Chapter 13 - The safehouse was destroyed before dawn.Every computer.

Every file.

Every recording.

Gone.

The network had erased its trail.

But Ethan remained.

Or whoever he was.

For hours, he sat in silence.

Ava wouldn't let him near the children.

She didn't trust him.

She didn't know whether she loved him.

And worst of all, she didn't know whether the memories she had of him were real.

Ethan finally spoke.

“I remember a room.”

Ava watched him carefully.

“What room?”

“A white room.”

“Go on.”

“There was a woman.”

“Margaret?”

“No.”

“Who?”

“She called me Subject Twelve.”

Ava frowned.

“What happened?”

“She asked me my name.”

“What did you say?”

“I said Ethan.”

“And?”

“She slapped me.”

“Why?”

“Because that wasn't my name.”

Ava felt cold.

“What was your name?”

He looked at her.

“Daniel.”

Ava's heart stopped.

She turned toward Daniel.

Her father was standing by the window.

Daniel stared at Ethan.

“No.”

Ethan looked back.

“I remember you.”

Daniel's face changed.

“You were there.”

“Where?”

“The facility.”

“When?”

“Before the crash.”

Ethan nodded.

“You gave me the assignment.”

Daniel staggered backward.

“What assignment?”

“To marry Ava.”

Silence.

Ava looked at her father.

“You did this.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“I thought I could use him to get inside the network.”

“To spy on me?”

“To protect you.”

“Everyone says that.”

Daniel looked broken.

“I failed.”

Ava's voice became cold.

“You did more than fail.”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes.”

Ethan suddenly grabbed his head.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“I remember something else.”

Everyone went silent.

“The real Ethan.”

Ava stared.

“What about him?”

“He wasn't killed.”

“What?”

“He helped me.”

Ava stepped closer.

“What does that mean?”

“The real Ethan knew about the network.”

“Where is he?”

“I don't know.”

Ethan closed his eyes.

“He gave me something.”

“What?”

“A message.”

“To whom?”

“You.”

Ava held her breath.

Ethan whispered:

“He said, 'Tell Ava the crash was never supposed to kill her.'”

Ava frowned.

“What was it supposed to do?”

“Wake her.”

Suddenly the door opened.

Rowan entered.

“We found something.”

He placed a laptop on the table.

The video showed Ava's father.

Recorded months before the crash.

Daniel spoke directly to the camera.

“If Ava remembers, take her to the lighthouse.”

Ava frowned.

“Which lighthouse?”

“The one her grandfather built.”

Claire's face changed.

“There is no lighthouse.”

Daniel shook his head.

“Not anymore.”

He opened a map.

An old coastal property appeared.

Ava stared.

She remembered it.

A summer house.

A red door.

A lighthouse.

The place from her childhood memories.

“That's where the trust is.”

Daniel nodded.

“Not the money.”

“What, then?”

“The names.”

“Whose names?”

“Everyone involved.”

Ava looked at him.

“Then that's what they are afraid of.”

“Yes.”

“And Margaret?”

Daniel shook his head.

“She's not working for my father.”

Ava froze.

“What?”

“Your grandfather is dead.”

“Then who is Margaret working for?”

Daniel looked toward the children.

“The person who inherited the network.”

“Who?”

He whispered:

“The first Echo.”

Ethan's face changed.

“What is the first Echo?”

Daniel answered:

“Your father.”

Ava stared.

“My grandfather?”

“No.”

He looked at Ethan.

“Your real husband.”

Silence.

Ava's mind spun.

“The real Ethan.”

Daniel nodded.

“He was the first successful memory replacement.”

Ava couldn't breathe.

“The man I married…”

“Was the experiment.”

Ava looked at the children.

“And my children?”

Daniel's expression darkened.

“They were the next generation.”

The lighthouse stood at the edge of the coast.

By sunset, they reached it.

Inside was a metal staircase.

Ava climbed slowly.

At the top was a room.

One table.

One chair.

One computer.

The screen turned on.

A woman appeared.

Margaret.

Ava's blood ran cold.

“You can't escape me.”

Ava stepped closer.

“Where are you?”

Margaret smiled.

“Closer than you think.”

The screen changed.

A live camera feed appeared.

Ava saw the room around her.

Her own face.

Everyone behind her.

Then a second camera.

Outside the lighthouse.

A black car.

Someone stepped out.

Ava recognized him instantly.

The real Ethan.

Alive.

Standing beside Margaret.

May you like

I Came Home Early and Found My Housekeeper’s 3-Year-Old Daughter Scrubbi...

I returned home hours earlier than expected and discovered my housekeeper’s three-year-old daughter standing barefoot in the laund...

My Family Inherited Millions and Left Me a Ruined House. Four Months Lat...

The lawyer’s office fell silent as my grandmother’s will was read, and I watched my family inherit millions while I received nothi...

A Desperate Mother Begged a Billionaire for a Job to Feed Her Two Childr...

I was stranded on a lonely Arizona highway with two starving children, a pair of ruined suitcases, and no way to reach our destina...

And Margaret whispered through the speakers:

“Now ask him why he married you.”