Chapter 12: The Man Who Built the Secret
I woke up on the floor.
My ears were ringing.
The hidden room was spinning around me.
Lily was beside me.
“Dad!””
I grabbed her hand.
“I’m okay.””
But I wasn’t.
Not really.
Because the memory wasn’t mine.
Or maybe it was.
That was the terrifying part.
I looked at Vanessa.
She was sitting against the wall, crying.
“You knew.””
My voice was barely above a whisper.
She looked at me.
“What?””
“You knew I signed something.””
Her face changed.
She looked away.
That was all the answer I needed.
“Vanessa.””
She covered her face.
“I didn’t know what it meant.””
“You lied to me.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You keep saying that.””
My voice cracked.
“But everyone I love keeps getting hurt.””
The third Noah was still holding my hand.
The two others stood nearby.
Three versions of the same child.
Three pieces of a nightmare.
Then the lights in the room flickered.
A man’s voice came from the doorway.
“Beautiful.””
Everyone turned.
A man stood at the entrance of the crawlspace.
Older.
Gray hair.
Dark jacket.
Calm expression.
Like he belonged there.
Vanessa immediately stood.
“No.””
The man smiled.
“Hello, Vanessa.””
She moved in front of the children.
“Stay away from them.””
He looked amused.
“You still think you’re in control.””
I stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
The man looked at me.
“Dr. Adrian Cole.””
The name meant nothing.
But Vanessa reacted.
And that was enough.
“You know him.””
She whispered:
“He created the program.””
The man smiled.
“Created is a strong word.””
He looked around the room.
“I improved it.””
My fists tightened.
“You experimented on my son.””
He tilted his head.
“I preserved him.””
“You destroyed him.””
The man looked at the three boys.
“No.””
He smiled.
“I gave him a chance to survive.””
The third Noah stepped back.
“You left me here.””
Dr. Cole looked at him.
“You were the unstable version.””
My blood ran cold.
“Unstable?””
“He couldn’t maintain emotional separation.””
The man pointed toward the other two boys.
“These versions were successful.””
I stepped closer.
“They’re children.””
He smiled.
“They’re data.””
The word made me sick.
Lily stepped forward.
“Don’t talk about my brother like that.””
The man looked at her.
Then smiled.
“You’re the interesting one.””
I moved instantly.
“Don’t look at her.””
He raised his hands.
“Relax.””
But his eyes stayed on Lily.
“She wasn’t part of the original transfer.””
Vanessa went pale.
“What are you saying?””
Dr. Cole smiled.
“Your daughter changed everything.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“What does he mean?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Dr. Cole laughed softly.
“Yes, you do.””
The room went silent.
He stepped closer.
“Lily was the reason the system worked.””
My heart dropped.
“What system?””
He looked at the three Noahs.
“The reason they all remember love.””
Nobody spoke.
Then he said:
“Because Noah’s memories were never the problem.””
He looked directly at me.
“The missing piece was you.””
The lights flickered again.
And from somewhere above us…
The front door opened.
Someone else had entered the house.
Dr. Cole smiled.
“They finally arrived.””
I stared at him.
“Who?””
He looked toward the ceiling.
“The people who own the experiment.””
And then Vanessa whispered the words that terrified me most:
“Marcus…”
May you like
She looked at Lily.
“They’re here for our daughter.””
