SETH (Book Four)

TWENTY

I stayed in my room for the past two days, and this vacation is slowing down time. I allowed Persephone to go with Effie and enjoy a water park close to the resort, another of Odin's projects called the Seven Seas Water Park. He wanted to match the Trident Resort.

I didn't go because knowing everyone was going meant Seth would be there. This is a family vacation with the Reids plus friends. It would be more awkward between Seth and me if I were to go. And now that his brothers seem to misunderstand, they will tease him, and I don't want to add more oil to their jokes when I'm around. The last thing I want for Seth is to be embarrassed.

Last night, Kendall sent me a confidential file on Persephone's DNA. I didn't get the chance to open it because of my emotional breakdown, so I used an excuse to stay behind and not be charmed by Effie's art of persuasion, which finally won over her.

I am sitting on the couch and opening up my laptop. I open up my email and click on the latest message. Kendall told me in the email that I should be prepared once I open. She had looked into it or was worried that the DNA sample I sent to Hector had taken too long for the result in my hands, which meant Persephone was no ordinary child. Eva took special care of her, and I want to know why.

My hands start to get clammy and shake. My heart is racing so suddenly. I'm looking to see who Persephone's mother is so I can reassure her before meeting her mother. I had to make sure she was legit and presume their reunion.

Hover the mouse over the file, click on it, and instantly, the document pops up on the screen as I read through every word on the results. Three columns show the information, the name of the child, and the parents. One column shows her biological father, Hugo Graves.

My whole body cringed at the name. I can't believe that bastard is Persephone's father. Of course, he could have fathered many children, one of which is Persephone. I see matching numbers from the Child column to the Father column.

Shit.

Next, I looked at the maternity section, and before I could see the numbers, I saw the name. On top of the section, I found the name of the mother.

"Theresa Young," I whisper the name. My heart races at an incredible speed to the point my chest hurts. Sister Agnes gave me the name given to me by Sister Agnes at the orphanage when I was a baby. "How...how can this be?"

I looked closer and reread the results repeatedly until my eyes hurt. I see the numbers that the child and mother share. It concludes with the same matching numbers.

"No," I put my laptop down and stood up, unaccepting this. I put my shaky hand over my mouth. The speed of my aching heart starts to thump harder.

My whole body is trembling, and I can feel something clogging build up in my throat. I rush to the bathroom and release the substance into the sink. I turn on the water to wash my mouth and splash a little on my face.

As the water runs, I look up in the mirror. I put an image in my head, remembering that night I saved Persephone. That night, I thought that child was me. Everything about her looked like me when I was with the Order. The hair, the eyes, and the same lost look as if the world betrayed her. Everything that the Order did to me did the same to her.

"Fuck!" I smash the mirror with my fist; broken pieces fall, and blood splatter.

The moment she came into my life when our eyes met, I only wanted to protect her and keep her in harm's way. To show her that the world didn't leave her to be tainted and broken. Everyone kept saying how much we look alike as siblings because we sometimes do things precisely the same. It is hard to believe that someone like Persephone would share some similarities. But it turns out...