- 5 hours ago
My Mafia Husband Begged Me Back EP
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The day my daughter died, my husband was standing right there.
00:03The railing gave way.
00:05Kelly and Madeline slipped at the same time.
00:06He grabbed Madeline, without hesitation.
00:09And Kelly fell.
00:10She fell right in front of us.
00:12After that, his family blamed me for her death.
00:15His mother held me over a ventilation shaft,
00:17and pushed me to the edge again and again,
00:19just to make me feel what Kelly felt in her last seconds.
00:23That was the day I learned I never mattered.
00:25Not to him, not to his family.
00:27And my husband.
00:28His response was to offer me 30% of his company shares.
00:31If I took the blame.
00:32Whatever, I don't care.
00:34Those were the last honest words I ever said to him.
00:36Because after that, I divorced him.
00:38Uploaded the recording that proved everything to the dark web.
00:41And boarded a helicopter out of his world forever.
00:44Finally, I was free.
00:46What he didn't know, was that I'd taken more with me.
00:49Enough to burn his empire to the ground.
00:52After my daughter Kelly died,
00:53I erased every habit my arms dealer husband had ever disliked.
00:59I stopped asking where he went.
01:01I slept just fine.
01:03When he didn't come home.
01:05Even after I was injured in an explosion,
01:08the medic told me to notify my family.
01:10I just replied calmly.
01:11I don't have any.
01:12A nurse recognized me.
01:15Mrs. Curran, right?
01:18Mr. Curran is right next door.
01:20Should I inform him?
01:22I shook my head.
01:23That won't be necessary.
01:26Thirty minutes later,
01:27Everett showed up anyway.
01:29His sharp eyes carried their usual oppressive intensity.
01:32Why didn't you tell me you were injured?
01:34I lowered my gaze.
01:36Just shrapnel scratches.
01:38Nothing serious.
01:40My indifference irritated him.
01:42He was about to speak.
01:44When the guard's voices drifted in from outside.
01:47Mr. Curran really cares about Mrs. Finley.
01:50She only twisted her ankle.
01:52He called in a helicopter and carried her on and off himself.
01:56He wouldn't even let her feet touch the ground.
01:59Everett panicked.
02:00He glanced at me,
02:01waiting for me to make a scene like I used to.
02:03But I didn't even blink.
02:06I simply leaned back against the pillow
02:08and closed my eyes.
02:13The air around Everett grew heavy.
02:16Don't listen to them.
02:19Madeline is a specialist in the company.
02:22If she's hurt, it affects operations.
02:26I'm just doing it for the greater good.
02:28I nodded without a word.
02:30His temper flared.
02:31You don't believe me?
02:32I do.
02:35You personally trained Madeline to keep personnel,
02:38and you're her superior.
02:41It's only natural you look out for her.
02:43My calm response unsettled him.
02:45More than anger ever could.
02:47A loud crash echoed from outside.
02:51Madeline staggered into view
02:52and collapsed right in front of my ward.
02:56Everett strode over
02:57and swept her into his arms.
02:58What are you doing here?
03:00Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?
03:04I heard Mrs. Curran got hurt.
03:07I came to check on her.
03:09She shrank into his embrace,
03:10as if I were something to fear.
03:13Mrs. Curran,
03:14please,
03:15don't blame me.
03:18I never meant for Kelly to die.
03:21In the past,
03:21I would have seized him by the collar.
03:23I would have demanded to know
03:25why he was shielding the woman.
03:26Responsible for our daughter's death.
03:29But now?
03:33I just stared at the ceiling in silence.
03:35I'm taking Madeline back to her ward.
03:37I'll be right back.
03:39Everett turned and carried her away.
03:41It was midnight.
03:42He still hadn't come back.
03:45Instead,
03:45I got a call from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
03:49Mrs. Simpson,
03:50are you absolutely sure you want to join the Welkin Shield Project?
03:53This is a classified initiative at the highest level.
03:55Once you're in,
03:56you'll be stationed at the base
03:57for a minimum of 20 years.
04:00Completely cut off from the outside world.
04:01That includes your husband.
04:03Yes.
04:05I'm sure.
04:07The person on the other end hesitated.
04:10If you change your mind,
04:11you have three days to withdraw.
04:14After all,
04:15you used to care so much about Mr. Curran.
04:18I won't regret it.
04:20Because I don't love him anymore.
04:28The next second,
04:29the door slammed open.
04:31Everett stood there,
04:32his gaze icy.
04:35You don't love me anymore?
04:38I dare you to say that again, Alicia!
04:43I quietly ended the call
04:45and closed my eyes,
04:46fending sleep.
04:47Everett approached.
04:48His presence cold and commanding.
04:50But he paused
04:51when he saw my tightly shut eyes.
