Chapter 22 - Meredith’s Choice
Meredith entered the code.
A soft beep sounded.
Gabriel turned.
“What did you do?”
She backed away.
“Something I should’ve done before.”
Gabriel raised the gun.
Caleb moved between them.
“Don’t.”
Meredith looked at Caleb.
“The guesthouse is open.”
June ran.
Gabriel shouted.
“Stop her!”
Nobody moved.
June crossed the courtyard as police vehicles reached the front gate.
Inside the guesthouse, two nurses stood with their hands raised.
One whispered, “We were told the baby’s father was dangerous.”
June ignored her.
Elara lay in the crib.
Awake.
Alive.
June scooped her up.
The baby immediately began crying.
June pressed her cheek against Elara’s hair.
“I’ve got you.”
Back inside, Gabriel heard the cry through the open courtyard door.
His face changed.
He knew he had lost his leverage.
Police surrounded the estate.
Margaret sat perfectly still.
Victor raised his hands.
Evelyn moved toward Gabriel.
“Give Caleb the gun.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
“Please.”
“You’re choosing him again.”
“I’m choosing both of you.”
“You can’t.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn’s voice became firm.
“I should have done that thirty years ago.”
Gabriel’s eyes filled.
Caleb stood ten feet away.
He could hear Elara crying outside.
Every instinct told him to run to her.
But Gabriel still held the gun.
“Gabriel.”
His brother looked at him.
“I don’t forgive you.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“But I understand why you hate us.”
“Don’t.”
“I understand why you wanted the truth out.”
“Stop.”
“But you crossed the line when you used my daughter.”
Gabriel’s hand lowered slightly.
Caleb continued.
“You can blame Margaret for what she made you.”
Margaret scoffed.
Caleb looked at her.
“But what you do next belongs to you.”
Silence.
Then Meredith stepped forward.
“He’s right.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“You burned a baby.”
“Yes.”
Tears streamed down Meredith’s face.
“And I’ll spend the rest of my life knowing I did it.”
She looked toward Caleb.
“I can’t undo it.”
Then back at Gabriel.
“But I can stop doing worse things because someone else taught me fear.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
The gun lowered.
Police rushed in.
They restrained him.
Margaret was arrested moments later.
Meredith did not resist when officers cuffed her.
Before she was taken away, she looked at Caleb.
“Noah?”
“Alive.”
She closed her eyes in relief.
Then June entered carrying Elara.
Caleb ran to them.
He took his daughter carefully.
Elara buried her face against his chest.
May you like
He cried.
For the first time in years, Caleb Whitcomb stopped caring who saw.
