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Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 81
81 Carmen, who had been hovering near the door, nodded quickly and hurried off without a word. Olivia’s attention shifted back to Zara, who was still standing by the foot of the bed, her face pale and troubled. “You heard him, right mom?” Olivia said, her voice low and serious. “Do you understand what’s at stake here?” Zara nodded, though she didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know, Olivia. I just… this feels wrong. I mean, a leech?” “I don’t care what it feels like,” Olivia shot back, her eyes flashing with a sharpness that sent a chill down her mother’s spine. “We’re doing this because Odile is in danger. Don’t forget that. Now, help Carmen if you can, or just wait here. But we need to get everything.” Zara nodded again, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Olivia talk to me with respect!” She yelled furiously then calmed down and said, “Okay, I’ll go check with the maids. But this… it’s all so strange.” Olivia’s gaze softened for a moment, a hint of weariness in her eyes. “I kn
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 82
82Dylan took a deep breath, his focus sharp as he prepared for the delicate procedure. He had already sterilized the tools and set the teapot near the edge of the table. With a steady hand, he grabbed a scalpel and made a precise cut along the side of Odile’s neck, just beneath her jawline. The incision was shallow, but it was enough to allow for the leech to do its work.“Hold still,” Dylan murmured, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. He gently wiped the blood from the wound, ensuring it wouldn’t interfere with the procedure.Olivia stood frozen, her eyes wide with worry as she watched him work. Zara, standing just beside her, couldn’t tear her gaze away either, her hand clutching Olivia’s arm in a grip that spoke of her anxiety.Once the cut was made, Dylan reached for the teapot, where the leech had been soaking. He removed it carefully, the creature curling slightly as it was lifted from the hot water. It had been prepared just so, its temperature now perfect
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 83
83A few minutes later, a subtle transformation began to take place. Odile’s pale skin, which had been a sickly grayish hue, slowly regained color, returning to a more natural tone. Her lips, once a lifeless, blue-tinged shade, now blossomed into a soft, healthy pink. The change was unmistakable.The room fell silent as all eyes were drawn to Odile’s miraculous recovery. The tension in the air was thick with disbelief, awe, and confusion. Gasps echoed from every corner of the room, a collective sound of astonishment that seemed to reverberate off the walls.Olivia, still standing at the bedside, instinctively covered her mouth with her trembling hands. Her heart hammered in her chest, unsure of what she was seeing. Was this really happening? She couldn’t fathom how Dylan, the quiet, unassuming figure, had achieved what none of the world’s best doctors had been able to. Her eyes never left Odile as the little girl breathing grew even steadier, and a faint color returned to her cheeks.
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 84
84Lucas stood at the threshold of the room, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his face a mask of fury. The veins in his neck were visible as his breathing deepened with every passing second, and his eyes were narrowed, burning into Dylan. His lips were pressed into a thin, hard line. There was no relief, no sense of gratitude in his expression. Instead, there was a coldness, a distance, that sent a chill down Olivia’s spine.“Are you seriously standing there like everything is fine?” Olivia’s voice rang out, filled with a mix of confusion and growing concern. She rose from her seat, her hands clenched at her sides, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Lucas, this is a miracle! She’s alive. She’s healing, and you’re standing there looking like you’re about to explode. Can’t you see that?”Lucas didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. His gaze remained fixed firmly on Dylan, his jaw clenched so tight it seemed like his teeth might break. His posture was rigid, as though he were tryin
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 85
85Olivia’s pulse quickened as the pieces began to click together. She had noticed something—something about Lucas’s behavior had always seemed off, like he was hiding something, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it until now. She glanced at him, her voice trembling slightly. “Lucas… are you telling me you knew what was going on? You knew Odile was being poisoned, and you didn’t tell anyone?”Lucas’s eyes flared with a flash of anger, but there was also something else—a glimmer of guilt, a shadow of a deeper, darker truth. He shifted uncomfortably under Olivia’s gaze, and for the first time, Dylan saw him break.“Alright, fine,” Lucas muttered, his voice low, resigned. “I knew. But what was I supposed to do about it? I couldn’t exactly come out and say, ‘Hey, I think someone’s poisoning her,’ and look like an idiot.” He let out a bitter laugh, his eyes flitting to the floor. “You have no idea what it’s like, okay? How everyone looks at you when you’re the one who knows, but you
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 86
86 Dylan’s voice broke the silence in the room, low and steady, carrying an air of gravity that seemed to weigh the walls down. “She’s been poisoned for over a month.” The words hung in the air like a thick fog, suffocating everything around them. “The doses were small at first, but in the last three days, the amount has tripled.”Olivia’s pulse thudded in her ears as the room seemed to spin. Her stomach lurched. Poisoned? Her mind raced, trying to wrap around the idea, but it couldn’t seem to hold on to it. She stared at Dylan, her eyes wide in disbelief, her voice barely a whisper. “You mean someone… deliberately tried to kill her?”Dylan nodded gravely, his expression unreadable. His eyes locked with hers, and for the first time, Olivia saw the weight of the truth in them. “Not just her,” he added, his voice thick with the kind of pain that came from knowing too much. “You too, Olivia.”A sharp gasp escaped Olivia’s lips, and she staggered back a step. Her breath hitched, and she
