Chapter 13 - I stared at her.She couldn't be my daughter.
She was too old.
My mind screamed that it was impossible.
The girl stepped closer.
"My name is Nora."
My mother gasped.
"Nora."
The girl looked at her.
"You remember me."
My mother started crying.
Dad stepped forward.
"Nora."
The girl looked at him.
"You never came back."
Dad stopped.
"What?"
"You promised."
The room went silent.
I looked between them.
"What is happening?"
Nora looked at me.
"I'm your daughter."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I'm your first daughter."
I couldn't process it.
"You were fourteen?"
She nodded.
I looked at my mother.
She finally spoke.
"After the twins were born, one baby was secretly moved."
"Lily."
"Yes."
"And Nora?"
"Not a twin."
My mother looked at Nora.
"Nora was born years later."
My heart stopped.
"Then why does she look like me?"
My mother whispered:
"Because she's your clone."
Silence.
I thought I'd misunderstood.
"What?"
My mother continued.
"Your grandfather funded a genetic research program."
Dad stared at her.
"I never knew."
"Only a few people did."
Luca looked horrified.
"What did they do?"
My mother answered:
"They created Nora using Emily's DNA."
I stepped backward.
"No."
Nora lowered her eyes.
"They raised me here."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because they wanted a replacement."
"For me?"
"Yes."
The blood drained from my face.
"They planned to kill you."
Dad grabbed the edge of the table.
"When?"
My mother said:
"After the baby was born."
I looked at my stomach.
My unborn child.
The ledger.
The genetic evidence.
Everything finally connected.
They didn't just want my money.
They wanted the genetic line.
They wanted control of the Moretti inheritance.
And now there were three girls tied to it.
Lily.
Nora.
My unborn daughter.
A door opened downstairs.
Footsteps.
Many of them.
Luca drew his weapon.
"He's here."
Anthony entered the hall.
He looked at me.
Then at Nora.
His smile was cold.
"Beautiful."
Dad raised his gun.
Anthony laughed.
"You still don't understand, Vincent."
He pointed toward Nora.
"She was the backup."
Then he pointed toward my stomach.
"And the baby is the key."
I stepped in front of Nora.
Anthony smiled.
"Exactly."
He turned to my mother.
"Tell her."
My mother shook her head.
Anthony raised his weapon.
"I'll tell her myself."
He looked at me.
"The Moretti bloodline isn't inherited through money."
He paused.
"It's inherited through memory."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Anthony smiled.
"Your grandmother encoded the entire family ledger into your genetic markers."
I stared.
"What?"
"Every secret."
"Every transaction."
"Every name."
"It's all inside you."
I felt sick.
"You're lying."
Anthony looked at Nora.
"Ask her."
Nora stepped closer.
"I remember everything."
I stared.
"What?"
"Things I never lived."
Nora touched her temple.
"Places. Names. Dates."
"How?"
"Because I was created from you."
Dad stared in horror.
Anthony smiled.
"Which means if Emily dies..."
He lifted his gun.
"...Nora becomes the only living key."
A gunshot exploded.
Anthony fell backward.
Everyone froze.
Luca stood behind him.
But Anthony was still smiling.
Blood spread across his shirt.
He looked at me.
"You think that's the end?"
His eyes moved toward the window.
"It has already begun."
Then his body went still.
Dad lowered his weapon.
"What does he mean?"
Luca looked outside.
His face changed.
"Helicopters."
I looked up.
Three black helicopters circled the estate.
And every one of them carried the same symbol.
May you like
A Moretti family crest.
Except it was upside down.
