Chapter 14 - Nathan couldn't move.Copy.
The word echoed in his mind.
His father had told him he was adopted.
Now he was saying something worse.
“You were never the first son.”
Nathan looked at Ethan.
Ethan looked equally stunned.
“Then who is the real Nathan?”
A voice behind them answered.
“I am.”
Nathan turned.
The man from the screen stepped into the doorway.
Same face.
Same body.
Same scar.
Nathan stared at himself.
Or what looked like himself.
The stranger smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
Nathan's voice trembled.
“You're Ethan.”
The man shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Ethan.
“That's Ethan.”
Nathan felt dizzy.
Then who was he?
The stranger stepped closer.
“I was born first.”
Nathan whispered:
“Your father lied.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he needed a replacement.”
Nathan's mind raced.
The stranger explained everything.
Their father had created an identity network.
When the original heir became uncontrollable, he replaced him.
But the firstborn refused.
So a second child was created.
Nathan.
Raised to believe he was the original.
Trained to inherit.
Controlled through medication and memory manipulation.
Nathan stared in horror.
“My memories…”
“Manufactured.”
“Emma?”
“She discovered the truth.”
“Why didn't she tell me?”
“Because your father would kill you.”
Nathan looked toward the screen showing Emma.
“Where is she?”
“With your real family.”
Nathan's blood ran cold.
“Sarah?”
The stranger nodded.
“Your mother survived.”
Nathan whispered:
“And Noah?”
The stranger smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Noah wasn't random.
He wasn't merely a child.
He was the biological link between the identities.
The one person whose DNA proved the entire network existed.
Nathan stared at him.
“So everyone wants him because…”
“He can expose everything.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You're still lying.”
The stranger looked at him.
“You always hated me.”
Ethan laughed.
“I hate what Dad made us.”
The stranger's expression hardened.
“Dad is dead.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
“You've been hearing a recording.”
Nathan stared.
The voice on the phone.
His father's voice.
It had never been live.
It was an old recording.
Marcus had been using it.
Nathan looked toward the control room.
“Then where is he?”
The stranger answered:
“Dead for twenty years.”
Silence.
Everything collapsed.
The mystery.
The voice.
The threats.
The entire operation.
Someone else had been controlling it.
Nathan slowly turned toward Victoria.
She was crying.
He looked at Marcus's empty doorway.
Then back at Victoria.
“Who?”
Victoria whispered:
“Your father never trusted anyone.”
“Then who is behind this?”
She looked at the stranger.
“Him.”
Nathan stared.
“No.”
The stranger smiled.
“I inherited the network.”
“You took Noah.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
The stranger looked at Ethan.
“He did.”
Ethan froze.
“What?”
The stranger continued:
“You've been working for me.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
“You leaked the hospital location.”
“I was trying to save Noah.”
“You led them straight to him.”
Ethan's face collapsed.
Nathan stared at his brother.
“You betrayed us.”
Ethan whispered:
“I didn't know.”
The stranger laughed.
“That's the beauty of family.”
Nathan raised his gun.
“Drop yours.”
The stranger did.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then Emma walked into the room.
Alive.
Nathan stared at her.
She looked at him.
“It's time.”
“What?”
She pointed toward Noah.
“The sequence is active.”
Nathan frowned.
“What sequence?”
Emma looked toward the screens.
“Every identity in your father's network is going to be released.”
Marcus appeared on one of the monitors.
He was smiling.
A countdown began.
00:10:00
Nathan stared.
“What happens when it reaches zero?”
Emma answered:
“Every hidden identity becomes public.”
“The network collapses?”
“No.”
She looked at Nathan.
“People die.”
Nathan's heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Because every person exposed will try to erase the evidence.”
The countdown reached nine minutes.
Eight.
Nathan looked at Emma.
“How do we stop it?”
She pointed to Noah.
“He is the key.”
“How?”
“The sequence has to be completed.”
Nathan stared.
“With what?”
Emma stepped closer.
“Your DNA.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
“You were created to replace someone.”
She paused.
“But your DNA was altered.”
Nathan felt cold.
“Altered how?”
Emma whispered:
“Your blood contains the original sequence.”
Nathan looked at his hands.
“You mean…”
“The ledger is inside you.”
The countdown reached seven minutes.
Emma grabbed his wrist.
“We don't have much time.”
Nathan looked at Noah.
Then Lily.
Then Victoria.
Then Ethan.
One final truth remained.
“Who started this?”
Emma looked toward the screen.
Her eyes filled with fear.
“Me.”
Nathan stopped.
“You?”
Emma nodded.
“I created the first key.”
May you like
Then the countdown hit six minutes.
And every light in the building turned red.
