Chapter 8 — The Father Emily Never Knew

PART 1

The name remained in Emily's mind.

Her father.

A person she had spent her entire life never knowing.

For twenty-two years…

Everyone had talked about Evelyn Carter.

The genius scientist.

The founder of Astra Foundation.

The woman who changed the world.

But nobody had ever talked about the man beside her.

The man who created a daughter with her.

The man whose existence had been completely erased.

After Adrian revealed the truth…

Emily did not ask another question.

Not because she accepted it.

Because she needed time.

For the first time in ten years…

She was facing a truth she had never prepared for.

Her entire investigation had been built around one person.

Her mother.

But now she realized something.

Maybe Evelyn Carter was not the beginning of the story.

Maybe she was only one part of it.

The next morning.

Emily returned to Sterling Tower.

Adrian was already waiting.

This time…

There was no coffee.

No polite conversation.

Only a file.

Emily looked at it.

“His name?”

Adrian nodded.

“Yes.”

She opened the file.

The first page was almost empty.

Only one name.

Alexander Carter.

Emily stared.

“My father.”

“Yes.”

“Why have I never heard of him?”

Adrian remained silent for several seconds.

Then:

“Because the world was never supposed to know he existed.”

Alexander Carter.

Unlike Evelyn.

He was not famous.

He rarely appeared in public.

He did not give interviews.

He did not attend business events.

Most people believed Evelyn Carter built Astra alone.

But the truth was different.

“Your father was one of the original founders of Astra.”

Emily looked up.

“One of the founders?”

“Yes.”

“Then why was his name removed?”

Adrian looked at the file.

“Because after Astra became successful…”

“Alexander disappeared.”

Emily frowned.

“Disappeared?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Before you were born.”

Adrian continued.

Twenty-five years ago.

Before Astra became the world's most advanced private research organization…

There were three people who created it.

Evelyn Carter.

Alexander Carter.

And another person.

Emily's eyes narrowed.

“Who?”

Adrian looked at her.

“The third founder was Nathaniel Voss.”

The room became silent.

Again.

Nathaniel Voss.

The name appeared everywhere.

The scientist.

The survivor.

The missing man.

The person connected to every secret.

Emily looked at Adrian.

“So my mother, my father, and Nathaniel Voss created Astra together.”

“Yes.”

“And then everything collapsed.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Adrian answered:

“Because one of them betrayed the others.”

Emily closed the file.

“Which one?”

Adrian did not answer.

That was the answer.

Nobody knew.

Later that day.

Emily returned to the Reed mansion.

Nathaniel was waiting.

She placed the file on the table.

“You knew about Alexander Carter.”

Nathaniel looked at the file.

His expression changed.

Only slightly.

But Emily noticed.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

Nathaniel was silent.

Then:

“Because your mother didn't want you to know.”

Emily's expression became cold.

“Again.”

“She didn't want me to know.”

“She wanted to protect me.”

“She wanted to hide everything.”

A pause.

“But why?”

Nathaniel looked at her.

“Because your father was not just a scientist.”

“What was he?”

Nathaniel answered:

“He was the reason Astra became dangerous.”

Emily stared.

“Explain.”

Nathaniel sat down.

“Alexander Carter discovered something.”

“What?”

“The ability to predict human decisions.”

Emily frowned.

“That sounds impossible.”

“It was.”

Nathaniel looked at her.

“Until it wasn't.”

Project Genesis.

The name appeared again.

But this time…

The meaning was different.

It was not about changing humans.

It was about understanding them.

Human behavior.

Human choices.

Human weaknesses.

A system capable of analyzing patterns and predicting actions.

A technology that could change:

Business.

Politics.

Security.

Everything.

Emily's expression changed.

“That is why people wanted it.”

“Yes.”

“That is why Astra was destroyed.”

“Yes.”

Nathaniel looked at her.

“Your father believed the technology was too dangerous.”

“He wanted to destroy it.”

Emily became still.

“My mother disagreed?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Nathaniel's voice lowered.

“Someone else disagreed.”

Before Emily could ask more…

A message arrived.

Unknown Number.

Not Nathaniel Voss this time.

A new sender.

The message contained only one sentence:

Your father is still alive.

Emily froze.

PART 2

The message changed everything.

Again.

Emily stared at the screen.

Alive.

A word she had heard too many times recently.

Her mother.

Nathaniel Voss.

And now…

Her father.

She immediately replied.

Who are you?

No answer.

Only a location.

An old research facility.

Outside Westbridge.

Nathaniel saw the message.

His expression changed.

“Don't go.”

Emily looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because it is a trap.”

“You don't know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

Nathaniel stopped.

Too late.

Emily noticed.

“You know the place.”

Silence.

“Nathaniel.”

He looked away.

“Yes.”

The abandoned research facility.

Twenty years ago.

Astra's first experimental laboratory.

Before the foundation moved to Blackridge Valley.

Before Project Genesis.

Before everything.

Emily and Nathaniel arrived together.

She noticed.

He followed.

Not because she asked.

Because he was worried.

Inside.

The building was empty.

But not abandoned.

The equipment was old.

Yet maintained.

Someone had been here recently.

Emily walked deeper.

Then stopped.

A wall.