04:53He thought I'd been talking in my sleep.
04:55His frown eased slightly,
04:57yet somehow that only fueled his anger further.
05:02He couldn't stand the thought of me leaving him,
05:04even in dreams.
05:05He grabbed my wrist
05:06and then shook me awake.
05:10Allie,
05:11did you have a nightmare?
05:12I lowered my eyes.
05:13I dreamed about Kelly.
05:15Kelly.
05:16Kelly.
05:18The word struck him like a blade.
05:20He pulled me into his arms.
05:23Allie will have more children.
05:26Lots of them.
05:29I said nothing.
05:31My heart was damaged beyond odd repair,
05:34and even my tears had long since run dry.
05:42Kelly was gone.
05:43Did he really believe another child could erase that?
05:49Everett, it's the middle of the night.
05:51Why are you here?
05:52He looked caught off guard.
05:55Allie,
05:55Maddie's stomach is bothering her.
05:57She's craving that soup you make.
06:02My body went ice cold.
06:07I just survived an explosion.
06:09Shrapnel was still embedded in my body.
06:11And here was at Everett,
06:13waking me in the dead of night to make soup for Madeline.
06:15Give me a pen and paper.
06:17I'll write down the recipe.
06:18Everett signaled one of his men to bring them.
06:24As I handed him the paper,
06:25his fingertips trembled.
06:29Recognition dawned on him.
06:33Once, long ago,
06:35he'd asked me for that recipe.
06:37Back then,
06:38I told him,
06:39I'll give it to you the day we part ways.
06:41As long as we're together,
06:43I'll always make the soup for you myself.
06:46Now I'd handed it over without a second thought.
06:48Mr. Curran,
06:50Ms. Finley is in considerable pain.
06:51She's been asking for you.
06:52He frowned and strode out without a backward glance.
06:55I was accustomed to this by now.
06:57I closed my eyes and tried to rest.
07:01But I'd barely drifted off
07:03when a brutal force pulled me up.
07:05Alicia,
07:06Maddie coughed up blood after drinking that soup.
07:08Why?
07:10His grip on my chin was punishing.
07:14What did you put in that recipe you gave me?
07:18I glanced at him flat.
07:22You think it's off?
07:23Let the medics check it!
07:27Ali,
07:28if you're upset,
07:28just say so.
07:30Don't shut me out like this!
07:32I'm your husband,
07:32not your enemy.
07:33I closed my eyes.
07:35I have nothing more to say to you.
07:37For a moment,
07:38he thought he'd stopped breathing.
07:40What is that supposed to mean?
07:41I fell silent,
07:42as if he weren't even standing there.
07:44Outside,
07:45his subordinate's voice filtered through.
07:46Mr. Corrin,
07:48Mrs. Finley's stomach has been humped.
07:49She's out of danger,
07:50but she's terrified.
07:51She keeps calling for you.
07:52I see.
07:53He turned back,
07:53to give me one deep look.
07:55Get some rest, Ali.
07:56I'll drive you back tomorrow.
07:58That night stretched on,
07:59like an endless winter.
08:01Ali,
08:02my daughter,
08:02who'd grown inside me for ten months,
08:04would be reduced to ashes tomorrow.
08:07Sealed in a cold earth,
08:09and laid to rest in dark earth.
08:11The next day,
08:12Everett drove me to the company town.
08:14Hidden deep in the mountains,
08:16leaning on my crutch,
08:17I made my way into the funeral home,
08:19desperate,
08:19for one last glimpse of my little girl.
08:22But the instant I crossed the threshold,
08:24Beverly Curran lunged at me like a woman possessed.
08:26You vile bitch!
08:28You actually have the nerve to come back?
08:33Beverly slapped me twice,
08:35across the face.
08:36Kelly died because of you!
08:38You knew she was afraid of heights.
08:40Why did you take her to that observation deck?
08:43You wanted her to die.
08:45I went cold,
08:46all over.
08:48Madeline was the one,
08:49who took Kelly to the observation deck.
08:51Why was Beverly saying it was me?
08:53I turned to look at Everett.
08:55He looked away.
08:56The other friends stood forward,
08:57joining them early as they struck me with holes.
09:00Meet her! Kill her!
09:01She murdered her own daughter!
09:03You don't deserve to see Kelly one last time!
09:07Sticks of batons rained down on me,
09:09without mercy.
09:10Someone threw a rock that split my forehead open.
09:12My crutch was grabbed,
09:14and used as a weapon against me.
09:15I collapsed to the floor,
09:17blood and dust smearing across my face.
09:20Enough!
09:22After what felt like an eternity,
09:24Everett pushed through and shielded me with his body.
09:29Kelly's death was an accident.
09:31Allie isn't to blame.
