Page 91 of Omega's Formula

I can’t process what she’s saying. The words are hitting my ears but they’re not making sense.

“That’s—no. That doesn’t—” I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “There is no way that Erik Nilsson is ever going to give in on this. He’s a proud son of a bitch.”

“Apparently not.” Ellie cuts me off. “It’s all over the news.”

My hand is shaking. I press it harder against my stomach, trying to ground myself.

“I don’t understand,” I whisper.

“I know. I didn’t either, at first.” Ellie’s voice softens. “He’s been coming to see me, Nolan. For weeks now. At first I thought he was just trying to find you, but... I don’t think that’s all it is. I think he actually cares. About me. About you. About—” She stops.

“About what?”

“He knows about the baby.”

The stockroom goes very quiet. I can hear my own heartbeat, too fast, too loud.

“How?”

“I told him.” Before I can react, she rushes on. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want him to know. But he already suspected and I just... I couldn’t lie to his face. Not when he was sitting there looking like his whole world had ended.”

“Ellie—”

“He’s not going to take the baby.” Her voice is firm now, certain. “He told me. He said he doesn’t care what the contract says, he’ll have the custody clause struck, he’ll sign whatever you need. He said—” She takes a breath. “He said he just wants a chance. To be there. To be part of things. And if you need him to stay away, he will. But he wanted you to know that he loves you. That he never stopped.”

I can’t breathe.

“I need to go,” I manage.

“Nolan—”

“I’ll call you back. I just—I need to think.”

I hang up before she can respond.

I don’t go back to the dishes.

Instead I find my manager and tell him I need to leave early, family emergency. He takes one look at my face and waves me off without questions.

The walk home is a blur. I’m barely aware of the rain misting against my face, the familiar streets passing under my feet. All I can think about is what Ellie said.

Erik believes me.

Erik loves me.

I get back to the house and go straight to my room, pulling out my laptop with shaking hands. It takes three tries to type the search correctly.

The press release is everywhere.

I read it once, twice, three times. The words blur and sharpen and blur again.

Nilsson Industries regrets to announce that we were the victims of a sophisticated fraud perpetrated by Alistair Wallace... Our internal investigation has revealed that the research acquired from Mr. Wallace was stolen from its rightful creator, Dr. Nolan West, along with work from at least three other researchers... We apologize unreservedly to Dr. West and all affected parties, and commit to making full financial reparations...

Dr. Nolan West.

He used my title. I keep reading. There are articles about the lawsuit against Wallace. Interviews with legal experts discussing the case. Think pieces about corporate responsibility and research theft. And everywhere, everywhere, Erik’s name—not as a villain, but as someone who was deceived and is now trying to make it right.

I find an interview from this morning. Erik, standing outside his office building, looking exhausted and determined. A reporter asks him about the financial impact of the reparations.