The Prototype

Chapter 21

The fury Maia wielded surged around them, darkening the skies as her power rippled outward. Lightning forked and crashed around them, leaving scorch marks in the earth.

Each crackle in the air felt like a countdown to something more devastating—something final.

Rowan grimaced, struggling to push himself up, but his strength was waning. Nathan, floating beside Maia, was breathless, trying to find the words that might reach her. Down below, Solace stood rooted to the spot, her face streaked with tears, desperately searching for any spark of hope within the storm.

Maia descended slowly, her gaze locking onto Solace, as if drawn to something about her, something she couldn't quite place.

"You don't understand me. None of you do!" Maia's voice was a mixture of anger and despair. But there was something different in the way her eyes narrowed at Solace.

Solace took a shaky step forward, her gaze never leaving Maia's. "Maia... please. You're not just power. You're not just pain. There's more to you than that. I understand that being a woman in a man's image could seem "distracting" but you're not in Ethan's way. You cleared his way."

Solace says looking at Maia with tear-strained eyes.

"A man would be nothing without a woman more than a woman could ever be anything with a man."

Solace says taking a slight pause hoping to get through to Maia's heart from around the hatred she was feeling and spreading.

"Both of you guys' faces should be on this project. YOUR project."

"Enough!" Maia shouted, the vortex around them growing darker. But then, she froze, her expression shifting as if struck by a memory. "Wait... those words. I know those words."

Solace, realizing she had struck something deeper, swallowed and took a breath.
"Maybe you know them because they're true."

Maia's eyes narrowed, suspicion twisting her features. "Who... who are you?" she demanded, her voice edged with a dangerous curiosity.

Ethan stiffened, sensing the weight of Solace's silence. "Maia, leave her out of this. Solace isn't who you think she is."

"Oh, isn't she?" Maia sneered, her attention fixed entirely on Solace. "Then let her tell us. I want to hear it from her mouth." Her voice dropped, each word like a sharpened edge.

Ethan then realized something. It took him a while before it clicked into his head. He never once told Solace nor Rowan the complete full words of what his CEO told him about Maia.

Let alone the fact she went rouge to begin with was because of their boss' sexism and selfishness towards Maia.

Ethan looks at Solace confused with a stern look on his face. "Solace... how do you know that Maia felt angry because she felt she needed to be shut out in a man's image? My image and reputation specifically. I never told you anything about that."

Solace's eyes widened, and she looked to Rowan, silently begging him for a way out. But he shook his head, his jaw tight. There was no escape now.

Maia feeling a bit angered and determined on finding out who Solace truly was. And how she obtained any information on those very familiar words that struck her impulsive decision in the first place.

The same words that cut her deeper than any knife.

"What's your name." Maia says breathlessly looking at her, her facial expression now completely expressing curiosity and anger.

"Maia... I-" Solace calls out but gets interrupted by Ethan.

"Solace. Be completely honest. Who are you?"

"I'm Solace Colton. You know me already Ethan, even Rowan knows me."

"No there's more to it than that Solace.. I need your entire name." Ethan says his voice raising a little at her as he starts connecting the dots around her face, her words, and how they found her.

"I just told you my name!" Solace yells.

"WHAT IS YOUR FULL GODDAMN NAME!" Maia screams out in anger, as lighting strikes down on the earth below her.

Solace took a shaky breath, jumping at Maia's rage, her voice barely a whisper as a tear falls from her eyes.

"My name is Solace Colton..." she pauses closing her eyes as another tear falls from her face.

"Solace Colton-Hughes."

For a heartbeat, the world stood still. Rowan's expression shifted to one of shock, as if he was struggling to process what he had just heard. Ethan's face remained tense, his lips pressed into a thin line.

And Maia—Maia looked like she had been struck by lightning herself. Her eyes widened, horror and rage filling her expression. "Hughes?" she hissed. "As in Lawrence Hughes? You're his daughter?"

Solace nodded, the pain of her family's name heavy on her shoulders.
"Yes... Lawrence Hughes is my father."