09:32Anyone who touches her again will be dealt with according to family rules.
09:39His razor-sharp gaze swept the room,
09:41until the crowd slowly dispersed.
09:43Only then did his expression soften.
09:49He lifted me into his arms,
09:51and carried me back to our bedroom.
09:53He retrieved the first aid kit to tend to my wounds,
09:55but my eyes remained utterly cold.
09:58Everett,
09:59Madeline took Kelly to that observation deck.
10:02So why did Beverly say it was me?
10:04His hand holding the gauze paused.
10:06Allie, Maddie is the weapons expert the family invested in.
10:09Her identity is sensitive.
10:12If anyone finds out she was indirectly responsible for Kelly's death,
10:16she won't have a place here anymore.
10:18You're different.
10:19You're my wife,
10:21under my protection.
10:24Take the blame for her this once, okay?
10:27I'll transfer 30% of Curry Defense Industries shares to you as compensation.
10:32He watched me with barely concealed unease.
10:34He thought I'd break down crying or lash out.
10:36But my expression stayed so cold.
10:37It sent panic seeping into his chest.
10:40I merely glanced at him flatly.
10:41Whatever, I don't care.
10:45He should have felt relieved.
10:47Instead,
10:48something in his chest tightened painfully.
10:52Allie, don't overthink it.
10:54Maddie is talented.
10:55And that's why I look out for her.
10:57That's all it is.
10:58I understand.
10:59I lowered my head.
11:01You don't need to explain.
11:03Only someone still in deep love.
11:05Needed explanations.
11:07I didn't love him anymore.
11:08So none of his words meant anything to me.
11:11Utterly irritated.
11:12Everett was about to say something.
11:14But before he could,
11:16a guard burst in.
11:18Bad news, Mr. Curran.
11:20Mrs. Finley went to pay her respects and ran into Ms. Curran.
11:24They're fighting.
11:25Diane Curran was the family's true-blooded heir.
11:28Everett's expression changed drastically.
11:30Allie, bandage yourself.
11:32I have to handle this.
11:33He strode out hastily.
11:35The moment he left,
11:37Beverly barged in with several of her trusted people.
11:40Alicia.
11:42No one's here to protect you now.
11:44Her gaze was pure malice.
11:46Kelly's dead.
11:49Because of you.
11:51I'm gonna make sure you understand what it feels like to fall.
11:56She signaled her men.
11:58To drag me to an abandoned ventilation shaft.
12:01Deep.
12:01Dark.
12:02With cold wind howling up from the bottom.
12:05Kelly fell from that observation top 30 stories high.
12:10Do you have any idea how terrifying that fall was?
12:15Beverly grabbed my hair and forced my upper body over the shaft's edge.
12:20You were right there.
12:22Why didn't you catch her?
12:24Why didn't you catch her?
12:25Dizziness overwhelmed me.
12:26The darkness below gaped like a monster's mouth.
12:30Beverly pushed me to the edge time and again.
12:32Yanking me back only at the last second.
12:35Breathe!
12:36You know how to breathe, don't you?
12:38When Kelly fell, she didn't even have time to cry!
12:42After several rounds of this torture, a sharp pain tore through my chest.
12:47A metallic taste flooded my mouth.
12:49Blood trickled from the corner of my lips.
12:52Her internal organs might be damaged.
12:55If this keeps up, she could die.
12:57Only then.
12:58Did Beverly let go?
13:00I slumped to the ground, my consciousness fading.
13:03When I woke, I was in the ward.
13:07Everett sat by the bed.
13:08You're awake, Ellie.
13:10He held my hand.
13:11His eyes bloodshot.
13:13I'm sorry I didn't protect you well enough.
13:16Don't worry.
13:17I've dealt with everyone who hurt you.
13:19I warned Mom, too.
13:20She won't lay a finger on you again.
13:22A deep chill ran through me.
13:24I'd nearly died.
13:26And all he did was warn her.
13:28He still hadn't told her the truth.
13:30He never failed to disappoint me.
13:32Okay.
13:33I closed my eyes, unwilling to say another word.
13:37Ellie, I know you're upset about Kelly.
13:39I promise I'll make it up to you.
13:42We have a long future ahead.
13:47I'll make you fall for me again.
13:49He stood and left.
13:50The moment the door closed, two encrypted messages arrived on my phone.
13:54The first was from the courthouse.
13:56Miss Simpson, your divorce from Mr. Curran has been finalized.
14:00The second was from DARPA.
14:02Miss Simpson, the Welkin Shield project launches tomorrow.
14:06Your helicopter is ready.
14:08I stared at the screen for a long time.
14:11Finally, I let out a relieved smile.
14:14At last, the day had come.
14:16But before I left, I had one last thing to do.
