CHAPTER 6 — CHOOSE YOUR DAUGHTER
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Every screen in the laboratory displayed the same message.
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.
Then another line appeared.
CHOOSE WHICH DAUGHTER YOU WANT TO SAVE.
Isabella looked at me.
“Dad…”
I pulled her into my arms.
“We're saving both.”
Lucas stared at the screens.
“There has to be a way out.”
Elena was already searching the walls.
“It's not just a threat.”
“What?”
She pointed toward a monitor.
“Look at the timer.”
A red number had appeared.
09:41
It was counting down.
Lucas ran toward the steel door and slammed his shoulder against it.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
“It's reinforced.”
I looked around the room.
“There's another exit.”
Elena shook her head.
“Not from here.”
“You built this place?”
“No.”
“But you've been here.”
“I was brought here.”
She walked toward the medical equipment.
Her hands were shaking.
“This room wasn't designed to keep people out.”
She looked at the door.
“It was designed to keep people in.”
The timer changed.
08:59
Isabella suddenly spoke.
“Dad.”
I turned.
She was standing beside one of the computers.
“There.”
“What?”
She pointed at a small symbol beneath the screen.
A triangle.
Inside it was the number 030.
I walked over.
“That's Sofia's file.”
Isabella nodded.
“She told me something before.”
“When?”
“Before you came home.”
My heart tightened.
“What did she tell you?”
“She said there was a secret door.”
“Where?”
Isabella looked around.
“Behind the big refrigerator.”
Lucas immediately moved toward it.
He grabbed the handle.
It didn't move.
“Help me.”
I joined him.
Together, we pushed.
The refrigerator shifted a few inches.
Behind it was a narrow metal panel.
Lucas pulled it open.
A passage appeared.
Elena stared at it.
“I didn't know that was there.”
The timer continued.
07:36
We entered.
The passage was barely wide enough for two people.
I kept Isabella close.
Lucas went first.
Elena followed.
We moved through the darkness until we reached another door.
This one had a keypad.
Isabella stepped forward.
“I know the code.”
I stopped her.
“How?”
“Beatriz taught me.”
Lucas looked at me.
“She may have been preparing you for this.”
I entered the code.
The door opened.
We found ourselves inside a small observation room.
A large glass window separated us from another chamber.
And inside that chamber was Sofia.
She was sitting on the floor.
Alone.
Barefoot.
Her knees were pulled against her chest.
Isabella pressed both hands against the glass.
“Sofia!”
The little girl looked up.
Her eyes widened.
“Isabella?”
My daughter nodded.
“It's me.”
Sofia rushed toward the glass.
Then stopped.
She looked at me.
“Are you her father?”
“Yes.”
Sofia stared at me for several seconds.
Then she whispered:
“You shouldn't trust Beatriz.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Why?”
“She lied to you.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Sofia shook her head.
“You don't know the biggest lie.”
“What lie?”
She looked toward a camera mounted in the corner.
“They're listening.”
I stepped closer to the glass.
“Who?”
Sofia whispered:
“Your father.”
The timer continued.
06:12
Lucas looked at Elena.
“You said he was dead.”
“He was supposed to be.”
Sofia shook her head.
“He's alive.”
I stared at her.
“Where?”
She pointed upward.
“Above us.”
I looked at the ceiling.
“What?”
“He watches everything.”
Then the speaker crackled.
A man's voice filled the room.
My father's voice.
“Very good, Sofia.”
Everyone froze.
He laughed.
“You've always been the clever one.”
I stepped toward the camera.
“Show yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm done playing your games.”
“You still don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
“You came home early because you received an anonymous message.”
I froze.
I had forgotten about it.
Two weeks before my scheduled return, I received a strange message.
COME HOME. DON'T TRUST YOUR WIFE.
I had assumed it was a prank.
But it had been the reason I changed my flight.
I looked at Elena.
“Did you send that?”
She shook her head.
“Then who did?”
My father's voice answered.
