Chapter 11 - Nobody spoke.The sentence remained on the wall.
MATTHEW ISN'T THE IMPOSTOR.
ADRIAN IS.
Emma clutched Lily.
Daniel stared at Adrian.
Matteo looked toward the tunnel.
Marcus slowly lowered his weapon.
Adrian felt something primitive awaken inside him.
Not fear.
Disbelief.
“Who wrote that?”
Matteo answered:
“Someone who wants us to question which brother we're looking at.”
Adrian turned.
“I am Adrian Moretti.”
Matteo didn't respond.
“Say it.”
“You are Adrian.”
“Then why doesn't that sentence make sense?”
“Because someone wants it to.”
Lily stared at Adrian.
Then at Matteo.
Then at Daniel.
She pointed at Adrian.
“That's not him.”
Emma froze.
“What?”
Lily hugged Bunny.
“That man isn't Mr. Moretti.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Lily.”
She shook her head.
“The real one smells like smoke.”
Nobody understood.
Then Lily pointed toward Matthew's photograph.
“He has the same eyes.”
Adrian crouched.
“Who told you that?”
“Nobody.”
“Then how do you know?”
She whispered:
“Because the other man told me.”
Adrian's blood ran cold.
“Which other man?”
“The one downstairs.”
Matteo looked at Adrian.
“There is another level.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Of course.”
Marcus whispered:
“Another?”
Matteo nodded.
“Your grandfather built three underground chambers.”
“How many did you know about?”
“Two.”
“And the third?”
“Victor didn't tell me.”
They moved again.
The tunnel beneath the nursery ended at a concrete staircase.
At the bottom was a room filled with mirrors.
Hundreds of them.
Adrian stopped.
Every reflection looked like him.
But one mirror showed a different room.
A different man.
An older Adrian.
Sitting in a chair.
Blood on his shirt.
The image flickered.
Then changed.
A recording.
Adrian watched himself speaking to someone off-camera.
“I don't remember killing him.”
A voice answered:
“You don't need to remember.”
The recording ended.
Adrian stared.
“When was this?”
Matteo looked at the equipment.
“Six years ago.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“That was the night you supposedly signed the final transfer documents.”
Adrian frowned.
“I don't remember any of this.”
“That's because you were drugged.”
“By whom?”
Daniel looked at Victor's empty place.
“Victor.”
A door opened.
Matthew stood there.
He held a gun.
Everyone froze.
“Drop yours.”
Adrian slowly lowered his weapon.
Matthew looked at Lily.
“Come with me.”
Emma tightened her grip.
“No.”
Matthew's expression cracked.
“I won't hurt her.”
“You kidnapped her.”
“To keep her away from Victor.”
“That isn't protection.”
Matthew glanced at Adrian.
“You still don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Matthew stepped into the light.
“The man you think is Victor's ally isn't Victor.”
Adrian frowned.
“Who is he?”
“Someone named Elias.”
“Elias what?”
Matthew shook his head.
“I never learned the last name.”
Matteo suddenly moved.
Matthew fired.
The bullet hit Matteo's shoulder.
Emma screamed.
Marcus fired back.
Matthew disappeared behind the door.
Adrian caught Matteo before he fell.
Blood spread across his shirt.
“You're bleeding.”
Matteo laughed.
“Apparently.”
Adrian pressed a hand to the wound.
“Why did he shoot you?”
Matteo looked toward the door.
“Because he knows.”
“Knows what?”
“The truth about you.”
Adrian froze.
“What truth?”
Matteo's eyes met his.
“Your identity isn't fake.”
Adrian exhaled.
“Then what?”
Matteo whispered:
“You're not the Adrian who inherited the company.”
Adrian felt the room disappear.
“The original Adrian was killed six years ago.”
Silence.
Emma stared.
Daniel whispered:
“No.”
Matteo nodded.
“The man standing here is his replacement.”
Adrian shook his head.
“That isn't possible.”
“You were taken six years ago.”
“I wasn't.”
“You don't remember.”
“I remember everything.”
Matteo's voice was gentle.
“No.”
He pointed toward the mirrors.
“You remember what they wanted you to remember.”
Adrian stared at his own reflection.
A tiny detail disturbed him.
The scar near his eyebrow.
He had always believed it came from a childhood accident.
But in the mirror, the scar wasn't there.
Adrian touched his face.
His fingers trembled.
“Where did I get this?”
Matteo said nothing.
Emma covered her mouth.
Then Lily whispered:
“Mommy said never tell.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Tell me what?”
Lily looked at Emma.
Emma was crying.
“Lily…”
The child whispered:
“The real Mr. Moretti had a scar on the other side.”
Adrian's blood went cold.
He touched the right side.
Then the left.
The scar he remembered.
The scar his entire life had been built around.
A fake scar.
A fake memory.
A fake identity.
He looked at Matteo.
“Who am I?”
Before Matteo could answer, the room's speakers activated.
Victor's voice filled the chamber.
“You're about to ask the right question.”
Adrian looked up.
Victor continued:
“Who were you before 11:48?”
The lights shut off.
A projector came alive.
A single image appeared.
Adrian's childhood photograph.
The real photograph.
And beside it...
a photograph of the man currently standing in the room.
The faces were different.
But the name beneath both photographs was the same.
May you like
ADRIAN MORETTI.
:::
