Chapter Eighty Seven

Chapter 87

The house was steeped in an uneasy quiet, a calm before the inevitable storm. Every creak of the floorboards and rustle of wind against the windows felt amplified. They were all waiting—for answers, for relief, for the arrival of a figure who might hold both hope and ruin in their hands.

Marcus sat in the study, surrounded by the heavy scent of leather and wood polish. His fingers drummed rhythmically against the armrest of his chair, his sharp eyes trained on the door. Jay stood by the window, his silhouette framed by the silver light of dawn. 

"You're awfully quiet," Marcus said, breaking the silence.

Marcus leaned forward, his voice low and steady. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated for a moment, processing his words in his head first. “I don't trust Jon, and I don't trust this associate of his. But this isn't about trust. It's about necessity. We're out of options."

Jay finally turned, his eyes flashing with frustration. "Necessity? Is that what you call it? Because to me, it feels like another gamble—one that could cost Jemima even more."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, both of them processing their individual thoughts. 

The door creaked open before Marcus could respond, and Vanessa stepped in, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes darted between the two men, sensing the tension in the air.

"They're here," she said curtly.

Marcus and Jay exchanged a glance before rising in unison. The weight of the moment pressed down on them as they followed Vanessa into the main hall. There, the rest of the family had already gathered, their faces a mosaic of hope, fear, and skepticism.

Jon stood near the front door, his towering figure rigid and imposing. Next to him was a woman—tall and elegant, with sharp features that seemed to cut through the dim light of the foyer. Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun, and her piercing gray eyes scanned the room with clinical precision.

"This is Dr. Evelyn Kaine," Jon announced, his gravelly voice echoing in the stillness. "She's the one who can help Jemima."

Ava's lips parted in a silent gasp, her expression a mix of recognition and disbelief. "Dr. Kaine?" she whispered. "You're him."

The doctor's cold gaze flicked to Ava. "I was his associate," she said evenly. "Not his accomplice. Let's not confuse the two."

Marcus stepped forward, his voice laced with suspicion. "You worked with Damien."

"Yes," Dr. Kaine replied without hesitation. "And it's precisely because of that experience that I'm the best person to undo the damage he's done."

Jay bristled, his fists clenching at his sides. "And why should we believe you're here to help? For all we know, you could be just another one of Damien's pawns."

Dr. Kaine arched an eyebrow, her expression unflinching. "I don't expect you to trust me, Mr. Valerian. But I've dedicated my career to studying the very methods your father employed. If you want Jemima to have any chance at recovery, you'll put aside your personal vendettas and let me do my work."

The room erupted in a cacophony of voices—protests, questions, accusations—until Dr. Elara raised her hand for silence.

Who was this woman?

"This isn't about trust or grudges," Elara said firmly. "It's about Jemima. If Dr. Kaine can help her, then we owe it to her to try."

Marcus's jaw tightened, his gaze locking with Dr. Kaine's. "Fine. But understand this—if you so much as breathe in a way that hurts my sister, there won't be a place on earth you can hide from me."

Dr. Kaine's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Noted."

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the family gathered in the drawing room, where Jemima lay on a plush chaise. Her face was pale, her breathing steady but shallow. Dr. Kaine approached her with a detached calm, setting down a sleek black case filled with medical equipment and vials.

"She's stable," Kaine observed, her tone clinical. "That's a good sign. It means we can proceed."

Ava hovered nearby, her hands wringing nervously. "Proceed with what, exactly?"

"With unlocking her memories," Kaine replied. "The conditioning your father subjected her to involved suppressing key parts of her psyche, fracturing her identity. If we want to heal her, we need to bring those fragments to the surface."

Vanessa stepped forward, her arms still crossed defensively. "And what happens if those 'fragments' destroy her? What if she can't handle it?"

Kaine's gray eyes softened—just slightly. "That's a risk. But doing nothing is an even greater risk. The fractures will only deepen over time, and eventually, they'll consume her entirely."

