Chapter 12 - I couldn't speak.
Victor lowered the photograph.
“Everything you believed about your childhood is false.”
Alessandro raised his weapon.
“Start talking.”
Victor smiled.
“Your mother was a surrogate.”
I felt sick.
“She carried you.”
“Who was the donor?”
Victor looked at Alessandro.
“Lucia.”
Then at me.
“And Victor Vitali.”
Alessandro went completely still.
“No.”
Victor continued.
“Elizabeth was created from their DNA.”
My knees nearly gave out.
“That means…”
“Yes.”
Victor looked at Alessandro.
“She is genetically your sister.”
Silence.
The forest disappeared around me.
My heart stopped.
“No.”
Victor sighed.
“That's why Lucia engineered your meeting.”
Alessandro stared at me in horror.
“That's why Eden needed the child.”
I covered my mouth.
Victor nodded.
“The two of you were never meant to love each other.”
I shook my head.
“I don't believe you.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“Because I'm not finished.”
He pulled out another document.
“Eden created Elizabeth to become the bridge between the Vitali and Mercer bloodlines.”
“I'm not a thing.”
“No.”
“You are a person.”
“Then tell me why the program tracked your life from birth.”
He handed me the file.
Every school.
Every address.
Every relationship.
Every medical record.
Everything.
I saw Liam's name.
Assigned protector.
I saw Alessandro's name.
Primary genetic compatibility.
I saw a note from six weeks ago.
PROJECT EDEN ACTIVATION.
PHASE THREE: MATING EVENT SUCCESSFUL.
I dropped the file.
Alessandro looked at it.
His face became pale.
“This isn't possible.”
Victor looked at him.
“Then ask your mother.”
A voice came from behind us.
“Don't.”
We turned.
Lucia stepped from the trees.
She looked at Victor.
“You always did love dramatic entrances.”
Victor smiled.
“And you always did love stealing children.”
Alessandro looked at his mother.
“Is it true?”
Lucia's eyes moved to me.
“You weren't supposed to know yet.”
“Am I your daughter?”
“Yes.”
The word shattered everything.
I looked at Alessandro.
He couldn't meet my eyes.
Lucia continued.
“I created Eden to save this family.”
“You murdered people.”
“I sacrificed people.”
“You murdered them.”
“Yes.”
She didn't deny it.
“I killed your brother.”
Alessandro's hand shook.
“You used me.”
“I needed the two bloodlines combined.”
“Why?”
“Because your father was dying.”
Alessandro stared.
“What?”
“Your father carried a genetic disorder. A rare mutation.”
Victor laughed.
“And Lucia thought Eden could cure him.”
“It worked.”
“For how long?”
Lucia looked away.
“Three years.”
Alessandro suddenly understood.
“My father wasn't killed.”
Lucia said nothing.
“You let him die.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to destroy Eden.”
Silence.
I felt as though I were drowning.
Then Lucia looked at me.
“You've already changed.”
“What?”
“Your blood.”
She pointed at my stomach.
“The pregnancy altered your genetic markers.”
I stepped back.
“How?”
“Your child is carrying both lines.”
“What happens when it's born?”
Lucia answered softly:
“Eden becomes permanent.”
Victor stepped forward.
“That child could expose every modified subject in the network.”
Lucia looked at him.
“That is why I need it.”
Alessandro raised his weapon again.
“You're not taking my child.”
Lucia smiled.
“It isn't your decision.”
The trees erupted with movement.
Dozens of armed men surrounded us.
Victor looked at me.
“Choose carefully.”
Lucia held out her hand.
“Come with me.”
“No.”
“Then everyone you love dies.”
She pointed toward Liam.
Then Samuel.
Then Rachel.
And finally Alessandro.
“I can make every name on that ledger become real.”
I stared at her.
Then I realized something.
The second ledger.
The dates.
It wasn't a death list.
It was a schedule.
A schedule of sacrifices.
And one name was missing.
Lucia Vitali.
I smiled slowly.
“You forgot someone.”
Her expression changed.
“What?”
I held up the first ledger.
“You didn't write your own name.”
Lucia's eyes narrowed.
“Because you don't expect to die.”
I stepped forward.
“But you will.”
Victor looked at me.
“Why?”
I smiled.
“Because the second ledger doesn't tell us who dies.”
I opened it.
“It tells us who controls Eden.”
I turned to the final page.
At the bottom was a handwritten line.
AUTHORIZED SUCCESSOR:
ELIZABETH MERCER.
Lucia went white.
“No.”
I looked at her.
“You created me.”
May you like
Then I whispered:
“So I could replace you.”
