Chapter 7 - Victoria's ConfessionVictoria pounded on the locked door.
“Adrian!”
He didn't move.
Elena stared at her from the other side of the glass.
“You lied for twenty-two years.”
Victoria shook her head.
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
“You weren't there!”
Her voice broke.
“You weren't there when they made me watch.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Watch what?”
Victoria covered her face.
“They took Jonah.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
Silence.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“What happened?”
Victoria looked at him through the glass.
“My father said Jonah belonged to the Vale family.”
“He was my son.”
“Yes.”
“And you helped him?”
“No.”
“You were there.”
“I was sixteen.”
Adrian froze.
Victoria continued.
“My father brought me to the clinic because he wanted me to understand how important the family business was.”
“You were a child.”
“So was Jonah.”
She looked down.
“I heard him crying.”
Adrian's fists clenched.
“What did your father do?”
“He handed Jonah to a doctor.”
“What doctor?”
“I don't know.”
“Where did they take him?”
Victoria swallowed.
“Room Seven.”
Elena whispered:
“Room Seven.”
Victoria nodded.
“They injected him.”
Adrian's face went pale.
“With what?”
“Something that stopped him from crying.”
He felt sick.
“Then what?”
“They took blood.”
“For the cloning project.”
“Yes.”
“Did Jonah survive?”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I don't know.”
Elena looked at her.
“You do.”
Victoria began crying.
“They told me he died.”
Adrian stared.
“Then why did you keep quiet?”
“Because my father threatened my mother.”
“What did he threaten?”
“She had cancer.”
Victoria wiped her tears.
“He said if I spoke, he'd stop her treatment.”
Adrian didn't answer.
For the first time, he saw the woman beneath the lies.
Not innocent.
Not blameless.
But terrified.
Still, fear couldn't erase what she'd done.
“You married me to keep me quiet.”
“Yes.”
“Did you love me?”
Victoria looked directly at him.
“I did.”
That answer somehow hurt more.
Adrian looked away.
Elena suddenly shouted.
“Wait!”
Everyone turned.
A monitor had come alive.
An old security feed appeared.
A hallway.
A door labeled Room Seven.
Date: twenty-two years ago.
The footage played.
A younger Daniel Mercer entered carrying a newborn.
Jonah.
Behind him was another person.
Adrian leaned closer.
The figure turned slightly.
Victoria gasped.
“No.”
Adrian stared.
The face was familiar.
His father's private physician.
But then the figure removed the mask.
Adrian froze.
It was Mr. Cross.
The lawyer.
Alive.
Young.
Standing beside Daniel.
Adrian turned toward the old man.
Mr. Cross stood in the corner.
His face was blank.
“You.”
The lawyer slowly looked down.
“I had forgotten that camera.”
Adrian stepped toward him.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You helped them.”
“I was trying to save Jonah.”
“You lied.”
“I had to.”
“Where did they take him?”
Mr. Cross looked toward the floor.
“Your father had two facilities.”
“One here.”
“And one overseas.”
“Where?”
The old lawyer hesitated.
“Switzerland.”
Adrian grabbed his coat.
“We're going.”
Mr. Cross shook his head.
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Jonah wasn't the child they took.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
The lawyer looked at the seven files.
“They switched the babies.”
Silence.
“Jonah disappeared that night.”
Mr. Cross's voice trembled.
“But the child your father carried out of Room Seven…”
He pointed at the screen.
“…was someone else.”
Adrian stared.
“Who?”
Mr. Cross looked at Clara.
Then at Mia.
May you like
And whispered:
“The truth is standing right in front of you.”
Related Stories
