## CHAPTER 9 ## THE HUNT FOR THE MAN WHO STOLE THE FUTURE
The hospital alarm continued screaming.
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Red lights flashed across the hallway.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Security officers.
Everyone moved at once.
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But Marcus heard only one thing.
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"Someone tried to take the baby monitor."
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His child.
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His unborn son or daughter.
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The one innocent person who had never hurt anyone...
Was already being hunted.
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Marcus rushed toward Khloe.
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"Are you okay?"
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She nodded, but fear filled her eyes.
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"I'm fine."
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"No."
Marcus shook his head.
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"You're not fine."
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He looked around the hospital room.
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"Someone came here."
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"Someone who knew exactly where you were."
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Khloe reached for his hand.
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"Marcus."
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He looked at her.
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"We can't run forever."
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That sentence hit him.
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Because she was right.
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Running was how their families survived for decades.
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Hiding.
Keeping secrets.
Pretending the danger would disappear.
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It never did.
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Daniel entered the room.
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His expression was serious.
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"We found something."
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Marcus turned.
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"What?"
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Security footage appeared on his tablet.
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A person wearing hospital scrubs walked through the maternity wing.
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Face hidden.
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Badge stolen.
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Moving calmly.
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Too calmly.
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"They knew the layout."
Daniel said.
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"They knew the cameras."
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"They knew the security schedule."
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Marcus watched the video carefully.
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Then froze.
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"Stop."
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Daniel paused the footage.
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"What?"
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Marcus pointed.
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"The walk."
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Everyone looked.
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"The way he moves."
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A person could change clothes.
A person could hide a face.
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But movement was harder to fake.
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Marcus whispered:
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"I know him."
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Daniel frowned.
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"Who?"
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Marcus looked at the screen.
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"Someone who worked for my grandfather."
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The name came back.
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Dr. Warren Vale.
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"The doctor who signed Theodore's death certificate."
Daniel said.
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Marcus nodded.
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"He didn't just help him disappear."
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"He helped him continue."
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A new message appeared on Daniel's phone.
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Unknown number.
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One sentence.
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STOP LOOKING FOR ELENA PARKER.
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Daniel's face changed.
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Marcus noticed.
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"What is it?"
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Daniel handed him the phone.
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Another message appeared.
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OR YOU WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.
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Khloe stood.
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"My mother."
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Her voice broke.
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"They found her."
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Thirty minutes later...
Marcus gathered everyone in a private conference room.
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Khloe.
Daniel.
Evelyn.
A small security team.
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For the first time...
The enemies and victims of the same story sat together.
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Evelyn looked at Khloe.
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"I owe you an apology."
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Khloe stared at her.
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"For what?"
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"For every year you lost."
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The room went quiet.
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"I knew what Theodore was capable of."
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"I should have stopped him."
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Khloe looked away.
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"You protected the empire instead."
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Evelyn lowered her head.
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"Yes."
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Marcus placed the old photograph on the table.
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"Theodore said I was part of the plan."
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Everyone looked at him.
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"What does that mean?"
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Marcus stared at the picture.
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"I need to know what happened when I was a child."
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Evelyn looked uncomfortable.
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"Marcus..."
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"No."
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His voice was firm.
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"No more protecting me with lies."
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Finally...
Evelyn spoke.
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"When you were six years old, your grandfather tested something on you."
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Silence.
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Marcus felt numb.
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"What?"
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"Not dangerous."
Evelyn said quickly.
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"But unethical."
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"He wanted to prove that his theories could work."
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Marcus looked disgusted.
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"I was a child."
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"I know."
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"Your father found out."
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Evelyn continued.
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"That was the moment everything changed."
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Jonathan Thorne didn't steal the Parker research because he wanted money.
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He stole it because he wanted to continue Theodore's work.
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And when Richard Parker tried to stop him...
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He became a threat.
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Marcus stood.
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"So my father disappeared because he found out what happened to me?"
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Evelyn nodded.
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"Yes."
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Marcus turned away.
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The truth hurt differently this time.
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His father hadn't abandoned him.
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He had protected him.
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Then Daniel received another message.
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This one contained a location.
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A warehouse outside Phoenix.
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And one photo.
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Elena Parker.
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Alive.
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Tied to a chair.
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Khloe covered her mouth.
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"My mother..."
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Marcus immediately grabbed his jacket.
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"We're going."
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Daniel stopped him.
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"Marcus, this could be a trap."
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Marcus looked at him.
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"It is."
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A pause.
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"But we're going anyway."
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Two hours later...
The abandoned warehouse stood in the middle of nowhere.
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Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
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Marcus, Daniel, and their security team entered carefully.
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Every step echoed.
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Then a voice came through the speakers.
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"Family reunion."
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Marcus stopped.
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Theodore.
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The old man stepped out from the shadows.
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Older than his photograph.
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But still terrifying.
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Behind him...
Elena Parker sat restrained.
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Khloe gasped.
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"Mom."
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Elena looked up.
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Tears filled her eyes.
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"Khloe..."
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For the first time in decades...
Mother and daughter saw each other again.
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But Theodore wasn't interested in their reunion.
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He looked at Marcus.
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"You finally understand."
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Marcus stared.
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"You destroyed four families."
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Theodore smiled.
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"No."
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"I built the future."
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Marcus stepped forward.
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"You kidnapped my wife's mother."
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"You manipulated my family."
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"You experimented on a child."
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Theodore laughed.
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"And yet..."
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He looked at Marcus.
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"You became exactly what I predicted."
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Marcus froze.
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"What?"
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Theodore smiled.
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"You are the perfect combination."
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"The Thorne ambition."
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"The Parker intelligence."
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"And now your child will inherit both."
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Khloe moved protectively over her stomach.
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"You will never touch my baby."
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Theodore looked at her.
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"We'll see."
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Then the warehouse doors slammed shut.
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Metal locks engaged.
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The lights turned red.
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A countdown appeared on the wall.
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05:00
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Daniel looked around.
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"What is that?"
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Theodore smiled.
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"The final experiment."
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Marcus stared.
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"What did you do?"
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Theodore's eyes narrowed.
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"I created a choice."
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"Save Elena."
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"Save Khloe."
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"Or save yourself."
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The countdown continued.
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04:59
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And for the first time...
Marcus Thorne realized something terrifying.
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Theodore had never wanted the baby.
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He wanted to prove something.
May you like
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He wanted Marcus to become him.
