CHAPTER 13 — THE REAL FATHER
The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
Emily could still hear Victor's last words echoing through the underground corridor.
Come meet your real father.
Daniel looked at her.
"Don't go."
Emily stared at the blank screen.
"My mother is there."
"So is someone who looks exactly like Thomas."
Thomas stepped forward.
"He's not me."
Emily turned toward him.
"Then who is he?"
Thomas's jaw tightened.
"I don't know."
Victor's voice suddenly came through the speakers again.
"Of course you don't."
Everyone looked upward.
Victor laughed softly.
"You've forgotten so much."
Thomas shouted:
"Where is Margaret?"
"Safe."
"Let her go."
"Bring me Amelia."
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
Victor's voice became colder.
"Then she dies."
Emily closed her eyes.
"Where?"
Thomas turned toward her.
"Emily..."
"Where is he?"
Victor answered.
"The observatory."
Daniel frowned.
"What observatory?"
Victor laughed.
"You'll know it when you see it."
The speakers went silent.
Emily turned toward the others.
"I'm going."
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"No."
"My mother is there."
"We'll all go."
Emily looked at him.
"Victor said alone."
"Then we ignore him."
Thomas stepped forward.
"He's expecting that."
Emily looked at him.
"Then what do we do?"
Thomas glanced at Adrian's empty spot.
"We find Adrian."
Everyone froze.
Emily frowned.
"Why?"
Thomas looked around.
"Because Adrian knows where Victor keeps the real records."
Sarah nodded.
"And he knows where Margaret is."
Julian looked toward the corridor.
"Then where did he go?"
A voice answered from the darkness.
"Looking for me."
Everyone turned.
Adrian stepped into the light.
Blood covered his shirt.
Emily stared.
"Where were you?"
"Following Victor."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I couldn't trust everyone."
Daniel frowned.
"Who couldn't you trust?"
Adrian looked at Thomas.
Hesitated.
Then pointed at Eleanor.
"Her."
Eleanor's face fell.
"What?"
Adrian walked closer.
"She lied about the night you disappeared."
Eleanor shook her head.
"I told you everything."
"No."
Adrian pulled out a small recorder.
"I found this in Victor's office."
He pressed play.
Eleanor's voice filled the corridor.
"Take Amelia. Leave the others."
Emily's face went white.
She stared at Eleanor.
"Did you say that?"
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Daniel stepped back.
"Mother..."
Eleanor began crying.
"I was trying to save you."
"By sacrificing Emily?"
"No."
Adrian stopped the recording.
"You made a deal with Victor."
Eleanor nodded.
"Yes."
Emily's voice trembled.
"What deal?"
Eleanor looked at her.
"I was told if I gave him one child..."
She swallowed.
"...he would let the other three live."
Emily stared.
"And you chose me."
"I didn't know what he would do."
"But you chose me."
Eleanor couldn't answer.
Emily stepped away.
Daniel followed.
"Emily..."
"Don't."
She looked at Eleanor.
"Everyone keeps saying they protected me."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Everyone abandoned me."
Eleanor whispered:
"I'm sorry."
Emily turned away.
Adrian interrupted.
"We don't have time."
He pointed toward the ceiling.
"Victor activated the emergency lockdown."
Thomas frowned.
"How long?"
"Twenty minutes."
Daniel looked at him.
"Until what?"
"The facility seals permanently."
Julian's face went pale.
"What happens then?"
Adrian answered:
"Everyone inside suffocates."
Silence.
Emily wiped her tears.
"Then let's move."
They ran.
The passageway twisted beneath the property.
After several minutes, they reached a steel elevator.
Adrian entered a code.
The doors opened.
Inside were no buttons.
Only a fingerprint scanner.
Adrian looked at Emily.
"Your hand."
She frowned.
"Why?"
"The system recognizes the original heir."
Emily placed her palm against the scanner.
BEEP.
The elevator came alive.
WELCOME, AMELIA ROSE CARTER.
Emily stared.
Daniel whispered:
"It knows you."
The elevator began rising.
No one spoke.
When the doors opened, they found themselves inside an old observatory.
Moonlight spilled through the glass ceiling.
A telescope stood in the center.
And beside it...
Margaret.
Tied to a chair.
Emily ran toward her.
"Mom!"
