The Last Shadow (Shadows and Strings #3)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Damien

Lately, I’ve been so wrapped up in my own chaos that I’ve forgotten to properly acknowledge my sister—and my technology—both of whom deserve a little more attention.

I stroll into Serenity House with a smile on my face, looking like a loving brother without a care in the world and honestly, I have very few. Frankie is in a vulnerable state, exactly where I want her after the fire that destroyed her home, and my technology is working better than expected.

What more could a man ask for?

Oh, I know. Revenge. Pay back. Justice.

I stop in the doorway of Olivia’s room to see that the doctor was right. She’s doing much better than the last time I saw her. My sister is sitting upright in her wheelchair, smiling as she gazes at the ocean in the distance. “Olivia, hey.”

Her eyes light up with surprise as she turns to me, and I feel a flicker of surprise myself.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” I lean in and grasp the back of her wheelchair. I navigate through the hallway and out the door, pushing the chair down the winding path until the ocean is in view and we can feel the breeze on our skin. “Your progress is incredible. How does it feel?” I can hardly believe this is the same girl who’s been silent, absent and still for all these years.

Her lips twist into a smile, and I think she’s feeling pretty good about herself. It’s a pleasant change from her usual silence. Her color is better now, and she seems more alive. It’s hard to believe this is happening. Finally.

I take a seat on the bench at the viewpoint and absorb the splendor of the day. And Olivia.

Thoughts whirl in my head, a mix of fear, excitement and the delightful buzz of adrenaline. Tired? Not me. I thrive on the chaos, on the pieces falling into place, each one a minor victory in my twisted game of justice.

Dr. Atkins steps up, interrupting my visit and I’m a little surprised by his audacity. This should have been a private moment between me and my sister.

“Mr. Wolfe, I’ve been monitoring the responses of Olivia, and they are incredible. This is more than I hoped to expect this soon. How is your conversation going?” He’s clutching a tablet, showcasing a collection of her brain scans.

“Have you been listening to me? I told you my conversations with my sister are private.” I stand, ready to take this guy on.

“Oh, no, Mr. Wolfe,” he says quickly. “I can’t hear a thing you’re talking about. I can only see the results on the screen. Don’t you worry about that. I know how important your privacy is to you and Olivia.”

“Good,” I answer easily. “I’m happy you understand how imperative it is to protect our privacy.”

Atkins nods. “Definitely, sir. Now before you leave, I’d like to talk to you about what we’ve found and the progress we’re making. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure. I’ll find you when we go back inside.”

“Of course,” he nods, his gaze already fixed back on the tablet. “Enjoy the remainder of your visit.”

I turn back to my sister, looking at her closely. She seems so much more at peace, less haunted, but can that really be true? Her ability to speak again doesn’t erase the demons she’s battled for years. Does it?

I grab the handles on the wheelchair again and start walking back to her room. When we get there, I place her in front of the window, noticing more paintings on the wall from Chelsea.

I kneel in front of her and ask, “Olivia, are you happy with the progress?” I need to know that this is what she wants, that dedicating my life to her recovery hasn’t been in vain.

For a long time, she doesn’t respond. She doesn’t even acknowledge that she hears me, and instantly, panic rises. Is her progress just a fluke? Finally, she sighs and nods. “Yes,” she says, her voice strained but clear. The light in her eyes is back. I’m so overwhelmed right now that I have to fight back tears.

I let out a long breath. “Okay. Good. That’s really good, Olivia.” This isn’t how I imagined conversations with my sister would be at this point in our lives, but it’s more than I expected. I lean back against the chair, filling her in on my life, knowing she’s absorbing every detail.

After a while, she yawns, and I reluctantly rise to my feet.

“You’re tired, and I should let you rest.” I glance at my watch, realizing how much longer I’ve stayed than I planned. Gently, I run my hand through her hair and sigh. “This is so incredible, Olivia.” I bend down, bringing us eye to eye. “Keep up the great work.” I kiss her cheek and pull her into a hug.

“They…know.” The words come out in a whisper, strained and deliberate.

They know?

“What?” My heart skips a beat. “Who knows, Olivia? What do they know? Who’s they ?” I grab her arm, desperate for answers. “Olivia!” Her eyes widen with fear and I pull back immediately. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

FUCK!

A nurse pops her head in. “Everything okay in here?”

I nod to reassure her. “Yep, just got a little excited at my sister’s progress.” As soon as she’s gone, I turn back to my sister with a serious expression. “Olivia, who knows? What do they know? I need a name, something. Please.”

Her expression is blank. Shit, shit shit. Did I send my sister back into darkness? I know better than pushing her now, no matter how badly I want answers.

Who knows and what the fuck do they know?

I give her another hug and walk out of her room heading straight to the front of Serenity House. I walk with purpose, my mind buzzing. I need answers.

The head of security looks up as I approach, his eyes wide. “Mr. Wolfe, how may I help you?”

“Has anyone other than me or Dr. Atkins been here to see Olivia?”

The guard taps at his tablet, scrolling through the log. “Let me check the visitor tracking system for you. We maintain digital records for better security and privacy.”

After a moment, he looks back up, his expression apologetic. “It seems there have been no other visitors today, but I can pull up the access logs if you need a more detailed timeline. However, it may take a couple of days to process everything, given our usual protocol.”

Frustration simmers inside me, but I keep my voice steady. No need to rattle the guy. “That’s fine, whatever it takes.”

The guard nods, his fingers dancing across the screen. “I’ll expedite the process as much as I can, Mr. Wolfe. You’ll have the information as soon as possible.”

“Thank you. Is Dr. Atkins still around?”

“No sir, he left about ten minutes ago. He usually comes in at about seven.”

Shit. I wonder if he knows what Olivia means by, they know .

I head back to the office, wondering if I fucked up somewhere along the way. No, I couldn’t have. I’m too smart for that.

I stride into the office, noting how many of my employees are dedicated enough to remain at the office at this hour. They are part of the reason my company is so successful, and a small smile touches my lips as I make my way to my corner office.

“Mr. Wolfe.” Jess hops up from behind her desk with a professionally bland smile on her face. “Good evening. Is Francesca all right?”

“She’s fine,” I answer, dismissing her question.

“It’s such a terrible thing, losing everything the way she has. If there’s anything she needs?—”

I cut Jess off. “She’s fine.” I shut her down because it seems she’s forgotten who she works for and what our relationship is.

Jess huffs, undeterred. “I’m only asking because?—”

“I said she’s fine,” I say in a voice that tells her don’t fuck with me.

“Okay. My heart goes out to her.” Her tone is properly chastising which only pisses me off further.

I turned to Jess with an angry, narrow gaze. “I said she’s fine. Drop it.”

She wants to say more but Jess’ lips snap shut, she nods and leaves me in my office. I hear a whisper, “Jerk,” as she makes her way back to her desk.

I need time alone to process everything running through my mind at the moment. Olivia’s words sounded like a warning. The question I have is were the words they know words of something she remembers from years ago, or is this a recent development?

I sit in my office, mulling over her words, piecing together who might’ve planted the idea that they know something they shouldn’t. I sift through the list of people who might know something and are still around to communicate it to my sister, but my options are limited.

So, what do they know?

I ponder the question for far too fucking long but just when I’m ready to pack it in for the night, I get a phone call.

The Serenity House surveillance footage is ready for me to view.

I’ll have my answers soon enough.