Chapter 7 - The Test They HidThe next morning, Daniel took Rachel to a private laboratory.
No staff knew her name.
No records were entered under the Moretti family.
They ran a genetic comparison using old samples.
Rachel asked the doctor one question.
“Will this tell me who my father is?”
The doctor hesitated.
“It may identify a biological relationship.”
“That is enough.”
They waited.
Three hours.
Then the doctor returned.
He looked uncomfortable.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Daniel stood.
“What did you find?”
The doctor placed two reports on the table.
“The sample matches your father.”
Silence.
Rachel stared at him.
“Your father.”
Daniel's face went blank.
“That means…”
The doctor nodded.
“Rachel is your half-sister.”
Rachel sat down.
For several seconds, she couldn't hear anything.
Daniel had been afraid of many things in his life.
Enemies.
Betrayal.
Death.
Nothing prepared him for this.
Rachel looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“We got married.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The doctor quickly spoke.
“The samples indicate a shared biological parent, but I strongly recommend confirmatory testing before drawing any legal or personal conclusions.”
Rachel barely heard him.
She stood.
“No.”
Daniel moved toward her.
“Rachel.”
“Don't.”
She backed away.
“You knew something.”
“I didn't.”
“You knew there was a connection.”
“I knew my father knew your mother. I didn't know this.”
Rachel shook her head.
“How convenient.”
Daniel flinched.
She left the room.
He followed.
“Rachel.”
She kept walking.
“Rachel, please.”
She stopped.
Then turned.
Her face was shattered.
“Tell me you didn't know.”
“I didn't.”
“And the bruises?”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
“The person hurting me.”
She swallowed.
“Did they know?”
Daniel understood immediately.
Someone knew the blood connection.
Someone had used it to isolate them.
To make Rachel believe Daniel hated her.
To make her fear him.
To make sure they never learned the truth together.
Daniel's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice said:
“You finally found out.”
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“Who are you?”
“You've been sleeping beside the answer.”
“Lucian.”
A soft laugh.
“You always were slow.”
Rachel looked at Daniel.
“Put him on speaker.”
Daniel did.
Lucian continued.
“You want to know why Rachel was targeted?”
Daniel said nothing.
“Because she can access something no one else can.”
“The database.”
“No.”
Lucian's voice turned cold.
“Something older.”
Rachel's blood ran cold.
“Project Mercy began before the database.”
“What do you mean?”
“It began with blood.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“Explain.”
Lucian laughed.
“You're not ready.”
“Try me.”
The line disconnected.
A second later, Rachel's phone rang.
She answered.
Her mother.
“Rachel.”
“Mom.”
“Listen carefully.”
Rachel covered one ear.
“Where are you?”
“I don't have time.”
“Tell me who my father is.”
Silence.
Then Elise whispered:
“Daniel's father.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
She already knew.
“But that's not the worst thing.”
Rachel's breath stopped.
“What could be worse?”
“You were never supposed to survive.”
The line went dead.
Rachel stared at Daniel.
He looked devastated.
She whispered:
“What does that mean?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Then the laboratory lights went out.
An emergency shutter slammed down.
The doctor screamed.
A gunshot cracked through the hall.
Daniel pulled Rachel behind him.
Someone had entered through the rear door.
Daniel drew his weapon.
“Stay behind me.”
A figure appeared in the darkness.
Not a stranger.
Not an assassin.
Victor.
He lowered his gun.
“Daniel.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Are you with Lucian?”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
Victor looked at Rachel.
“Because your mother is dead.”
Rachel froze.
“What?”
Victor's face was pale.
“They found her twenty minutes ago.”
Rachel's lips parted.
“No.”
Victor stepped closer.
“They killed her because she tried to tell you the final truth.”
“What truth?”
Victor looked at Daniel.
Then at Rachel.
May you like
And whispered:
“You are the last living person who can unlock Project Mercy.”
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