Chapter 8 - The Impossible PhotographSebastián stared at the baby.
Then at Valeria.
Then at Vega.
"I gave birth tonight."
Valeria's voice was trembling.
"The baby isn't ours."
Sebastián felt the floor tilt.
Vega smiled.
"Not yet."
He held the newborn carefully.
Sebastián stepped forward.
"Put my child down."
Vega looked at him.
"Your child?"
"Yes."
"How certain are you?"
Sebastián's eyes narrowed.
"What are you saying?"
Vega turned to Valeria.
"Tell him."
Valeria looked down.
The truth was already destroying her.
"The baby was born twenty minutes ago."
Sebastián's face went blank.
"What?"
"The delivery happened in an operating room beneath this hospital."
He looked at her stomach.
Then at the baby.
"You gave birth?"
She nodded.
"Then why did you say this isn't ours?"
"Because I don't know which baby is yours."
Silence.
Vega smiled.
"Now you understand the problem."
Sebastián's father stepped forward.
"Twenty years ago, the network developed a procedure."
Mercer stared.
"What procedure?"
"Identity separation."
Sebastián looked confused.
His father explained.
"Certain children were assigned identities before birth."
"For what?"
"To control inheritance."
Rebeca whispered:
"Enough."
His father ignored her.
"Sebastián, your birth was also manipulated."
The room went silent.
Sebastián looked at his mother.
"What did you do?"
Rebeca could not meet his eyes.
Vega held up a photograph.
It showed two newborn babies.
Beside one crib was the name Sebastián.
Beside the other was a different name.
Sebastián stepped closer.
Then he saw the date.
The babies had been born on the same day.
At the same hospital.
Same time.
He looked at his father.
"There were two of us."
His father nodded.
"The original heir."
"Who?"
His father looked toward Vega.
"His son."
Sebastián felt sick.
"Vega's son?"
"No."
Vega smiled.
"Your brother."
Sebastián stared at him.
"What is his name?"
Vega answered:
"Adrián."
Rebeca suddenly whispered:
"Adrián died."
Vega laughed.
"No."
The newborn cried.
Everyone looked at the child.
Vega said:
"He didn't."
Sebastián's heart pounded.
"Where is my brother?"
Vega pointed toward the hallway.
Sebastián followed his gaze.
A man stepped out of the shadows.
Late twenties.
Tall.
Dark eyes.
Same jawline.
Same scar above the eyebrow.
Sebastián stared.
The stranger smiled.
"Hello, little brother."
Sebastián could not move.
Adrián looked at Valeria.
Then at the baby.
Then back at Sebastián.
"You have something that belongs to me."
"What?"
"The family."
Sebastián's father stepped forward.
"No."
Adrián pulled a gun.
"Father."
His father stopped.
"You chose him."
"I protected him."
"You sacrificed me."
Adrián's expression changed.
"I spent twenty-seven years being told I was disposable."
Valeria moved beside Sebastián.
Adrián aimed at her.
"Now I want what was promised."
Sebastián stepped in front of Valeria.
"What do you want?"
Adrián smiled.
"You."
Sebastián frowned.
"Me?"
"Your identity."
Adrián held up a document.
It was a birth certificate.
With Sebastián's name.
Adrián pointed at the baby.
"And your child."
Vega looked at his watch.
"Enough."
Adrián lowered the gun.
"You're right."
He looked at Sebastián.
"The district attorney will arrive in seven minutes."
Sebastián stared.
"How do you know?"
Adrián smiled.
"Because I called him."
Sebastián's blood ran cold.
"Why?"
Adrián leaned closer.
"Because the files you think are evidence..."
May you like
He held up a flash drive.
"...are actually a trap."
