CHAPTER 7 – Ethan's Secret Was Never an Accident
Every phone in the mansion buzzed again.
The same message remained on every screen.
"Return the Phoenix Key... or Ethan dies next."
A cold silence filled the room.
Richard struggled to stand despite his wound.
"Take me instead."
No one answered.
Then...
The mansion's power shut off for the second time that night.
Emergency lights flickered red across the walls.
Suddenly, every television turned on.
A masked man appeared on the screen.
His face was hidden.
His voice was calm.
"Good evening, Whitmore family."
"You've spent years looking for me."
"You call me a criminal."
"But your family created me."
Amelia's heart nearly stopped.
"It can't be..."
The masked man slowly held up an old photograph.
It showed Richard's father...
Standing beside Harrison...
And a young scientist neither of them recognized.
Then the masked man laughed.
"You still haven't figured it out."
"Ethan isn't just Amelia's son."
"He's the final piece."
Richard shouted,
"What do you want?"
The man ignored him.
Instead, he looked directly into the camera.
"Ethan."
"Do you know why you survived every attempt to kill you?"
The little boy slowly shook his head.
"Because they weren't trying to kill you."
"They were protecting you."
Everyone stared in disbelief.
The masked man continued.
"When you were born..."
"...your DNA became the only biological key capable of activating Project Phoenix."
Harrison dropped the black key onto the floor.
"No..."
"It wasn't supposed to happen."
Amelia turned toward him in horror.
"You knew?"
Tears rolled down the old man's face.
"I swore I would never tell you."
"Your father secretly used his own grandson's DNA to lock Project Phoenix forever."
Richard's hands trembled.
"My father... used Ethan?"
"Not without permission," Harrison replied.
"Amelia agreed... because it was the only way to stop the weapon from falling into the wrong hands."
Amelia collapsed into a chair.
"I thought the files were destroyed."
"They were."
"But the activation code..."
She looked at Ethan.
"...has been inside him since the day he was born."
At that exact moment...
A loud explosion shook the mansion.
The front gates were blown completely off their hinges.
Dozens of black armored vehicles stormed onto the estate.
Masked soldiers surrounded the house within seconds.
A deep voice echoed through giant speakers outside.
"You have five minutes."
"Hand over Ethan..."
"...or no one leaves this mansion alive."
Then, through the shattered front doors...
A tall man dressed in a black military coat slowly walked inside.
The room froze.
May you like
Harrison whispered in terror.
"God help us... The Ghost of Phoenix has finally come home."
