TODAY

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Jarod spent the rest of the morning doing what he’d always done best: having a close eye on Lyle’s activities. Parker didn’t know anything about it, but Jarod monitored his pretended brother in law every day. Lyle had made a promise ten years before, but Jarod didn’t trust him to keep it. He still saw Lyle as the killer of his brothers, nothing more, nothing less.

As soon as Parker had informed him that she was pregnant with their second child, Jarod had put hidden cameras in Lyle’s and Raines’ offices.     

Within the last ten years, he’d always kept an eye on them. That was the reason he had found out that Raines had died for a respiratory failure in 2011 or that Lyle was still holding up his end of the bargain. And that oddly nobody at the Centre seemed to be looking for Jarod and Parker.

Yes, the facility was still working. And yes, they still did tremendous things. But Jarod wasn’t interested anymore. He was content, as long as Lyle didn’t threaten the happiness they had eventually found. Lyle had practically become a puppet in the hands of the Triumvirate. He felt bored and useless, his life wasn’t as exciting as it used to be a few years before. He’d also suffered the blow after Raines’ death because now he was alone against the Africans.

How did the Centre manage to survive without his skills, Jarod didn’t know. And he didn’t care at all. He just wanted to be left alone with his family.

---

“What the hell – ”

Jarod turned around fast and closed the laptop screen, but it was too late: Parker had seen everything. She moved over him and pushed him aside.“Parker, wait…”She glared at him and Jarod sighed, then he let her open the screen. The videos of Lyle’s office cameras appeared under their nose again.

“When did you think you’d tell me about this!?” she yelled at him.

“You weren’t supposed to find out, Parker. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? For this? Or for not telling me?”

Jarod sighed again, “Parker, I didn’t want to upset you.”

Parker shook her head and started to pace around, “I really don’t get it, Jarod. Ten years ago you were the one who told me we had to let the Centre go, that we had everything we needed. That you didn’t want to hear or talk about the Centre anymore.”

“And I meant it, Parker!” he replied, standing up.

“But you put cameras all over the country to control Lyle?!”

Jarod smiled, she always exagerated things when she got angry at him, “Not – all over the country, just in his office. And his house. And…his car.”

Parker couldn’t believe her ears.

“I thought you’d never lie to me, lab rat.”

Jarod shook his head and took her arms in his hands. “I’ve never lied to you, Parker. I didn’t want you to worry, this was just a reasonable precaution.”

“Reasonable? Do you even know what that word means?” 

Jarod grinned, “I’m sorry, Parker. I wanted us to live our lives without thinking about the past. Everything was fine, we were happy and safe. Nothing mattered more, to me.”

Parker stared at him, she still felt betrayed, “You should have told me. See? The past always comes back to haunt us…”

“No, it doesn’t.” Jarod replied sharply. “I assure you that Lyle is not up to something. That’s how I knew that man you saw at school was not following Lyle’s orders. Your sick brother is still having the time of his life, he’s just more annoyed and bored. He also put on a few pounds.” Jarod told her, his hand pointing at his computer. Parker smiled and chuckled, the sign Jarod was waiting for to kiss her. 

“Sometimes I do hate you, Boy Genius.”

“No, you don’t.” He purred back.

Parker’s smile disappeared again and Jarod sensed her mood changing. “What?”

“I don’t know, Jar. Maybe he doesn’t have anything to do with Lyle, but I still have that feeling…I think it’s my…”

“Inner sense?” 

Parker nodded and lowered her head again. She hadn’t been warned by her inner sense in years. Whenever it started to send her signals, it was never good news.

“I need to talk to him.”

Jarod opened his eyes widely and snapped at her, “What?!”

“I need to know that he really doesn’t have anything to do with this!” she answered.

“So what, you’re going to the Centre, walking inside your old office as if you'd never run away?” he urged her.

“I’ll do whatever it takes! I won’t let that bastard ruin our lives again! If he’s behind that man, I’m going to find out!”

Jarod sighed and passed his hands through his hair. Parker stared at him, he was rubbing his face. He looked worried.

“Remember the last time we saw him?”

“How could I forget?” she huffed back.

“So you remember our deal.”

“I don’t need you to remind me, Jarod!” she shouted.

“Well, I think you do! Because your brother is still the chairman of the Centre and even if now he’s nothing more than a puppet under the control of the Triumvirate…I still don’t trust him.”

“It’s been ten years. Jarod. He never betrayed his word.”

“So, now you’re defending him?!” Jarod questioned her, shocked.

Parker sighed in exasperation, “I’m not! But I must do this, Jarod!”

“Why?” he urged her again.

“Because we’re too old to run, Jarod.”

The pretender didn’t answer. He just stood there, staring at the love of his life, knowing that there was nothing he could do to make Parker change her mind.