Covered with photographs.

Her mother.

Her father.

Nathaniel Voss.

And herself.

As a child.

Emily froze.

“This place…”

Nathaniel looked around.

“This was your father's laboratory.”

A hidden door opened.

Inside was a small room.

No computers.

No weapons.

Only documents.

And one recording device.

Emily pressed play.

A man's voice appeared.

For the first time…

She heard her father's voice.

“Evelyn.”

“If you are watching this…”

“It means I failed.”

Emily froze.

The voice was calm.

Warm.

Different from the people around her.

“I know you will try to protect Emily.”

“But hiding the truth will only delay the inevitable.”

A pause.

“She deserves to know who she is.”

Emily's breathing slowed.

The recording continued.

“Emily…”

“If you are listening…”

“I am sorry.”

Her eyes changed.

Because this was the first time someone from her past spoke directly to her.

“I never left because I didn't love you.”

“I left because someone wanted to use you to complete Genesis.”

Emily stepped closer.

“Complete?”

The recording continued.

“Your mother believed Project Genesis was dangerous.”

“But she was wrong about one thing.”

“It was never about technology.”

“It was about inheritance.”

A pause.

“The person who inherits Genesis…”

“Will control the future.”

The recording ended.

Emily remained silent.

Nathaniel watched her.

Then the device suddenly activated again.

A hidden final message appeared.

Not Alexander's voice.

Another voice.

Nathaniel Voss.

“Emily Carter.”

Everyone froze.

Voss's voice continued.

“If you are hearing this…”

“It means you found your father's laboratory.”

“Good.”

“Because now you are ready to know the truth.”

A pause.

“Your father did not die.”

“He chose to disappear.”

Emily's eyes widened.

“Why?”

The recording answered:

“Because he discovered the person who betrayed Astra.”

Silence.

Then:

“And that person…”

“Was someone you know.”

The recording ended.

Emily looked at Nathaniel.

Then at the empty room.

Someone she knew.

Someone close.

Someone connected to Astra.

PART 3

That night.

The entire Westbridge business world was preparing for another event.

The Legacy Challenge continued.

But behind the entertainment.

A silent war was beginning.

Valkyrie Entertainment.

Vivian Cross watched the latest episode statistics.

Emily Carter's popularity continued increasing.

But something bothered her.

Emily was no longer simply a contestant.

She had become a symbol.

A symbol people wanted to understand.

Her assistant entered.

“Miss Cross.”

“Yes?”

“We found something strange.”

Vivian looked up.

“What?”

“The show's investor records.”

“And?”

“There is an anonymous investor.”

“Who?”

The assistant hesitated.

“We couldn't trace it.”

Vivian frowned.

“Nothing is impossible to trace.”

“This one is different.”

A pause.

“The investment was made through a company that no longer exists.”

Vivian became serious.

“What company?”

The assistant placed a document down.

“Astra Holdings.”

Vivian stared at the name.

For the first time…

Her confidence disappeared.

Meanwhile.

Emily returned to the Reed mansion.

She sat alone.

The documents surrounded her.

Alexander Carter.

Evelyn Carter.

Nathaniel Voss.

Project Genesis.

Too many secrets.

Too many lies.

Then Nathaniel entered.

“You found him.”

Emily looked up.

“You mean my father?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

Her expression changed.

“How much?”

Nathaniel remained silent.

Emily stood.

“You knew he was alive?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Nathaniel looked at her.

“I knew he disappeared.”

“Same thing.”

“No.”

His voice became serious.

“There is a difference.”

“What difference?”

Nathaniel answered:

“Dead people leave memories.”

“Missing people leave questions.”

Emily looked at him.

“Do you know where he is?”

Nathaniel did not answer immediately.

That was enough.

She stepped closer.

“You do.”

A long silence.

Then:

“I know where he was last seen.”

“Where?”

Nathaniel looked at her.

“Blackridge Valley.”

The place where Astra burned.

The place where everything began.

Before Emily could respond…

The lights suddenly went out.

The entire mansion became dark.

Security alarms activated.

Nathaniel immediately moved.

Someone had entered.

Emily grabbed the nearest object.

Not afraid.

Prepared.

A shadow appeared in the hallway.

Then a voice.

“You really did become like your mother.”

Emily froze.

Because she recognized the voice.

Nathaniel Voss.

The lights returned.

But the hallway was empty.

Only one thing remained.

A file.

On the cover:

ALEXANDER CARTER — FINAL RECORD

Emily opened it.

The first sentence made her blood run cold.

Your father did not disappear to protect you.

He disappeared because he was the one who created Genesis.

Emily stared.

The truth changed again.

Her father was not only a victim.

He might have been the beginning.

At that moment…

Her phone received one final message.

Unknown Number.

This time:

A photo.

A man standing in the snow-covered mountains of Blackridge Valley.

Older.

But alive.

Emily recognized him immediately.

Alexander Carter.

Her father.

And beneath the photo:

Come find me.

But before you do…

Ask yourself one question.

Can you forgive the person who created the reason your mother died?

Emily looked at the photo.

For twenty-two years…

She thought she was searching for answers.

Now she realized…

She was searching for her family.

And her family…

Might be the reason everything was destroyed.