14:19I braced myself on my crutch and walked to Madeline's room.
14:23Alicia?
14:25What are you doing here?
14:27The usual fragile act vanished from her face, replaced by contempt.
14:31Here to look for Rhett?
14:33How pathetic.
14:34Look at how badly you're hurt.
14:36And he hasn't spared you a second glance.
14:39But me?
14:40I twisted my ankle, and he stayed by my side around the clock.
14:45I felt nothing.
14:46These petty games over attention no longer concerned me.
14:49I asked only one question.
14:51Madeline?
14:52That day on the observation deck?
14:55Did Kelly fall on her own?
14:57Or did you push her?
14:58Madeline's face split into a wild grin.
15:01Alicia, you know what?
15:03Rhett was there that day too.
15:05The railing gave way.
15:06Kelly and I slipped at the same time.
15:08Rhett grabbed me without hesitation.
15:10And Kelly fell.
15:12She fell right in front of us.
15:14Everett had been there the day Kelly died.
15:16He chose to save Madeline.
15:18He let her daughter fall.
15:21You want to know the funniest part?
15:24Rhett knows I'm trained in climbing.
15:26He knows my balance is perfect.
15:29But his first instinct was still to save me.
15:33Tears blurred my vision.
15:35I swore this would be the last time I ever cried for Everett.
15:40I wiped my eyes.
15:41Picked up my crutch.
15:43And walked out.
15:44I moved slowly.
15:45But I never looked back.
15:47Everett.
15:48We no longer have a future.
15:52From now on we won't see each other again.
15:54Not in this life.
15:55Not in the next.
15:56I took a vehicle to the courthouse.
15:58And picked up my divorce decree.
16:00Before getting on the helicopter.
16:02I uploaded the complete recording of my conversation with Madeline.
16:06To the dark web.
16:07Kelly's death was an accident?
16:09The law couldn't touch them?
16:11Then let the truth burn in the shadows.
16:14That was the last thing I did for my daughter.
16:16I threw away my phone.
16:18The helicopter lifted me into the clouds.
16:20Finally.
16:21I was free.
16:24The helicopter punched through layers of clouds.
16:27Below me.
16:27The company town shrunk rapidly.
16:29Until it disappeared behind rolling mountain regions.
16:32I leaned against the cabin wall as the sky out slowly brightened.
16:47My heart no longer beat for Everett.
16:50By the time we landed at the Northwest Air Base.
16:52Dusk had settled over the desert.
16:55The base sat like a steel fortress.
16:57Embedded in the earth.
17:01Welcome.
17:02At Mrs. Simpson.
17:10I'm Vernon Lynch.
17:11Base commander.
17:13As of today.
17:14You're the lead systems engineer for the Weldon Shield project.
17:18This will be your home for the next 20 years.
17:20Or longer.
17:23Home?
17:26The place I'd once called home.
17:28Had long become a hell that consumed me.
17:34Thank you, Commander Lynch.
17:36My voice was calm as I accepted the non-disclosure agreement and ID badge.
17:40Here.
17:42I wasn't Mrs. Scurran.
17:47I was Mrs. Simpson.
17:50That realization brought me an almost cruel sense of relief.
17:55The days blurred into a rhythm of intense work and isolation.
18:03No internet.
18:05No personal communication.
18:07No personal communication.
18:07Only encrypted internal lines.
18:09And mountains of blueprints and data.
18:12I poured everything into Weldon Shield.
18:15Each problem I solved felt like stripping away another layer of who I used to be.
18:20Occasionally, in the dead of night, Kelly's face would flash through my mind.
18:27The dimples when she smiled.
18:31The soft way she called for me when she threw herself into my arms.
18:35My heart would seize.
18:37Suffocating me with pain.
18:41But I'd force myself back to the flickering screen.
18:47Work was the best sedative.
18:50My deputy, at Damon Jenkins, seemed to sense something my silence is.
18:54But he never pried.
18:57He just pushed warm energy drinks my way after I'd worked ten hours straight.
19:02One night, I stood alone in the corridor, staring at the stars through the reinforced glass.
19:07Damon appeared beside me.
19:12He held out a cup of hot coffee without a word.
19:16Then, he walked away.
19:20I wrapped my hands around the warmth.
19:22And for a moment, the night didn't feel quite so endless.
19:25Three years slipped by before I realized it.
19:29Welgol Shield's Phase 1 test platform was about to undergo its inaugural orbital deploy-in.
19:34It was the project's most critical and dangerous stage yet.
19:39The entire base hummed with high pressure mixed with barely-contrained thrill.
19:45Sometime during my eighth month, Vernon called me into his office.
19:50He handed me a classified briefing document, his expression grave.
19:55Something's happened to current defense industries.
19:58I scanned the contents.
