CHAPTER 15: THE FOURTH CHILD
“Mom!”
Victoria's scream tore through the speakers.
I ran toward the nearest monitor.
“Victoria!”
Static.
Then her voice came again.
“Mom, don't trust Evelyn!”
The screen flickered.
For half a second, I saw her.
She was strapped to a metal chair.
Blood ran from her temple.
Evelyn stood behind her.
And Richard was holding a device against her head.
My blood turned to ice.
“LET HER GO!”
Evelyn looked directly into the camera.
“You finally understand.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because Victoria remembers everything.”
“Everything about what?”
“The night you disappeared.”
I froze.
“I didn't disappear.”
“You did.”
“No.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You were taken.”
The screen showed another image.
A young Claire.
Bound to a hospital bed.
Daniel standing beside her.
Richard holding a syringe.
My father screaming at them.
And Evelyn pressing a button.
My younger self's eyes closed.
Then the screen changed.
A baby crying.
Victoria.
The fourth child.
I watched Daniel carry her away.
But this time, the recording continued.
He didn't give her to Victoria Hale.
He gave her to a woman waiting outside the hospital.
A woman I recognized.
My aunt.
My father's sister.
The woman everyone had told me died before I was born.
She took the baby and disappeared.
Then the recording showed something else.
Victoria growing up.
Alone.
Hidden.
Watching our family from a distance.
Watching me.
Watching my husband.
Watching the children.
And every time she came close, someone stopped her.
I finally understood.
She hadn't wanted my husband.
She had been trying to protect him.
She hadn't hated my children.
She had been protecting them.
She hadn't wanted my life.
She had been trying to get close enough to destroy the people controlling it.
My entire perception of her collapsed.
“She was protecting us.”
Marcus nodded.
“Looks like it.”
My daughter was crying.
“She knew.”
“Yes.”
“She knew everything.”
“Yes.”
My son stared at the screen.
“Then why didn't she tell us?”
I answered quietly.
“Because she was afraid.”
The monitor flickered again.
Victoria appeared.
Her eyes were open.
Barely.
“Mom…”
I stepped closer.
“I'm here.”
“I knew you'd come.”
“Where are you?”
“I don't know.”
“Look around.”
“It's dark.”
“Anything else?”
She breathed heavily.
“I can hear water.”
Marcus immediately grabbed a map.
“Water?”
“Pipes.”
“Industrial?”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I hear machines.”
Marcus studied the map.
“Black Meridian has three underground facilities with industrial water systems.”
“Which one?”
Victoria suddenly screamed.
The screen went black.
Then Evelyn appeared.
“You're wasting time.”
I looked at her.
“Where is she?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Then come alone.”
“No.”
“Then Victoria dies.”
My daughter stepped forward.
“Don't listen to her.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You're beginning to sound like your mother.”
My daughter looked at her.
“You're afraid.”
Evelyn's smile disappeared.
“Of what?”
“That Mom remembers.”
Silence.
My daughter continued.
“You're not afraid of the archive.”
Evelyn stared at her.
“You're afraid of what Mom remembers about you.”
Evelyn's expression hardened.
I looked at my daughter.
“What do I remember?”
She whispered:
“You killed someone.”
Evelyn went completely still.
“Who?”
My daughter looked at her.
“My first mother.”
I felt the air leave the room.
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No.”
My daughter continued.
“You killed the woman who gave birth to Mom.”
My head spun.
Evelyn wasn't my mother.
But she had killed my mother.
The real one.
My father had lied about her death.
Evelyn had murdered her.
Why?
I looked at Evelyn.
“Why did you kill my mother?”
She said nothing.
“Why?”
Her voice finally came.
“Because she knew what you were.”
“What was I?”
“Dangerous.”
I laughed.
“I was a child.”
“Not then.”
She looked at me.
“You were twenty.”
I froze.
“You were already building Project Mirror.”
My father had been telling the truth.
I had created the system.
But my mother had discovered what it was being used for.
“She tried to stop you.”
“No.”
“She tried to expose the project.”
“Yes.”
“And you killed her.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Your father did.”
I stared.
“Then why did you take the blame?”
“Because I was the only one who could.”
“Why?”
She looked at the archive.
“Because your mother trusted me.”
The room fell silent.
Evelyn's voice softened.
