Chapter 6 - The Boy Who Was Buried TwiceThe bullet struck the headstone beside my shoulder.
Reed shoved me to the ground.
Police returned fire toward the darkness.
A figure ran between the graves.
We chased him.
He disappeared behind the mausoleums.
By the time we reached the road…
nothing.
Only rain.
Only fog.
Only the echo of my own breathing.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the photograph.
Two boys.
One name.
Nathan Vale.
My entire life felt suddenly counterfeit.
Back at the estate, Bianca finally told me the story.
My father had two sons.
One was me.
The other was my twin.
His name was Adrian.
Victor wanted Adrian dead because Adrian's mother had discovered the original ownership records.
My father chose the son who could be controlled.
He staged Adrian's death.
Then he altered the records.
Birth certificates.
School records.
Medical files.
Photographs.
He erased one child.
He renamed the other.
I stared at Bianca.
“You're saying I am Adrian?”
She nodded.
“Your birth name was Adrian Vale.”
“Then who was Nathan?”
Bianca's eyes filled.
“The name they gave you.”
“For what reason?”
“To make it look like the original heir had died.”
Everything suddenly felt wrong.
My childhood memories.
My school.
My photographs.
Every birthday.
A life written by someone else.
“Does Evelyn know?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She found the records.”
That was why she had been trapped.
She knew my identity.
More importantly, she knew that someone else had been using my name.
“Why did you marry me?”
Evelyn looked devastated.
“Because I loved you.”
“That isn't what I meant.”
“I know.”
She looked down.
“I married you because I thought marriage would protect you.”
“It didn't.”
“No.”
Her voice broke.
“It made you easier to control.”
The ledger confirmed it.
Transactions were listed under my name.
Shell corporations.
Property transfers.
Offshore accounts.
Payments to people in government.
And beside nearly every transaction was a single initial.
B.
Bianca.
I turned to her.
“How much did you move?”
“Not enough to save her.”
“That's not what I asked.”
“Thirty-eight million.”
Silence.
“You stole thirty-eight million dollars?”
“I moved it.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
She looked at Evelyn.
“I was trying to create an escape fund.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“You never told me.”
“Because Victor monitored everything.”
“You still lied.”
“Yes.”
Bianca's voice cracked.
“I lied because I was afraid.”
I wanted to hate her.
But I could not ignore the evidence.
Some of the transfers were clearly made to create false trails.
Others were payments to security companies.
Others were settlements.
But one transfer stood out.
Three hundred thousand dollars.
Paid to a private medical facility.
The date was six months after Evelyn vanished.
I looked at her.
“Were you taken somewhere?”
She nodded.
“They operated on me.”
My stomach turned.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“What did they do?”
She touched the scar behind her ear.
“They implanted something.”
Reed immediately called a specialist.
X-rays were performed.
There was a small metallic object near the base of her skull.
A tracking device.
For three years…
someone had known exactly where she was.
Someone had been following her every movement.
The device had not been removed.
Why?
Because whoever wanted her found…
had not wanted her free.
That night, we removed it.
The moment it came out, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then a man's voice said:
“You removed the signal.”
I froze.
“Who are you?”
“You're asking the wrong question.”
“What do you want?”
A quiet laugh.
“I want you to remember.”
“What?”
“You were never Adrian.”
The line went dead.
Evelyn grabbed my arm.
“What did he say?”
I told her.
She stared at me.
Then she whispered:
“That voice.”
“Who?”
“My doctor.”
The room went silent.
Reed looked at me.
“Your wife had a doctor?”
“She did.”
“Which one?”
Evelyn slowly shook her head.
“I never learned his real name.”
Then she looked toward the window.
“I only knew him as Dr. Gray.”
At that exact moment, the estate's front gate opened.
A black car drove onto the property.
May you like
The man inside stepped out.
And Evelyn began screaming.
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