20:00An anonymous source had leaked their covert overseas trading channels.
20:05Exposing a web of black market weapons deals.
20:09The information had been released in carefully timed batches to international regulators.
20:15Each leak landed like a precision strike.
20:20Curry Defense Industries had once seemed like an unsinkable juggernaut.
20:27Now it was sinking at astonishing speed.
20:30Very professional work.
20:33Pinpoint intel.
20:38Feels like someone on that side.
20:41Vernon's gaze carried both scrutiny and a hint of probing.
20:48I set the briefing down.
20:50My face revealing nothing.
20:52Commander Lynch, right now, all I care about is whether we can push Welgol Shield's efficiency by 3%.
20:58Current defense industry situation is none of my concern.
21:06I see.
21:07Get back to work.
21:13In the dead of night, when I faced the stars alone, I'd think about the recording I'd uploaded before I
21:17left.
21:18That was just the spark.
21:22The information that followed was more fatal.
21:25More precise.
21:27I'd collected it during my years with the Curranton family.
21:31In Everett's study, in encrypted server logs, beside weapons designs he thought I didn't understand.
21:37Like a trapped animal, I'd subconsciously gathered it all.
21:41The day I left, together with that recording, I set it all as a timed release gift.
21:46I wondered if Everett appreciated my parting gesture.
21:5272 hours before launch, I'd practically moved into mission control.
21:57The entire base held its breath.
22:02During the final full system integration check, an unexpected alert flashed across the main display.
22:09A minuscule anomaly in the orbital parameters.
22:13Probably background radiation interference or minor sensor drift.
22:19I'm not bashta.
22:20It's within acceptable tolerarity.
22:23But Damon kept comparing the data, frowning.
22:27Miss Simpson, the fluctuation pattern is unusual.
22:30I don't think it's natural interference.
22:35Looks more like some kind of signal injection.
22:41My heart tightened.
22:42I immediately pulled all relevant logs and ordered a full investigation.
22:47Something wasn't right.
22:52Someone had touched the system.
22:59A few hours later, the investigation results came back, sending a chill straight through me.
23:04Three days ago, someone had used a brief maintenance window to implant balicious code into the core navigation substabray.
23:10The code wasn't designed to cause immediate destruction.
23:14It was programmed to trigger cumulative errors under specific conditions, eventually causing the platform to drift off course or fail
23:23completely.
23:25Luckily, we'd caught the Injursion in time and purged the code.
23:32Before it could do any real damage.
23:34The Weckl Shield project was classified at the highest level.
23:41An external cyber attack was practically impossible.
23:45This had to be an inside job or someone with extremely high level access.
23:50Security launched an immediate investigation.
23:54The trail went cold when they traced it to a young technician responsible for a peripheral data interface.
24:02He'd gone missing the day before the incident.
24:07They found his abandoned vehicle.
24:09Out in the desert.
24:14The car yielded no useful leads.
24:16Just a faint, distinctive scent that lingered in the air.
24:19A mixture of gunpowder and fur.
24:25My fingernails dug into my palms.
24:28As I recognized it instantly.
24:30It was Everett's signature custom blended cologne.
24:34The scent unique and long lasting.
24:37He'd once mentioned casually.
24:39That the scent helped him maintain absolute calm.
24:43Was it him?
24:44Had he found this place?
24:46Or had he sent one of his men?
24:50Vernon's face turned livid.
24:51He immediately elevated the base's security alert level and reported directly to higher command.
24:57The instructions came back swiftly.
25:00Proceed with the launch as scheduled.
25:02Activate the highest emergency protocols.
25:05Launch day dawned bright and clear over the desert.
25:08The massive launch tower stood upright against the sky.
25:17Inside mission control.
25:19The atmosphere was heavy with tension.
25:21Everyone remained blue to their workstations.
25:25Focus absolute.
25:31I sat in the chief engineer's seat.
25:33Facing multiple screens displaying different data.
25:36My heartbeat stayed steady.
25:39Everything else.
25:40The tangled thoughts.
25:42The painful memories.
25:43Even the recent security breach.
25:46Was forcefully pushed to the periphery of my mind.
25:50For now.
25:51My entire world consisted of jumping data points and flowing curves.
25:56One minute to launch.
26:0010, 9, 8, 3, 2, 1, ignition.
26:11The roar reached us through the ground itself.
26:14On the screens.
26:15The rocket lifted off steadily.
26:20First stage separation nominee.
26:23Second stage ignition nominee.
26:25Orbit in search and phase.
26:27The platform successfully entered.
26:28Its designated orbit.
26:31The solar panels.
26:33Began to deploy.
26:37Long suppressed chips.
26:39Erupted throughout mission control.
26:41We've done it.