Margaret lifted her head.
"Emily!"
Emily fell to her knees.
"Are you okay?"
Margaret grabbed her face.
"You're alive."
"I'm here."
Margaret began crying.
"I thought I lost you again."
Daniel rushed over.
"Mom."
Margaret looked at him.
"My son."
She pulled him close.
Then she saw Sarah.
Her face changed.
"Sarah?"
Sarah nodded.
Margaret covered her mouth.
"You found her."
Emily stared.
"You knew Sarah was alive?"
Margaret looked at her.
"I knew."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Victor was watching."
"Where is Victor?"
A voice came from behind them.
"Right here."
Everyone turned.
Victor stood at the observatory entrance.
Two armed men stood behind him.
He looked calm.
Almost amused.
Thomas stepped forward.
"Let them go."
Victor smiled.
"Thomas."
Thomas stared.
"You've caused enough damage."
Victor laughed.
"Damage?"
He looked at the five children.
"I created a family."
"You destroyed one."
Victor shook his head.
"I gave you all purpose."
Emily stepped forward.
"Why me?"
Victor looked at her.
"Because you're the only one who survived the original procedure."
Margaret's face changed.
"What procedure?"
Victor ignored her.
Emily stared.
"Procedure?"
Victor nodded.
"Memory conditioning."
Margaret shouted:
"She was a baby!"
Victor smiled.
"And she survived."
Thomas clenched his fists.
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing permanent."
"You erased her memories."
"Temporarily."
Emily looked horrified.
"Temporarily?"
Victor nodded.
"I wanted to know whether memories could be restored."
"And?"
Victor smiled.
"They always returned."
Sarah stepped forward.
"You failed."
Victor looked at her.
"No."
He pointed toward Emily.
"I succeeded."
Emily froze.
"What?"
"You remembered."
Victor stepped closer.
"You remembered Daniel."
"You remembered Sarah."
"You remembered the red room."
"And now..."
He smiled.
"...you remember me."
Emily's mind suddenly flooded.
The hospital.
The red door.
Victor holding her.
A woman screaming.
A baby crying.
A little boy.
A little girl.
Then another memory.
Victor wasn't alone.
Someone stood beside him.
A man.
Young.
Dark hair.
Emily stared.
"No."
Victor smiled.
"You remember."
She pointed at the man in her memory.
"That's..."
Victor nodded.
"Your father."
Emily looked at Thomas.
Then back at Victor.
"Who?"
Victor's smile disappeared.
"Not Thomas."
Margaret began crying.
"Amelia..."
Emily turned toward her.
"Tell me."
Margaret shook her head.
"Your father..."
She couldn't finish.
Victor stepped closer.
"Her father is the reason all of this began."
Emily's voice cracked.
"Who?"
Victor looked toward the observatory doors.
A shadow appeared.
A man stepped inside.
He looked older.
His hair was gray.
His eyes were identical to Emily's.
The same crescent-shaped mark appeared beneath his ear.
Emily couldn't breathe.
Margaret whispered:
"Daniel Carter."
Daniel froze.
"Me?"
Margaret shook her head.
"No."
She looked at the newcomer.
"Him."
The man walked into the moonlight.
Emily stared.
The resemblance was impossible.
The same eyes.
The same face.
The same scar.
He looked at Thomas.
Then at Victor.
Finally, at Emily.
"Amelia."
Emily's knees nearly gave way.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"I am Alexander Carter."
Margaret's tears fell.
"Your father."
Emily stared.
"But Thomas..."
Alexander laughed.
"Thomas was your guardian."
Thomas lowered his head.
Emily looked at him.
"Is it true?"
Thomas didn't answer.
That was enough.
Emily's world collapsed.
"You lied to me."
Thomas looked at her.
"I was protecting you."
"From him?"
"No."
"Then from who?"
Thomas looked toward Alexander.
"From what he became."
Alexander's expression hardened.
"You still blame me."
"You tried to kill her."
"I tried to free her."
"You handed her to Victor."
Alexander shook his head.
"I handed her to you."
Thomas looked stunned.
"Because I trusted you."
Emily stared between them.
"What happened?"
Alexander stepped closer.
"Twenty-seven years ago, I discovered Victor's experiment."
He looked at Margaret.
"I tried to stop him."
Victor laughed.