A tense silence followed her words, each family member grappling with the weight of the decision before them. Finally, Marcus nodded.

"Do it."

The session began in an eerie quiet, with only the soft hum of Kaine's equipment breaking the silence. She injected Jemima with a clear serum, explaining that it would help relax her mind and make it more receptive to suggestion. Elara monitored her vitals closely, her watchful presence a source of comfort for the others.

As Kaine began speaking in a low, rhythmic tone, Jemima's eyelids fluttered. Her breathing quickened, and her hands clenched into fists. Kaine's voice was steady, guiding her deeper into her subconscious.

"Jemima," she said softly. "Can you hear me?"

Jemma’s lips parted, a sinister whisper escaping. "This is Jemma."

"I need you to go back," Kaine continued, ignoring the sudden appearance of the other personality. “Back to the beginning. To the moment it all started."

Jemma’s face twisted, her body tensing. "I... I don't want to..."

Ava stepped forward instinctively, but Marcus held her back. "Let her work," he murmured.

"It's okay, Jemma," Kaine soothed. "You're safe here. No one can hurt you. Just tell me what you see."

Jemma’s breathing hitched, and tears began streaming down her cheeks. "A room," she choked out. "Dark. Cold. He's there. Watching me."

"Who's watching you?" Kaine pressed gently.

"Father," Jemima whispered, her voice trembling. "And someone else. A man... no, a woman. I can't see her face."

Kaine's expression remained impassive, but the slight tightening of her jaw betrayed her unease. "What are they doing?"

Jemima let out a strangled sob. "They're talking about me. Saying I'm not... strong enough. That I need to be fixed."

Ava covered her mouth, stifling a cry. Marcus's hands curled into fists, his knuckles white.

Kaine's voice remained calm. "And what happens next, Jemma?"

"They... they..." Jemma’s body convulsed, her voice breaking into incoherent sobs. Her face contorted and Jemima reappeared, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Make it stop! Please, make it stop!"

Elara stepped in, her hand on Kaine's shoulder. "That's enough for now."

Kaine nodded reluctantly, injecting another serum to calm Jemima's thrashing. As her body stilled, the room was filled with the weight of what they had just witnessed.

The session left the family reeling. In the study, Marcus and Jay poured over the fragments of Jemima's memories, trying to piece together the truth. Ava sat with Vanessa in the drawing room, her face buried in her hands.

"I can't do this," Ava whispered. "Hearing her like that... it's too much."

Vanessa placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We don't have a choice. If we give up now, we lose her for good."

Upstairs, Dr. Kaine sat with Elara, reviewing their findings. "Her mind is stronger than I expected," Kaine admitted. "But the memories we unlocked are just the surface. The real trauma is buried deeper."

"And the fractures in her psyche?" Elara asked.

"More severe than I anticipated," Kaine replied. "But not irreversible. It's going to take time. Jemma and Jemima need to make peace to become one person again but we have to tread with caution because if Jemma finds out, she might harm Jemima.”

Elara's gaze drifted to Jemima, who lay motionless on the bed. "Time is something we might not have, we have to act fast and also tell the family.”

As night fell, the family reconvened to discuss their next steps. The atmosphere was heavy with tension, but amidst the fear and uncertainty, a new determination had begun to take root.

"We keep going," Marcus said firmly. "No matter how hard it gets. No matter what we uncover. We owe it to Jemima."

Jay nodded in agreement, his voice steady. "She's been fighting this battle alone for too long. It's time we fought it with her."

Ava wiped away her tears, her jaw set with resolve. "We won't let her down. Not this time."

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the family found themselves united—not just by their pain, but by their shared hope for the future. And as the moon rose high in the sky, casting its silver light, there was renewed hope.

As they all savored in the serendipity of it all, a piercing scream from Jemima’s room shattered the tranquility.