26:43I leaned back in my chair.
26:45And let out a long breath.
26:48Damon walked in.
26:49In the middle of my glass of water.
26:53Miss Simpson.
26:55We actually did it.
26:56His eyes met mine.
26:58For a single, bright moment.
27:00And he looked away first.
27:05I accepted the glass.
27:07And nodded at Damon.
27:08But deep down.
27:10I couldn't shake the unease.
27:12That clung to me like a second skin.
27:14The security breach remained unsolved.
27:17The celebration was brief.
27:19I retreated to my office.
27:21And pulled up every report related to the intrusion.
27:25Night fell.
27:26The base settled into silence.
27:27I rubbed my throbbing temples.
27:29Finally ready to call it a night.
27:31I powered down my main system.
27:33I powered down my main system.
27:33And was about to stand.
27:34Then the screen of my dedicated terminal.
27:36The one used for top.
27:38Secret work.
27:39Physically air-gapped from every other network.
27:41Flickered to life on its own.
27:43No login interface.
27:45No system prompt.
27:46Against the black background.
27:47A single line of white text floated.
27:50Like something risen from the depths.
27:52Let's talk, Allie.
27:56My blood turned to ice.
28:00The words lingered for perhaps 5 seconds.
28:03Before vanishing.
28:05The screen went back to sleep mode.
28:07As if nothing had happened.
28:09But I knew.
28:10With absolute certainty.
28:12That I hadn't imagined it.
28:13My terminal had the highest possible security clearance.
28:17Theoretically.
28:17External intrusion was impossible.
28:19Unless someone on the inside had cooperated.
28:21Or an unknown vulnerability had been exploited.
28:24My mind flashed back.
28:25To the malicious code from days ago.
28:27Everett.
28:28He'd actually extended his reach this far.
28:30Rage ignited inside me.
28:32Burning hot enough to freeze my hands.
28:34How dare he touch Welkin's shield.
28:36This wasn't just personal anymore.
28:38It was a direct threat to national security.
28:40I hit the internal emergency communication button immediately.
28:44Vernon and the head of security.
28:46Arrived within minutes.
28:49The tech experts conducted a thorough sweep of the terminal.
28:55They found an extremely sophisticated.
28:57Deeply hidden access point.
29:00Its source untraceable.
29:05Implemented with a level of professionalism.
29:08That only a handful of people in the world could achieve.
29:14Full sweep of every internal network and physical port.
29:17Now!
29:20Vernon's expression was darker than I'd ever seen it.
29:24Mrs. Simpson, it's clear.
29:25You're the target.
29:27You need to know what he wants and how you plan to handle it.
29:30I sat in silence for a moment.
29:32Thinking.
29:33Everett had gone to these lengths.
29:35To find me.
29:37He already knew about my involvement in Welkin's shield.
29:40He might also have discovered my role.
29:43In the leaks against current defense industries.
29:47What did he want?
29:50Revenge?
29:51Threats?
29:53Or something else entirely?
29:58I'll talk to him.
29:59My voice was calmer than I felt.
30:01Completely devoid of warmth.
30:03Vernon pondered for a moment.
30:05Then he exchanged a look with the security chief.
30:08And finally nodded.
30:11Okay.
30:13We'll set it up.
30:14But Miss Simpson.
30:16Remember who you are now.
30:23I met his gaze without flinching.
30:25I know exactly who I am.
30:27I'm the chief engineer of Welkin's shield.
30:29The project lead.
30:30That comes before everything else.
30:31But it has to be in a completely controlled environment.
30:33I need an isolated one-way communication channel.
30:36Fully transparent with no possibility of traceback or additional infiltration.
30:40The entire conversation must be monitored and recorded.
30:44They arranged the communication.
30:46In a special isolation bay.
30:48The room contained only the most basic audio equipment.
30:52All signals were encrypted.
30:54And filtered through multiple layers.
30:57At the appointed time.
30:59I sat down in the bay.
31:00A microphone in front of me.
31:03The communication went through.
31:05No video.
31:06Just the faint static hum of electrons.
31:12Then that voice reached me.
31:14Through the speakers.
31:15The voice I thought I'd long buried in the past.
31:18It was deep.
31:19Rough around the edges.
31:21Hearing an exhaustion I couldn't quite place.
31:23And something that almost sounded like urgency.
31:27Allie?
31:33That single word pierced my ears.
31:36I clenched my hands against my knees.
31:38Fingernails digging deep into flesh.
31:42Using the pain.
31:43To anchor myself in absolute calm.
31:48Mr. Corrin.
31:49My voice came out steady and flat.
31:52You've illegally breached a national level classified base communication system.
31:57Do you have any idea what that means?
32:00Several seconds of silence passed.
32:02Then an almost imperceptible sigh filtered through.
