Mr. Longfield's eyes were blazing. He was absolutely furious, and with a single sharp jerk of his chin, he signaled for all of us to come over. He stared at his phone screen for a moment longer before speaking.
"You've completely lost your minds! Every media outlet out there is calling you 'The Vertex' now. Some people love you, others are branding you as vigilantes, and I have to find out from the news that my own sons are out there dressed like stormtroopers, trading gunfire with armed lunatics. And worst of all, you've set the bar so high that, from here on out, it's all downhill for you."
Lucius stepped forward to face him. "Father, we aren't children anymore! We've carried out two missions now, and we saved women and teenagers from a horrific death. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're going to have to get used to it, because this is what we do best. And just wait, because our empire's stock is about to skyrocket. Just wait until tomorrow and you'll see: the world is a better place with us in it, and we're getting richer because of it!"
Normally, my friend, I would have kept my mouth shut. But I felt forced to speak up because I thought I understood what Mr. Longfield was really getting at.
"We promise we'll be more careful each time," I said. "We'll become obsessive about our security, and from now on, we'll let you know exactly where we're going."
But he just looked at me like I was an insect, turned on his heel, and walked away.
Only Evangelina laughed. "What? Why are you all looking at me? I'm laughing because he'll be completely over it by tomorrow, and he'll be incredibly proud of us. Right now he's just pissed, but it's not because of what we did—it's because he's lost control over his sons."
Killian and I headed up to his room. We took a shower, shared a thousand kisses, and curled up naked under the covers of his massive bed. But our phones wouldn't stop buzzing. Every single message read: Turn on the TV.
On the screen, we saw the twins leaving the hospital, giving statements to the press. They said they couldn't believe it when they saw me, that they thought it was all a dream. I smiled, but everything went to hell the moment the anchor spoke:
"To reiterate: the alleged killer, Will Terranova, was executed by a single gunshot to the chest while undergoing surgery in the operating room. Yes, the mother of one of his earliest victims managed to enter the medical center armed and pulled the trigger just once before being detained. However, it was enough to carry out her revenge."
We shut off the television.
"I'm not going to sit here and say he didn't deserve it," Killian told me. "But of course, this is going to drag us straight into that stupid debate about taking the law into your own hands. Our best move is to get out of here and lay low until the storm passes."
Lucius banged on the door, shouting from the hallway, "We leave in an hour! Meeting now!"
When we stepped out of the room, we found Mr. Longfield standing right in the middle of the corridor. He wasn't angry anymore, but his voice was laced with irony.
"With a death now indirectly linked to you, everything is going to fall apart very soon. Our enemies will fund the press and hire their own hitmen, using this stain and the confusion to attack us without mercy. So I don't want to see you around here. Pick a destination with a safehouse and stay there until I tell you it's over."
Bruce, who had stopped right behind me, leaned in and whispered, "Once we're there and locked down, I need to talk to you. I've uncovered something you need to know."
"Okay," I whispered back. "Is it good or bad?"
"Get used to it," the detective replied. "Around here, it's never good. But don't worry—we'll handle it."
Killian geared up as captain once again, and we took off in the helicopter, bound for the airport. Looking down as we ascended, we could see the flashing lights of police cruisers heading toward the mansion.
"Either they were coming to arrest us or protect us, I don't know," I said. "But that's a lot of police cars."
Lucius replied, "Something strange is going on. They would have asked for authorization before sending that many patrols to the estate. Something bad has happened that I don't know about yet."
And he was right. On the phone, we watched the live feed of the woman who had killed Will Terranova. As she was being led away in handcuffs, she declared to the cameras, "The heroes of The Vertex inspired me to take revenge."
It was terrible news—the worst possible. A grieving mother arrested for murder, with no one to blame for her rage but us. She said it herself: they inspired me. I didn't think The Vertex had any deep philosophy behind it other than, we do it because we can, because we're rich and powerful. Still, we never intended to inspire anyone. In fact, no one had ever even mentioned that possibility.
From the cockpit, Killian called back to us, "We're heading to Scotland, to one of my castles. It's big, it's comfortable, and above all, it's completely isolated in the Highlands. They won't find us there."
Upon landing at the Scottish airport, we slipped away in secret in a modest blue SUV. This time, Lucius took the wheel while Killian spoke on the phone with the castle staff, making sure everything would be ready for our arrival.
The place couldn't have been more beautiful. It sat atop a high hill, was at least a thousand years old, and was absolutely massive. Inside the main entrance, a butler named Aldrich was waiting for us. He looked impeccable, offering a slight bow that stood in stark contrast to the chaos we carried with us.
"Welcome, milords," he said in a calm voice. "Everything has been prepared."
We walked in tense silence. No one spoke. It was as if the news had drained every ounce of our energy. Terranova's death... no, his execution... no, his murder... we didn't even know what to call it. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that single phrase: they inspired me.
Aldrich guided us through endless stone corridors, illuminated by antique chandeliers that looked straight out of another era, though fitted with warm LED lights. The contrast between the calm of the castle and the storm brewing outside was unbearable.
Lucius was the first to break the silence. "This changes everything."
Evangelina, crossing her arms, shot back, "No, it doesn't change who we are. It changes how people are going to see us."
Killian stopped dead in his tracks.
"It's not the same," he said, looking at each of us in turn. "We rescue people; we don't execute them. We intervene when victims are in immediate danger. We don't go out looking for revenge."
Bruce, leaning against a stone wall, muttered under his breath, "The press doesn't care about that distinction."
I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. "Neither do people," I added. "To them, we're an idea now... and you can't control an idea."
We settled into a spacious room, where a fire crackled softly. Outside, the wind battered the windows as if trying to break in and tear us away from our refuge.
Lucius paced back and forth. "They're going to use us. Our enemies, the politicians, the media... all of them. They're going to claim we started a movement."
"And the worst part," Killian added, "is that maybe we did. Maybe there are others out there being inspired by us for all the wrong reasons."
Bruce caught my eye and said, "We need to talk."
I nodded and followed him into a side hallway. He shut the door behind us, and I immediately asked, "What is it that you needed to tell me?"
He looked at me directly. "It's about my cousin and Killian. Right before we left, they met in secret. I have proof. If they're having an affair, do you want to know, or would you rather pretend you don't? You tell me."
"I want to know," I answered, though part of me resisted. "But I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding. He wouldn't do that to me. And I'd like to think she wouldn't either. There has to be a mistake."
Bruce leaned in, whispering, "At midnight, when everyone is asleep, come to the drawing room. I'll bring the proof."
"Okay," I said, turning to leave.
Lucius and I accidentally bumped into each other at the door. He stared at me for a second and tried to walk past, but I grabbed his hand. He turned back, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"No," he said flatly. "It's better if we keep our distance. You know that."
But I pleaded with him. "Wait, please. I need to ask you something important... Do you think Killian could ever cheat on me? Just tell me the truth."
He looked at me with his cold eyes.
"Without a doubt."