The red marks on her skin were gone. Her health had bounced back miraculously, thanks to the immune transfusion, thanks to the red liquid that had come from him.
«Daddy, look at the boat,» Ellie pointed out toward the water, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
Jack smiled, knelt down, and opened his arms. She ran into his embrace.
He held her close, his heart softening for the first time after the storm they’d been through.
«Do you like it here?» He asked.
«I do. There’s the beach, sunshine, and no more bugs.»
Ellie giggled.
«I’m safe now, right Daddy?»
Jack held her a little tighter, and whispered,
«Yes. And you’ll never have to be afraid again.»
Since Ellie had been discharged from the hospital, Jack had been sleeping on the spare bed in her room. Not out of fear, but because he wanted her to always feel his presence nearby.
The case behind Project K-21 had been fully exposed.
With the hard drive Jack had recovered and the footage from the raid, Harold Knox and his organization were dragged into the light. International media exploded.
Knox was arrested and now faced life in prison.
His associates, including Vanessa Harper, were also held accountable. Vanessa was convicted of collusion and unlawful intervention with minors offering no defense.
Jack didn’t feel vindicated, he just felt a quiet sorrow for someone who was once part of his life, now reduced to a criminal.
The other children were transferred to a specialized medical facility for treatment. Jack had gone to visit them. They called him the kind doctor.
He didn’t correct them. He wasn’t a doctor, but he was someone who had kept his promise.
Diana West once invited him to speak at a global forum on medical ethics.
Jack declined.
«I’m just a father,» he said. «I did it for my daughter, not for applause.»
Diana understood and respected that.
Life slowly returned to its rhythm. Jack and Ellie practiced living normally again.
They went grocery shopping, cooked meals together, walked along the beach, and re-learned how to trust in safety.
The scar remained, but it no longer wept red.
One afternoon, Ellie handed him a drawing.
In it was a man in a button-up shirt, holding hands with a little girl under the sunlight.
«What’s this one called, sweetheart?» Jack asked.
«The hero without armor just, holding the girl’s hand,» Ellie replied.
Jack pulled her into a tight hug. It was the only title he ever needed.
A few months later, Jack founded a non-profit called The Ellie Foundation, dedicated to protecting children from inhumane experimentation and supporting victims like Ellie.
He never stood in front of the cameras. All administrative tasks were handled by a trusted team. Jack stayed quietly involved, contributing behind the scenes.
With the help of Meyer and Diana, the Foundation found steady footing. Jack worked remotely, but never strayed from his mission.
One night, the two of them sat out on the balcony.
The sky was filled with stars.
«Daddy,» Ellie whispered. «I love you.»
Jack smiled, pulling her close.
«I love you too, more than anything.»
Out beyond the railing, the waves kept rolling in.
But in Jack’s arms, his daughter was safe, and that was all that ever truly mattered.
Jack and Ellie’s story isn’t just a journey to uncover a dark conspiracy. It’s a powerful reminder of what love can do, that even a father who once fought on the battlefield can become a silent hero in his own home.