32:05Yes.
32:07I know exactly what it means.
32:09But.
32:11I needed to see you.
32:13Or at least hear you.
32:14For the sake of those shady deals you've been running?
32:17Or to make things right for your beloved Madeline?
32:19I let icy mockery seep into my tone.
32:23The recording and those files.
32:25Did you enjoy them?
32:27Oh, sue.
32:28His voice turned rough.
32:29Fractured.
32:31I deserved every bit of that.
32:34But that's not why I'm reaching out to you.
32:40Oh?
32:41Then what?
32:42To catch up?
32:47I'm sorry, Mr. Corrin.
32:48But there's nothing left between us to catch up on.
32:52Allie!
32:53His voice rose.
32:55Carrying suppressed agony.
32:57Please don't be like this.
33:00I know I was wrong.
33:01I was ridiculously wrong.
33:04I've spent every day of the past three years.
33:07Repenting?
33:09I cut him off.
33:10The absurdity of it almost making me laugh.
33:13What good does that do?
33:15Can it bring Kelly back?
33:17Can it undo the choice you made that day?
33:19Can it make up for the fact that Beverly nearly killed me?
33:22Or whitewash those shady deals you built your empire on?
33:25My garage of Keston.
33:27Left him trapped in a long silence.
33:29When he finally spoke again,
33:30his voice was utterly wrecked.
33:33Without Kelly,
33:34I got to the bottom of it.
33:36It was Madeline.
33:37She used some screws on that old railing.
33:40Back then,
33:41I thought it was just an accident.
33:42I was afraid that if my family found out it was her,
33:45they'd deal with her,
33:45so I...
33:47So you made me the scapegoat?
33:50You let your mother and your entire family torture me
33:52like I was the one who killed my own daughter?
34:05Everett, your devotion to talent,
34:06your protective instincts,
34:07how impressive.
34:08I should probably applaud you.
34:11Do you have any idea what Beverly did that day?
34:13She nearly threw me down that ventilation shaft.
34:16She said she'd make sure I experienced
34:17exactly how desperate Kelly must have felt.
34:19I-I didn't know she'd go that far.
34:21I warned her!
34:23His words came out rushed,
34:24desperate.
34:25Allie, I'm sorry.
34:26I'm so sorry.
34:29I'll make it up to you with everything I have.
34:31I'll give up current defense industries.
34:33I'll do anything!
34:34Save it!
34:35I cut him off sharply.
34:37All the emotions I'd suppressed surged up,
34:39cracking through my carefully constructed calm.
34:41Everett, nothing you do means anything to me anymore.
34:44Not your compensation,
34:46not Curry Defense Industries,
34:47not a single thing you have to offer.
34:51From the moment you chose to save Madeline
34:54and let Kelly fall,
34:55the only thing left between us was hatred.
35:02Listen to me carefully.
35:04Hatred.
35:05Tears welled up uncontrollably,
35:06but I wiped them away instantly,
35:08my voice turning even colder, harder.
35:10You risked everything to contact me today.
35:14If this is what you wanted to hear,
35:16congratulations.
35:17You've heard it.
35:19If you had some other agenda,
35:21take my advice.
35:23Stop while you still can.
35:26Weldl Shield is not something you can touch.
35:29Those little games you've been playing,
35:32they've already caught the attention of people
35:34far above my pay grade.
35:36Keep going,
35:37and business sanctions will be the least of your worries.
35:40I drew a deep breath,
35:42using the last ounce of my strength
35:43to form each word.
35:45Everett,
35:46you and I were finished
35:47a long time ago.
35:50We were done the moment
35:51I left that company town
35:52and uploaded that recording.
35:56No, that's not right.
35:58No, that's not right.
36:04We were done even before that.
36:07We were done for good
36:09the moment Kelly died,
36:10the moment you chose to protect her killer.
36:14Don't come looking for me again.
36:19Don't ever show up in my world again.
36:22If you have even the slightest trace of conscience left,
36:25stay away from me and my project.
36:27Otherwise,
36:28I won't hesitate to put you exactly where you belong.
36:33I cut the connection
36:35without waiting for his response.
36:38My finger trembled slightly
36:39as I pressed the disconnect button.
36:48Vernon and the security chief stepped in.
36:51Their expressions complicated.
36:52They clearly heard everything.
36:59What's this is?
37:02Vernon hesitated.
37:10The tears on my face
37:12had already dried,
37:13leaving only exhaustion
37:15and absolute calm
37:17in their wake.
37:19Commander Lynch,
37:20I'll submit a detailed report
37:22on this incident.
37:23I recommend we report this immediately
37:25and conduct a full assessment
37:27of the base's security system.
37:30You.
37:31The security chief looked at me.