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 87
87The silence in the room was deafening, pressing in on them like a vice. Everyone’s breath was held in suspense, waiting for someone—anyone—to break it.And then Dylan did.His voice was quiet, but the weight behind his words was crushing. His gaze locked onto Lucas, unyielding and cold.“It was you.”The impact of those three words was immediate. The room erupted into chaos.“What the hell are you talking about?” Lucas’s face twisted with fury, his voice a sharp bark as he slammed his fist against the table. The sound cracked through the room like thunder, making Olivia jump.Zara let out a strangled gasp, and Lewis’s face drained of all color. Olivia’s heart pounded against her ribs, and for a moment, she could hardly breathe.Lucas…?No. No, it couldn’t be.“You lying bastard!” Lucas snarled, his chest rising and falling heavily. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. “How dare you accuse me of something so—so disgusting?!”Olivia felt her knees weaken, and s
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 88
88 Dylan glanced at her, his face unreadable. “Be vigilant. Watch everyone. And trust no one.” His eyes flickered briefly to Lucas, who was still standing by the window, his back turned to them. The meaning was clear. Olivia’s stomach twisted as she realized the full extent of what Dylan was saying. Lucas wasn’t just a suspect. He was dangerous. Dr. Everett, who had been silent this whole time, finally stepped forward. His sharp eyes settled on Zara and Lewis, his tone firm. “You two.” Zara frowned. “What?” Dr. Everett’s expression was unreadable. “Thank him.” Lewis’s face twisted. “For what?” Dr. Everett’s gaze didn’t waver. “For saving your daughter’s life of course.” Zara and Lewis exchanged a look. It was clear neither of them wanted to do it. But after a tense pause, Zara exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. “…Fine.” She turned to Dylan, her voice begrudging. “Thanks, I guess.” Lewis mumbled something similar, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Dylan b
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221: The Future in Flame “I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t.” Dylan nodded. “Then let’s burn the world down.” He typed the command. A loading bar began to climb. Lilith stepped up beside him and pulled a drive from her coat—sleek, unlabeled, humming softly. “My code’s on here,” she said. “It’ll mimic the framework of Ignis Core perfectly. I’ve even embedded some of your old code from before you joined Ash. They’ll think it’s legit. Familiar. But once it activates… recursive detonation.” She handed it to him. He plugged it in. The system blinked. Code spilled across the screen—lines upon lines of luminous, perfect deception. Lilith crossed her arms as she watched. “We’ve got one shot at this.” Dylan didn’t look away from the screen. “Then we make it count.” The lights dimmed for a moment as the system initiated a shadow crawl—spreading the false Ignis Core like a virus in slow motion. Unseen. Waiting. When it was done, Dylan stood back, eyes cold. “Now we wait for them
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220 Another pause. Then the faint sound of typing. “You want a paper trail?” “I want everything. Timeline?” “Standard turnaround is three days—” “Yesterday,” she cut in coldly. “I want to know everything.” The line stayed quiet for another beat, then the voice softened just a little. “Got it. I’ll be in touch.” Jane hung up before he could say anything else. She stood still for a moment, the city buzzing around her, oblivious. The ache in her cheek was fading now. But something else was forming beneath it. A plan. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. She might not have been the mother Molly needed—but she was still the sharpest weapon in the room. And it was time to cut through the lies. **** “God, that hurt,” Jane muttered under her breath, wincing as she touched her cheek again. Jane exhaled slowly, tucking the phone into her coat. Her fingers were trembling slightly, but not from fear. Anticipation. She turned to herself, muttering quietly, “Let them play the her
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219 Jane was a good actress.Always had been.The tears never came when they were supposed to, and yet she could conjure them on command. A trembling voice, a haunted look, a furious, grieving mother storming into the middle of someone else’s crisis like she owned it—she wore the mask well. She always had.She could remember the first time she learned how useful a lie could be. She was ten, maybe eleven. Her father had forgotten to pick her up from piano class. Again. When she walked home alone, cold and soaked from the rain, her mother demanded to know why she hadn’t called.“I dropped the phone,” Jane had said. “It broke.”Not true. Not even close.But her mother had sighed, pulled her into a towel, and mumbled something about how her father never remembered the important things. That day, Jane realized that people didn’t want the truth. They wanted a version of it they could live with.Molly’s disappearance? Tragic, yes. Maddening, of course. But gut-wrenching?Not exactly.She fe