"You failed."
Alexander continued.
"Victor took Amelia."
Margaret nodded.
"I tried to get her back."
"You couldn't."
"No."
Alexander looked at Thomas.
"So I made a deal."
Emily's voice trembled.
"What deal?"
Alexander looked at her.
"I agreed to disappear."
"Why?"
"Because Victor promised to release you."
Emily stared.
"And did he?"
Alexander smiled sadly.
"For a while."
Margaret shook her head.
"He lied."
Alexander nodded.
"Yes."
Emily looked at Victor.
"You lied to everyone."
Victor smiled.
"I did."
Then he raised his gun.
"Because I needed all of you here."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Why?"
Victor looked at the five children.
"Because tonight..."
He pointed toward Emily.
"...the foundation opens."
Emily stared.
"What foundation?"
Victor smiled.
"The one your ancestors built."
The observatory floor suddenly began moving.
A hidden circular platform opened beneath them.
Ancient machinery rose from underground.
Screens illuminated.
The jade pendant in Emily's hand began glowing.
Victor whispered:
"Welcome to the original Carter vault."
Emily stared downward.
Thousands of old files appeared on the screens.
Names.
Birth dates.
Bank accounts.
Governments.
Companies.
Secret agreements.
Then one file appeared in the center.
PROJECT ORIGIN.
Victor looked at Emily.
"Open it."
Emily shook her head.
"No."
Victor raised the gun toward Margaret.
"Open it."
Emily froze.
Alexander shouted:
"Don't!"
Victor smiled.
"Choose."
Emily looked at her mother.
Then Daniel.
Then Sarah.
Then Julian.
Finally Alexander.
She stepped toward the console.
The pendant fit perfectly into a slot.
CLICK.
The system activated.
A voice echoed through the observatory.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED.
AMELIA ROSE CARTER.
ORIGINAL HEIR.
Victor smiled.
But then the system continued.
SECONDARY HEIR DETECTED.
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked around.
"Who?"
The machine scanned the room.
A red light moved across every face.
Thomas.
Eleanor.
Sarah.
Julian.
Alexander.
Then it stopped.
On Eleanor.
SECONDARY HEIR CONFIRMED.
Eleanor gasped.
Victor's smile vanished.
"No."
The system continued:
BLOODLINE ERROR.
TWO ORIGINAL HEIRS DETECTED.
Emily stared at Eleanor.
"You're an heir?"
Eleanor looked horrified.
"I didn't know."
Victor stepped backward.
"Impossible."
The system began flashing.
FOUNDATION OWNERSHIP TRANSFER INITIATED.
Victor shouted:
"STOP IT!"
The floor shook.
A hidden door opened behind the telescope.
Inside was a vault.
And from within came the sound of something heavy unlocking.
CLICK.
CLICK.
CLICK.
Alexander stared at Victor.
"What did you hide in there?"
Victor's face had gone completely white.
"I didn't hide anything."
Alexander shook his head.
"You did."
The vault door opened.
Inside was a single chair.
And someone was sitting in it.
An old woman.
Her hair was white.
Her eyes were closed.
Emily stepped closer.
Then the woman opened her eyes.
Emily froze.
She looked exactly like Eleanor.
Except older.
Much older.
The woman smiled.
"Finally."
Eleanor screamed.
"Mother?"
The old woman nodded.
Then she looked at Emily.
"You're the child he stole."
Victor backed away.
"No."
The old woman smiled.
"And you're the son I thought I'd killed."
Victor froze.
The woman looked at him.
"Richard."
Victor's face collapsed.
Because the woman in the vault...
Was Victor's wife.
And she had been alive for thirty years.
She pointed at Emily.
"Tell her the truth."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
The woman smiled.
"Then I will."
She looked directly into Emily's eyes.
"Your birth was not an accident."
A pause.
"You were created to inherit everything."
Emily's blood ran cold.
"But there was one problem."
She looked toward Eleanor.
"Your mother was never supposed to survive."
Eleanor stepped backward.
"What?"
The old woman smiled.
"Because she knew the secret."
Emily whispered:
"What secret?"
The woman answered:
"The secret of who really owns the Whitmore empire."
Then every light in the observatory went out.
And in the darkness...
May you like
Someone whispered directly behind Emily:
"Me."