“I did.”
Silence.
I stared at the camera.
“You wanted me to find out.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I needed you to see what your family has become.”
“You created this.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“Your grandfather created it.”
I felt a chill.
“My grandfather?”
“Three generations of your family have been involved.”
Elena whispered:
“Daniel…”
My father continued.
“Your brother was Subject 031.”
I looked at Lucas.
“Your daughter was Subject 032.”
I looked at Isabella.
“And Subject 030…”
He paused.
“Was never a failure.”
Sofia stepped backward.
The room behind her suddenly filled with red light.
A hidden door opened.
Two men entered.
Sofia screamed.
I slammed my fist against the glass.
“LET HER GO!”
My father's voice remained calm.
“You have six minutes.”
“What do you want?”
“One child.”
“You're insane.”
“No.”
He paused.
“I want the child who belongs to this family.”
I looked at Isabella.
Then at Sofia.
“Both of them are children.”
“No.”
His voice sharpened.
“Only one is your biological daughter.”
My heart pounded.
“What are you saying?”
“Look at the files.”
I turned toward the computer.
A new document had appeared.
PATERNITY ANALYSIS
I opened it.
Two names.
ISABELLA MORALES — 0% MATCH
SOFIA MORALES — 99.98% MATCH
I couldn't breathe.
Isabella saw the screen.
Her face collapsed.
“Dad…”
I immediately turned the monitor away.
“Don't look.”
“But…”
“You're my daughter.”
Sofia began crying.
“I told you.”
“What?”
“Beatriz saved me.”
I stared through the glass.
“How?”
Sofia wiped her tears.
“She switched us.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Six years ago.”
She looked at Isabella.
“Your mom wanted to save me.”
Elena covered her mouth.
“No…”
Sofia continued.
“Beatriz took me away.”
“Why?”
“Because they were going to kill me.”
I stared at the screen.
“So Isabella was…”
“The replacement.”
Silence.
My father's voice returned.
“Now you understand.”
I looked at the camera.
“You made Beatriz do this.”
“No.”
“You threatened her.”
“Yes.”
“You forced her to torture my daughter.”
“No.”
His answer came instantly.
“She volunteered.”
My blood went cold.
“That isn't true.”
“She knew what would happen if she refused.”
The timer flashed.
03:47
Then another message appeared.
ONE CHILD WILL LEAVE.
ONE CHILD WILL STAY.
I looked at Isabella.
She was crying.
I looked at Sofia.
She was terrified.
Then I noticed something strange.
Sofia wasn't looking at me.
She was looking at Isabella.
And Isabella wasn't looking at Sofia.
She was staring at the floor.
I walked toward my daughter.
“Sweetheart.”
She didn't respond.
“Isabella?”
She slowly looked up.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
Then she whispered:
“Dad…”
“Yes?”
“I remember.”
“Remember what?”
She looked toward the camera.
“The night Mommy disappeared.”
My heart stopped.
“What do you remember?”
She swallowed.
“She didn't leave.”
“Then what happened?”
“She was taken.”
“By whom?”
Isabella's voice became barely audible.
“By Beatriz.”
I looked at Elena.
She shook her head.
“No.”
But Isabella continued.
“And I remember who helped her.”
The timer reached:
02:58
“Who?”
Isabella pointed toward Lucas.
“Uncle Lucas.”
Lucas went completely still.
“That isn't possible.”
Isabella stared at him.
“You were there.”
Lucas stepped backward.
“No.”
“You carried Mommy.”
“No.”
“You put her in the car.”
Lucas's face turned white.
“I was eight years old.”
Isabella frowned.
“You were an adult.”
Lucas looked at me.
I looked at him.
Something was terribly wrong.
Then the lights went out.
A door opened behind us.
When the emergency lights returned, Elena was gone.
So was Lucas.
Only Isabella and Sofia remained.
May you like
And on the glass between us, someone had written one sentence in red:
YOUR BROTHER ISN'T LUCAS.
