Chapter 9 - THE FALSE SONThe Test They Never ExpectedNoah's face went blank.
"Not me?"
Anna stared at Daniel through the screen.
"Then who?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
He looked frightened.
Then:
"Anna."
Silence.
Sylvester shook his head.
"That's impossible."
Daniel nodded.
"They told me Noah was the original."
"Then why say Anna?"
"Because I saw the birth."
Sylvester's wife grabbed the edge of the table.
"Daniel, you were a baby."
"No."
Daniel looked at them.
"I was five."
Everyone froze.
Sylvester stepped closer to the screen.
"Explain."
Daniel swallowed.
"They didn't just alter DNA."
His eyes filled.
"They moved memories."
The room seemed colder.
"They took children at different ages," Daniel continued.
"Some were raised with false memories. Others were implanted with fragments."
Anna whispered:
"That's why I remember different houses."
Daniel nodded.
"And why Noah remembers his father differently."
Noah looked at Sylvester.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel said:
"You both have memories that don't belong entirely to you."
Sylvester stared at his wife.
She was crying.
"Before the surgery, the doctors took blood samples from the twins."
"Why?"
"To build a genetic template."
Daniel continued:
"They used that template to create a biological copy."
Noah stared.
"A copy of me?"
"Not exactly."
Daniel looked at Anna.
"A copy of both of you."
Sylvester's mind raced.
"The third child."
Daniel nodded.
"The third child wasn't another baby."
"What?"
"The third identity was created later."
A new file appeared on screen.
SUBJECT 03.
The photograph showed a young boy.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
But older.
About thirteen.
Daniel.
Sylvester whispered:
"You."
Daniel nodded.
"I was made from their DNA."
Anna looked horrified.
"They created you?"
"Yes."
"Then how are you related to us?"
Daniel smiled sadly.
"Because I am biologically derived from both of you."
Sylvester stared.
Victor suddenly appeared on another monitor.
"Enough."
Daniel's image disappeared.
Victor entered the vault.
He was holding a gun.
"Daniel has served his purpose."
Sylvester stepped forward.
"You created him."
Victor nodded.
"And now I intend to finish the project."
Anna moved behind her mother.
Victor aimed the gun at her.
"Where is the original trust key?"
Sylvester said nothing.
Victor raised the gun.
Noah stepped forward.
"Take me."
Sylvester turned.
"Noah."
"If he wants the original, give him me."
Victor smiled.
"Brave."
Anna grabbed Noah's arm.
"Don't."
Victor pulled a small device from his pocket.
"This determines which child carries the original genetic sequence."
He activated it.
A scanning beam crossed Noah.
Then Anna.
The machine beeped.
Green.
Noah's result:
MATCH: 99.99%
Anna's result:
MATCH: 100.00%
Victor's smile vanished.
"What?"
Sylvester stared.
Anna's face went pale.
The system repeated:
PRIMARY HEIR: ANNA STALLONE.
Victor took a step backward.
Sylvester looked at his daughter.
"You."
Anna whispered:
"I didn't know."
Victor suddenly fired.
Sylvester tackled him.
The gun discharged into the ceiling.
The vault erupted in chaos.
Noah grabbed Anna.
Their mother screamed.
Victor fought desperately.
Then someone grabbed Sylvester from behind.
A knife pressed against his throat.
Victor laughed.
"You still don't understand."
Sylvester froze.
"What?"
Victor whispered:
"Anna wasn't the child we were trying to erase."
He looked toward Noah.
"She was the one we were trying to protect."
Before Sylvester could react, the lights went out.
A whisper came from the darkness.
"Don't trust your wife."
Sylvester turned.
The voice belonged to Daniel.
Then silence.
May you like
When the emergency lights returned, Daniel was gone.
And so was Noah.
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