37:33Are you alright?
37:34I'm fine.
37:38The orbital calibration data
37:40for Welkin's shield
37:41still needs review.
37:42I'm heading back to mission control.
37:46I turned and walked out,
37:47my foot stemped steady.
37:49Not a tremor.
37:50Only I knew that somewhere deep inside,
37:52in that corner of my heart
37:53where I'd stored the last
37:54fragile fragments of my past,
37:55something had finally died.
37:57Along with that conversation.
37:59After that exchange,
38:01the base entered an unprecedented state
38:03of heightened alert.
38:05Security systems underwent
38:06complete upgrades.
38:08Everett hadn't tried anything else.
38:10No further communication attempts.
38:12No new signs of malicious activity.
38:15It almost felt as if
38:17my resolute declaration
38:18had actually worked.
38:19But no one dared relax.
38:21The collapse of current defense industries
38:23accelerated faster than anyone predicted.
38:26The once mighty empire
38:28had crumbled to fragments.
38:29I threw myself back
38:30into Wellcome Shield.
38:32Work became the sole purpose
38:33of my existence.
38:34The most solid barrier
38:35I could build between myself
38:37and the past.
38:40Damon grew quieter
38:42and also more devoted
38:44to the work in those days.
38:46He was no longer just my deputy.
38:49He developed into someone
38:51with remarkable talent.
38:52We developed a shorthand
38:54that didn't require words.
38:56Sometimes a single glance
38:58was enough to communicate
38:59exactly what needed to be done.
39:03Still, I kept my distance.
39:05The emotional wounds of the past
39:07still haunted me.
39:15Any intimacy beyond
39:16professional collaboration
39:17made me instinctively pull back.
39:19Until the night the storm came.
39:33A rare, violent tempest
39:35swept across the desert.
39:38Damien and I worked
39:39late into the night
39:40in the lab
39:41trying to dedock
39:42a critical energy relay algorithm.
39:44Lightning tore through the sky
39:46as thunder crashed and rolled.
39:48Wind howled
39:49as it hurled sand and gravel
39:51against the reinforced glass.
40:03Suddenly,
40:04the emergency lights kicked on.
40:05Backup power kicked in immediately.
40:10But some non-essential systems
40:11were still affected,
40:13including the lab's door locks.
40:20We were trapped inside.
40:24A voice crackled through
40:26the communicator
40:27from the duty room.
40:42lightning had struck
40:43the external power lines.
40:52Repairs would take time.
40:54We had to wait where we were.
41:01The lab existed now in near-ness,
41:04illuminated by darkness,
41:06illuminated only by the emergency light's dim glow
41:09and the occasional flash of lightning.
41:12Damon and I sat side-by-side
41:14on the edge of a lab table.
41:16For a long moment,
41:17neither of us spoke.
41:21Mrs. Simpson.
41:22His voice emerged softly,
41:24almost swallowed by the dim space
41:26and the thunder.
41:27Have you ever thought about
41:28what you'll do after
41:29Well and Shield is completely finished?
41:33The question caught me off guard.
41:35No.
41:36I admitted honestly.
41:38Doing my job well right now,
41:39that's enough for me.
41:41Fell silent for a moment,
41:43then turned to look at me.
41:51Sometimes, I think,
41:53maybe when this is all over,
41:55I'll go see the ocean.
42:00The real one.
42:04I want to know what it feels like
42:07to be surrounded by seawater.
42:13Is it really true what they say?
42:15That it can wash away your troubles?
42:26I said only take Everett.
42:29You should go.
42:31After the project succeeds.
42:34Will you come with me?
42:36His question came suddenly.
42:38His tone careful.
42:39I froze.
42:41Unsure how to answer.
42:42A brilliant flash of lightning
42:44illuminated the entire lab.
42:47In that stark, momentary light,
42:49I saw it clearly.
42:51The affection and anticipation
42:53in his eyes.
42:54There for me to read
42:55before he could conceal it.
43:00I stood abruptly
43:01and walked to the large
43:03observation window.
43:04In the distance,
43:06pale streaks of dawn
43:07pushing through the dark-nit darkness
43:09that had held us all night.
43:11I gazed eastward
43:12as the sky brightened.
43:13Darkness would soon be gone.
43:16Above me,
43:17the stars and the sky,
43:19the ones I had sworn to guard,
43:22were embracing a new dawn.
43:24I didn't turn around,
43:25but my fingers,
43:27which had been clenched tight
43:28at my sides,
43:30slowly uncurled.
43:36And just barely,
43:38they brushed against the hand
43:39Damon had rested
43:40on the windowsill beside me.
43:42I wasn't ready.
43:45But for the first time
43:47in three years,
43:53I thought maybe,
43:56someday,
43:57I could be.
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