Charlotte stared at the two photos, her brow knit tight with worry.
Her grandmother had been more than a researcher. She was a carrier of the genetic mutation herself. Grandma must have known Mom inherited it too...
If she understood all that, why hadn’t she left the cure behind?
Anthony brushed aside a strand of Charlotte’s hair, his touch gentle as he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Now that we know Mrs. W is your grandmother, we can take our time finding the right catalyst. Don’t stress,” he whispered.
Something so important would never just disappear. Grandma had to have hidden it somewhere safe.
Otherwise, the people on the Isle of Veil wouldn’t have been searching for decades without any luck.
Charlotte traced the faces in the photo, her fingers lingering. She stayed quiet for a long while before finally murmuring, “Okay.”
Grandma hadn’t left any photos behind...
They would need to go through everything else she left.
“It’s late. Try to get some sleep. We’ll deal with the rest tomorrow,” Anthony said.
He gently smoothed her hair, then lifted her onto the bed and tucked her in.
“I’m right next door. If you need anything, just call me.”
They were at her grandpa’s house, after all. They weren’t married yet, so sharing a room wasn’t really an option.
“Alright,” Charlotte replied, blinking. The hint of loneliness on her pale, delicate face was hard to miss.
“Goodnight.”
Anthony leaned down and kissed her goodnight, a small smile on his lips as he left the room.
As soon as he was gone, Charlotte tossed off the covers and padded barefoot to her backpack. She pulled out a small white bottle, shook out two pills, and swallowed them.
After a moment, she added one more for good measure.
Out in the hallway, Samantha and her husband, along with Donald, Roger, and Kenneth, happened to be coming upstairs.


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