Page 36

CHAPTER

THIRTY-THREE

Paigelynn

The camera stares back at me, its red light blinking steadily.

My stomach twists, and my hands tremble slightly as I press them against my thighs. This is it. I’ve spent weeks preparing for this moment, rehearsing what to say, but now that it’s here, my throat feels dry, and my chest is tight.

The words are heavy, but I know I have to speak them.

For me.

But mostly, for the others.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Newman says from his corner, his tone sharp and businesslike.

His fingers move over the keyboard like he’s composing a symphony.

“The setup is flawless. News outlets, dark web forums, social media. This is going to explode. They’ll never be able to put this back in the box. ”

I glance at him, his calm focus somehow both reassuring and terrifying. Debbie is leaning against the table, arms crossed, her gaze steady on me.

Cam sits just out of the frame, his presence grounding me, as always. His eyes are warm, silently telling me, You’ve got this.

I take a deep breath, letting his steadiness anchor me.

Finally, I speak. “My name is Paigelynn,” I say, my voice trembling but firm.

“For most of my life, I was part of a system that controlled me, lied to me, and tried to steal everything from me. That system has no name, but it is very real. It is a network of old billionaire families stealing your girls for their organs. I know this seems preposterous, but it's true. I’m here to tell you the truth. And I have evidence.”

The words come out slow and heavy at first, each one a weight I have to lift.

As I keep going, they start to flow faster, stronger.

I talk about the lies they told me—the prophecy, the destiny they claimed I was born for.

I talk about the billionaire-run organ-trafficking network powered by Synergy900, how they turned people like me into products, not human beings.

I talk about The Mother, her cold, cruel hands, and how she manipulated everyone around her with her fake prophecy.

But I don’t stop there. I press forward, my voice hardening.

“Makiah Rooney used his megachurch to lure families like mine into this system. He promised hope, salvation, community. What he gave us was lies. He told us to test using Synergy900, which was created by Dominic Luisi, Niall Donegal, and others. He groomed parents to trust him so he could take their daughters. He took me. He handed me over to them like I was nothing.”

I pause, my throat tightening as the words sit heavy in the air.

I glance at Cam, his gaze steady on me, and I push forward.

“If my parents are watching this,” I say, my voice cracking slightly, “I want you to know... I don’t blame you.

You were lied to, just like I was. And I forgive you.

But I need you to know this: What they told you—what they told all of us—it’s not real.

The prophecy is fake. The billionaire cabal made it all up to control people. ”

My hands shake in my lap, but I don’t stop.

“To anyone who is still living in this cult, if you can hear me, please leave. You don’t have to stay.

You don’t have to believe their lies. They’re not your family.

They don’t own you. You can get out. Find a phone.

Call the local police. Go to the website on the screen. ”

The silence in the room is deafening. My chest is tight, and my throat feels raw, but I keep going.

“I’m sharing this because I want to save others from what happened to me.

I want the world to see what they’ve done.

The lives they’ve destroyed. The girls they’ve taken.

And I want the ones still out there to know that they’re not alone.

You can fight back. You can take your life back. ”

When I finally stop, the red light blinks steadily, marking the end of my confession. The words hang in the air, heavy and final. My breath comes in short gasps, my chest heaving as the weight of everything settles over me.

“That’s going to hit like a bomb,” Newman says after a moment, his tone dry but tinged with something like respect. “Especially the part about the DNA databases like Synergy900 and the megachurch. You just took out two huge recruiting pipelines in one video.”

“And they deserve to burn,” Debbie says firmly, pushing off the table. Her voice is hard, righteous. "Never loved seeing a stock crater so much."

Newman's smirk is gold. She ignores it and continues:

“Makiah Rooney built his empire on lies and manipulation. His church was just a front for trafficking. People need to know that.”

“And they will,” Newman says, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “This is the kind of thing people latch onto. Evil billionaires. Fake religious leaders. Human organ trafficking. It’s the perfect storm. Once it hits the dark web and the big outlets, it’ll spread like wildfire.”

Debbie nods, but her gaze shifts back to me. “You did good, Paigelynn,” she says, her voice softening. “You told the truth. That’s what matters.”

Newman clears his throat, breaking the silence.

"Well, that’s going to get some attention," he says, his tone dry.

"Man, the part about commercial DNA databases. You know, the ones where people actually pay money to give these billionaires their genetic data. Truly brilliant stuff. ‘Hey, let’s find out if I have a third cousin twice removed in Idaho while unknowingly handing over everything a cabal of organ traffickers needs to hunt me down.’"

Debbie shoots him a sharp look, her arms still crossed.

"Don’t blame the victims," she says, her voice hard.

"They were tricked just like Paigelynn was. Those DNA companies don’t exactly advertise that their data is being sold to the highest bidder.

Or that they were founded and funded by people who want to turn customers into spare parts. "

"True," Newman says with a shrug, his fingers still flying over the keyboard.

"But maybe people should stop treating their DNA like a fun little party game. ‘Oh, look, I’m fourteen percent Scandinavian!’ Meanwhile, some billionaire in a dark room is rubbing his hands together, picking out the perfect kidney for his next surgery. "

"Newman," Debbie says sharply, her tone cutting through his sarcasm.

He holds up his hands, smirking. "Fine, fine. I’ll save the soapbox for later. But you know I’m right."

Debbie doesn’t respond, but the fire in her eyes says enough. She turns back to me, her voice softening. "You okay?"

I let out a shaky breath, my hands clenching and unclenching in my lap. “What if it’s not enough?” I ask quietly. “What if this doesn’t change anything?”

Cam is beside me in an instant, his hand covering mine, warm and steady. “It’s already changing things,” he says. “You’ve done something huge, Paigelynn. You’ve started something that can’t be stopped.”

“What if they come after us?” I whisper. “What if?—”

“Let them try,” Debbie cuts in, her voice sharp.

“The Mother’s dead. Dominic’s dead. Makiah’s gone.

Niall Donegal’s holding on by a thread, one son dead, the other a drunk, and he doesn’t have the resources to rebuild easily.

They’re scattered. Weak. This will crush them.

They'll be stuck in damage control mode for a very long time. And you are going to be very, very hard to find. TINSA is the best in the world.”

Her confidence is steady, unshakable, but my hands still tremble.

Newman straightens in his chair, cracking his knuckles. “All right,” he says, his tone brisk. “It’s ready. One click, and the world knows everything.”

I glance at the camera, the blinking red light still burning in my mind. This is it. Everything I’ve lived through, everything they’ve done, laid bare for the world to see.

My story.

My truth.

“Do it,” I say, my voice stronger than I feel.

Newman doesn’t hesitate. His fingers fly across the keys, and the screen fills with lines of code. “It’s done,” he says after a moment, his voice quiet but certain. “The truth is out there.”

The room falls silent, the weight of it pressing down on all of us. I sit back in my chair, my breath shaky.

It’s over.

It’s out there.

For the first time in my life, I’ve taken control of my own story.

Cam pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly. “You’re incredible,” he whispers, his lips brushing my hair. “Don’t ever forget that.”

I bury my face in his chest, the tears finally spilling over.

I let myself believe him.