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218Her cheek was on fire.The skin throbbed beneath her fingertips, every heartbeat pumping more heat into the wound Lilith had left. Jane could feel the swelling already—tight and raw, as if a thousand needles were pricking her at once. Her ears rang from the sound of the slap, but louder still was the pounding of her own pride, screaming at her that she couldn’t—wouldn’t—let this end with her standing there, humiliated.No.Not like this.Not with Dylan between them, not with Lilith standing there looking like some righteous, self-important goddess. Not when her cheek was burning like it was trying to peel off her damn face.Jane’s eyes locked on Lilith—and without a second thought, without hesitation or grace, she struck.Her hand shot out fast and furious, an explosion of motion that cracked across Lilith’s face with a sickening sound. Her palm connected hard, and the impact shuddered down her arm like a jolt.Lilith’s head snapped to the side. Her hair, half-loose from the earli
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217Jane’s chest heaved, her breath coming fast and shallow. Her eyes burned—wild, furious, and unrelenting. She pointed a shaking finger at Dylan, voice trembling but loud enough to draw the attention of a passing couple across the street.“I left you, Dylan. You. Not Molly.”Her voice dropped, turning venomous and precise, like she was lashing each syllable across his face. “Both of you were the chains wrapped around my neck. You—some pathetic, broke, useless excuse of a man. A man with no future, no plan, no spine. Every day I spent in that house was like dying slowly. I did the right thing leaving. And guess what? I’m better for it. Stronger. Smarter. And soon, I’ll be a very rich woman. Not just locally. Not just nationally. Internationally. Bobby’s making it happen.”Dylan blinked, once, then twice. For a second he said nothing, just looked at her—really looked at her. At the expensive earrings, the glossy lipstick, the clothes tailored to perfection. All the glitter piled on to
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216 “I left Molly,” she whispered. “I left her behind. I thought she’d be better off without the mess I was making. I thought Dylan—God—he was supposed to protect her.” “I think he’s been trying,” Lisa said softly. “But he’s hiding something. Maybe a lot of things.” “And he brought Lilith into this,” Jane muttered. “Of course he did. Of course.” There was venom in her voice when she said Lilith’s name. Jane had met the woman twice—both times by accident, and both times left her with the distinct impression that Lilith was a wolf smiling in a fur coat. Jane’s breathing became shallow. She looked around her kitchen like she was searching for something to punch. The cabinets were too sturdy. The walls were too silent. “She’s just a little girl,” Jane said, her voice cracking. “She still calls bees ‘buzzies’ and thinks thunder means God’s bowling. How the hell could he keep this from me?” Lisa didn’t speak. “I’m going to find him,” Jane said suddenly, moving. Her voice was low and
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215Her hand slowly dropped from her cheek. “You’re talking about her like she’s a monster.”“She’s not,” Dylan said. “She’s human. But that doesn’t make her a mother.”A long silence stretched between them.Lilith said nothing, letting the space breathe, letting the weight of truth settle.Lisa looked at her, and for once, there was no bite in her voice. Just a raw kind of confusion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”Lilith looked back evenly. “Because you were too busy setting the stage.”Lisa’s lip trembled. “I didn’t know…”“No,” Dylan said, softer now. “You didn’t want to know.”He stepped past her then, toward the street, toward whatever came next. He was done with the confrontation. Done with the theater. There were more important things to do.Molly needed him.Lilith followed without a word, falling into step beside him.Lisa stood in the middle of the sidewalk, surrounded by the remnants of her own performance—watchers gone, the spotlight faded.She was alone now.And the weight of
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214 Infact it was her shady car buyers and Dylan mistook them as people there to try to kill him. “Who are they?” Lilith asked. Lisa didn’t answer. She turned back to Dylan instead. “Don’t play dumb. Don’t pretend you’re in danger. You’re not the victim here. You never have been.” “Then what’s the show for?” Lilith asked. “I told you,” Lisa snapped. “People deserve to know what kind of man he is.” “People already think they know,” Lilith said. “You’re just hammering it in. Why now? Why here? What’s happening that you don’t want anyone to see?” Lisa’s jaw clenched. She took another step back. But Dylan had already started mentally mapping the exit points. The alley to their right. The cafe entrance. The fire escape four buildings down. He wasn’t just seeing Lisa anymore—he was reading the whole board. This wasn’t random. And the moment he’d seen her, standing there with her coat too perfect, voice too loud, eyes too bright, he’d known. It was all wrong. It wasn’t grief or
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213“She finally divorced you,” Lisa said, the words slicing the air like glass. Her voice was calmer now, but only because she knew she’d drawn blood. “Finally. And thank God she did. Jane is building a life now—a future. Something you would have ruined if she’d stayed. You dragged her down long enough.”The words settled over the sidewalk like ash. A few onlookers had stopped, heads turning, phones subtly raised. The city had its own rhythm—cars hissing by on wet asphalt, neon lights flickering in windows—but all of it dimmed under Lisa’s voice.Dylan stood frozen for a beat too long. His hands curled into fists, not out of anger, but restraint. His heart pounded like a war drum behind his ribs. He wanted to yell, to peel back her lies in front of everyone, to lay out the complexities of what had really happened—what Jane had chosen to ignore, what she had run from long before any betrayal.But he knew how this would look.Lisa always knew how to hold a stage. How to paint herself i
