Chapter 9 - The Child With My NameThe newborn was alive.
Tiny.
Breathing.
Wrapped in a blue blanket.
My name was printed on the medical bracelet.
Khloe Vale.
But the birth date was seven months earlier.
I stared at the nurse.
“What is this?”
“A record.”
“Whose baby?”
She looked away.
“I don't know.”
Marcus took the baby carefully.
“Where are the other six?”
The nurse whispered,
“Moved.”
“Where?”
She shook her head.
“I only know this one was scheduled to be transferred tonight.”
“Transferred to where?”
“The Vale estate.”
I felt sick.
Marcus looked at me.
“That's where we're going.”
The nurse grabbed his sleeve.
“Don't.”
He turned.
“Why?”
“Because Adrian is there.”
“Then I'll face him.”
The nurse shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
She looked at me.
“He has been waiting for you.”
The baby began crying.
I touched his tiny hand.
He stopped.
For some reason, the moment my finger touched his palm, he calmed.
I felt tears sting my eyes.
The nurse whispered,
“He does that with you.”
I looked at her.
“How?”
“You were the first voice he heard.”
The words struck me harder than anything else that night.
“What does that mean?”
The nurse looked frightened.
“Before the transfer, they played your recorded heartbeat and voice.”
My chest tightened.
I had recorded lullabies during my pregnancy.
I had assumed they were for my child.
Someone had used them for another baby too.
Then the hallway security monitor flickered on.
Adrian appeared.
He was standing inside the Vale estate.
Behind him were six glass cribs.
Six babies.
And the seventh infant in Marcus's arms.
Adrian smiled.
“Bring me the child.”
Marcus grabbed the monitor.
“You've lost your mind.”
Adrian laughed.
“This is not about madness.”
He stepped aside.
Behind him stood Dr. Serena Ward.
Then Isabella.
Her face was bruised.
Her hands were tied.
Adrian placed a knife against her shoulder.
“Bring me the baby.”
Marcus raised his weapon toward the screen.
“You touch her and I'll kill you.”
Adrian smiled.
“You can't shoot a television, Marcus.”
He leaned toward the camera.
“Come home.”
The feed ended.
The police wanted us to stay behind.
Marcus refused.
I refused.
Claire arrived with Daniel.
Alive.
Marcus froze when he saw him.
Daniel looked older.
Tired.
But alive.
“I'm sorry,” Daniel said.
Marcus stared.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“You let me marry Khloe.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if I stayed near you, Adrian would have killed you.”
I stepped forward.
“You knew about the embryo?”
Daniel nodded.
“I helped create it.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“You used me.”
“I tried to protect you.”
“No.”
My voice shook.
“You made decisions about my body without telling me.”
He looked down.
“I know.”
For the first time, he looked ashamed.
Then he handed Marcus a key.
“This opens the underground nursery.”
Marcus stared.
“What else is down there?”
Daniel answered,
“The original records.”
“What records?”
“The seven pregnancies.”
I looked at him.
“And my baby?”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Your baby is number eight.”
Silence.
Marcus frowned.
“What?”
Daniel whispered,
“The seven children were failed attempts.”
My hand moved protectively over my stomach.
“Then what is my child?”
Daniel looked directly at me.
“The only embryo Adrian never controlled.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel's eyes filled with fear.
“It means your child has something Adrian has spent twenty years trying to obtain.”
“What?”
May you like
Daniel whispered,
“Natural DNA.”
Related Stories
