightest suspicion… son, this is a problem.”

“I’m handling it,” I snap.

“We will handle this,” he counters. “But you will not storm in blind. You will not act alone again.”

“I didn’t act blindly.”

“You killed a politically advantageous asset.”

“I eliminated a threat.”

“Be careful, Roman,” he sighs. “There are layers to this you don’t yet see.”

“Do you?” I bark. “You’ve only just been informed about one founder and a council member collaborating on a sex trafficking ring.”

I meet his gaze without blinking as I stand up and gather the remaining papers from his desk. Whilst I may have learnt something today, it didn’t bring me closer to Fae. My only hope is that Dad can use his connections to help me bring her home. Do I really believe she’s pregnant? I don’t know. But I do know that every single founder is hung up on male heirs and he will do just about anything to make sure his future legacy isn’t dead somewhere.

“I’ll send you the encrypted file,” I say. “If you find anything before I do, tell me.”

“You will be informed of what is necessary?—”

“That’s not good enough,” I cut in.

“Careful,” he warns as his lips thin slightly.

“I’m done being careful.”

We stand there measuring each other, not as father and son, but two businessmen evaluating the risk of working together. Finally, he nods.