“She asked me to protect you.”
“And you did?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“I failed.”
For the first time, Evelyn looked human.
Then she pressed a button.
The monitor changed.
Victoria appeared again.
But this time she wasn't alone.
A man stood behind her.
I recognized him immediately.
Daniel.
My husband.
He was holding a gun.
And he was pointing it at Victoria.
My heart shattered.
“Daniel…”
He looked directly at the camera.
“Claire.”
“Put the gun down.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“They'll kill her.”
“Then help her.”
“I am.”
“How?”
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“By making them believe I'm still loyal.”
Victoria looked at him.
“Dad…”
I froze.
Dad.
My husband was Victoria's father.
Daniel's voice broke.
“I didn't want this.”
Richard stepped into the frame.
“You never get what you want.”
Daniel turned.
“Richard.”
Richard smiled.
“You've done your job.”
“What job?”
“Bring Claire here.”
My blood ran cold.
I looked at Marcus.
“What?”
Richard continued.
“Her arrival completes the sequence.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“You said she would be safe.”
“I lied.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
Richard laughed.
“You won't shoot me.”
Daniel's finger tightened.
“Try me.”
Richard stepped closer.
“You still love her.”
Daniel looked at the camera.
“I never stopped.”
My chest tightened.
Richard continued:
“Then prove it.”
He pointed toward Victoria.
“Kill the fourth child.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Richard smiled.
“Then I'll kill Claire.”
Daniel lowered the gun.
“Don't.”
Richard smiled.
“Good.”
Then Daniel turned toward Victoria.
And pulled the trigger.
I screamed.
The screen went black.
My daughter collapsed into my arms.
My son shouted:
“NO!”
I couldn't breathe.
“Victoria!”
Marcus grabbed my shoulder.
“Claire!”
I pushed him away.
“They killed her.”
“No.”
He pointed at the monitor.
“Look.”
The screen flickered.
Victoria was still alive.
The bullet had struck the chair beside her.
Daniel had deliberately missed.
Richard's face was furious.
“You bastard.”
Daniel smiled.
“You always forget.”
Richard stared.
“Forget what?”
Daniel raised his weapon.
“I was a soldier before I became your prisoner.”
He shot the camera.
The screen exploded into static.
Marcus looked at me.
“Your husband just bought us time.”
“Where is he?”
“Unknown.”
I looked at Evelyn.
She was staring at the broken monitor.
“Tell me where Victoria is.”
Evelyn said nothing.
I stepped toward her.
“You want the archive?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need me.”
“Yes.”
“You need my son.”
“Yes.”
“My daughter.”
“Yes.”
“And Victoria.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Then take me to her.”
Evelyn looked surprised.
“What?”
“I'll give you everything.”
Marcus looked at me.
“Claire…”
I raised my hand.
“I know what I'm doing.”
I looked at Evelyn.
“But I want one thing first.”
“What?”
“Daniel.”
She hesitated.
“Alive.”
Evelyn nodded.
“And Victoria.”
“Alive.”
“And my father.”
She looked toward the monitor.
“Your father?”
“Yes.”
Her face changed.
“Why?”
“Because I have questions.”
Evelyn sighed.
“Fine.”
She pressed a button.
A hidden door opened.
We walked through.
The passage led deep beneath the estate.
Far deeper than I had ever imagined.
At the end stood an elevator.
Evelyn entered a code.
The doors opened.
We descended.
Ten floors.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Then the elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
Water surrounded the facility.
An underground reservoir.
Machines hummed everywhere.
And in the center stood a glass room.
Victoria was inside.
Alive.
Daniel was beside her.
Richard stood across from them.
My father was there too.
And behind my father...
stood another person.
A person I had not seen in twenty years.
My real mother.
Alive.
She looked at me.
And whispered:
“Claire…”
I couldn't move.
She smiled through tears.
“I knew you would remember.”
I stared.
My entire life had been built on a lie.
But now the woman I had mourned since childhood was standing ten feet away.
Alive.
My mother stepped closer.
Then she said the words that shattered everything I thought I knew.
“Your father didn't erase your memories to protect the archive.”
I held my breath.
“He erased them because you were the one who ordered me killed.”
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“No.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Behind her, Richard smiled.
May you like
And my father closed his eyes.
Because the final memory had finally returned.
