The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 100 — The Woman Behind the Glass

“Varek, don’t trust the man who woke me.”

Mary’s voice echoed through the maternity ward.

Nobody moved.

The woman inside the glass chamber stared directly into the camera. Her eyes were open, but her body remained motionless.

Varek stepped closer to the screen.

“Mary?”

Her lips moved again.

“He’s lying to you.”

Samuel rushed towards the computer.

“She’s communicating through the chamber’s monitoring system.”

Adrian looked at the original Adrian lying on the bed.

“Who is she talking about?”

The old man said nothing.

Varek turned towards him.

“She said not to trust you.”

The original Adrian looked tired.

“Mary has been lying for longer than any of us have been alive.”

Samuel shook his head.

“You’re both accusing each other. Can someone explain what’s happening?”

Mary’s image flickered.

Then her voice came through the speakers.

“Varek, listen carefully. The man beside you is not the Adrian you think he is.”

Varek slowly turned.

The original Adrian looked straight at him.

“She’s trying to confuse you.”

Mary continued.

“He was never my son.”

The room went silent.

Samuel looked at the medical records.

“But the archive says Subject Zero, Mary Thorne, had three children. Isabella, Eleanor and original Adrian.”

Mary shook her head on the screen.

“Those records were created to hide the fourth child.”

Varek frowned.

“Fourth child?”

The original Adrian suddenly tried to sit up.

“Shut down the connection!”

Samuel looked at him.

“Why?”

“Do it now!”

But it was too late.

The glass chamber’s screen changed.

A new photograph appeared.

It showed four newborn babies lying beside one another.

Three were wearing hospital bracelets.

The fourth had no bracelet.

Beneath the photograph was a message.

FOUR CHILDREN WERE BORN. THREE WERE REGISTERED. ONE WAS REMOVED.

Varek stared at the image.

“Who was the fourth child?”

Mary answered.

“Adrian.”

The original Adrian closed his eyes.

Then Mary added:

“Not the man you’re looking at.”

⸻

At the secure location, Naomi was preparing to leave.

Daniel had told them that the first Adrian was heading towards the underground chapel.

Matthew insisted they needed to get there before him.

Evelyn collected the security keys.

Naomi’s mother remained seated, staring at the floor.

Naomi approached her.

“You’re coming with us.”

The older woman shook her head.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because the man outside is waiting for me.”

Naomi looked towards the entrance.

“He’s waiting for you?”

Her mother nodded.

“He knows I remember what happened.”

Naomi crouched beside her.

“Then tell me. What happened?”

The woman looked at Daniel.

“Not in front of him.”

Daniel stepped forward.

“I already know.”

His mother turned.

“What do you know?”

The boy looked at Matthew.

“He was there when they took the first Adrian.”

Matthew’s face tightened.

“Daniel, stop.”

The boy ignored him.

“They put him in the chamber beneath the chapel. Then they brought another baby and gave him the same name.”

Naomi looked at Matthew.

“Is that true?”

He nodded slowly.

“The first Adrian was removed from the family records. The second was raised in his place.”

“Why?”

“Because the first Adrian was considered dangerous.”

Daniel laughed without humour.

“He wasn’t dangerous. He just refused to obey.”

Naomi’s mother suddenly stood.

“That’s enough.”

Everyone turned.

The woman walked towards Daniel.

“Please, don’t remember everything at once.”

Daniel looked at her.

“You told me to remember.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“By making me forget my own name?”

The woman began crying.

Naomi held her son’s shoulders.

“Daniel, what was your original name?”

The boy looked at her.

For several seconds, he didn’t answer.

Then he whispered:

“Adrian.”

Naomi stepped backwards.

Matthew’s face lost its colour.

Daniel continued.

“My name was Adrian Thorne before they changed it.”

Naomi stared at the boy.

“Then who is Daniel Cross?”

The child looked at her sadly.

“The name you gave me.”

⸻

In the maternity ward, Samuel was trying to access the original birth records.

The file kept disappearing.

Every time he entered a name, the system rejected it.

“Someone is deleting the records remotely.”

Adrian moved towards the computer.

“Can you stop them?”

“I’m trying.”

Varek remained focused on the chamber.

“Mary, tell me who the man beside me really is.”

Mary’s image flickered.

“He is the second Adrian. He helped create the transfer system.”

The original Adrian shook his head.

“I was trying to save the children.”

Mary looked directly at him.

“You were trying to save yourself.”

Varek turned.

“Why did you arrange the first transfer?”

The man looked at him.

“Because the first Adrian wanted to destroy the programme.”

“And you stopped him?”

“I thought I could control it.”

Samuel suddenly spoke.

“There’s another file.”

A new document appeared.

It contained a photograph of the first Adrian as a newborn.

Beside him was a handwritten note.

ORIGINAL NAME: ADRIAN THORNE.

STATUS: REMOVED.

REPLACEMENT NAME: ADRIAN THORNE.

STATUS: ACTIVE.

Samuel looked at the two men.

“That means the man in the chamber isn’t the original Adrian.”

Varek frowned.

“Then who is he?”

The original Adrian slowly sat up.

“I told you. I’m the second Adrian.”

“Then where is the first one?”

Mary answered from the chamber.

“He’s standing outside the building.”

Everyone froze.

Varek turned towards the corridor.

A heavy metallic sound came from somewhere beyond the door.

Then the security camera showed a man entering the maternity ward.

He had the same face as the original Adrian.

The same face as the man outside Naomi’s facility.

But unlike the other two, he looked older.

His hair was grey at the temples, and he walked with a slight limp.

Samuel whispered:

“That’s him.”

The first Adrian stopped in front of the camera.

He looked directly at Varek.

Then he smiled.

“Hello, son.”

Varek felt his stomach tighten.

“Who are you?”

The man looked towards the glass chamber.

“Ask your grandmother.”

Mary’s voice came through the speakers.

“Don’t let him near the children!”

The first Adrian ignored her.

He raised a small metal object towards the camera.

It looked like a key.

Then the chamber began unlocking.

Samuel rushed towards the control panel.

“He’s opening it remotely!”

Adrian grabbed the little girl’s hand.

“Get away from the glass!”

The first Adrian’s voice came through the speakers.

“Twenty-nine years, Mary. You have kept my daughter away from me for twenty-nine years.”

Varek stepped in front of the little girl.

“Which daughter?”

The first Adrian looked directly into the camera.

“The one you have been calling your sister.”

Varek’s blood ran cold.

He turned towards the little girl.

She was staring at the screen.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Then she whispered:

“Daddy?”

⸻

At the secure location, Naomi heard the same voice through the building’s speakers.

“Daniel.”

The boy looked up.

The voice continued.

“Come home, my son.”

Daniel began shaking.

Naomi held him tightly.

“Don’t listen.”

But the boy slowly turned towards the speaker.

A new message appeared on the security screen.

ORIGINAL CHILD IDENTIFIED.

NAME: ADRIAN THORNE.

CURRENT IDENTITY: DANIEL CROSS.

PARENTAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.

Then a final message appeared.

FATHER: ADRIAN THORNE.

Naomi stared at the screen.

There were three men with the same face.

Two children with names that had been changed.

And a woman inside a glass chamber who knew the truth.

But the most frightening part was the next message.

TRANSFER COMPLETE: 100%.

Daniel suddenly collapsed in Naomi’s arms.

His eyes opened again.

When he spoke, it was no longer the voice of a child.

“Naomi.”

She looked down.

“Daniel?”

He smiled faintly.

“Where is my daughter?”

And then he whispered a name Naomi had never heard before.

“Isabella.”