A beat passed.
“It used to not bother you either.”
Colton’s voice, weeks earlier. Disdain curling off his tongue.
“People grow up,” Gideon had shot back. “And they grow a conscience.”
He pushed the memory aside. Focused.
“And Sebastian?”
Christian straightened. Barely, but enough.
“He’s not on the books,” he said. “Not tied to the business officially. But something’s off.”
Leo stepped forward. “He’s been watching Arden. Digging into her past—old jobs, addresses, contacts. Even following trails in Morgantown.”
Heat uncoiled in Gideon’s chest, not panic. Not fear.
Something heavier. Tighter.
A warning before the wire snaps.
His jaw ticked. “And?”
Leo didn’t answer right away. His silence stretched.
“It’s not just Arden.”
The words landed like a punch to the ribs.
“He’s accessed old Blackwell trial records, cases tied to those medical facilities your grandfather shut down decades ago.”
Westchester.
The name alone sent something cold sliding through Gideon’s bloodstream.
“Sebastian’s been visiting the site. Deliveries. Security personnel. Refrigeration units…” Leo’s eyes met his. “Something’s happening there.”
Gideon’s jaw tightened. He remembered those facilities, his grandfather halting Evelyn’s so-called research when the lawsuits poured in. Injuries. Deaths. Human experimentation parading as innovation. Even the Blackwell name couldn’t scrub that stain clean.
“Bishop needs to see this,” Gideon said, voice low but sure. “But not yet. If the feds move too soon?—”
“—Evelyn will bury it.” Leo nodded. “Understood. I’ll keep her cautious, but out of the loop.”
Gideon turned to Christian. “I want surveillance on the Westchester facilities. Eyes on Sebastian. And check Arden’s coverage—if there are any weak points, I want them closed.”
Christian nodded once, sharp and silent. “Already on it.”
As they exited,the silence that fell over the room was suffocating.
The storm wasn’t cominganymore; it was here.
In the walls.
In the blood.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Arden.
