The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 68 — Neither Is Your Brother

Varek couldn’t take his eyes off Eleanor.

She stood beside Adrian, her face pale and her hands trembling. For years, he had believed she was the one person who had never lied to him.

Now she was standing in front of him, telling him that neither Matthew nor Adrian was his brother.

“What do you mean?” Varek asked.

Eleanor swallowed.

“Don’t believe anything you’ve heard in this building.”

Varek took a step forward.

“You signed my death order.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“I can explain.”

“You signed a document ordering someone to remove me before the original firstborn returned.”

“I was following instructions.”

“Whose instructions?”

Eleanor looked toward Richard.

He smiled.

“Go ahead, Eleanor. Tell him.”

She said nothing.

Richard stepped forward, holding Adrian by the shoulder.

“Your mother has always been very good at keeping secrets.”

“She’s not my mother,” Varek replied.

Richard laughed.

“Now you’re beginning to understand.”

Victor raised his weapon.

“Release Adrian.”

Richard glanced at him.

“Put that down before you make another mistake.”

“I said release him.”

Richard tightened his grip on Adrian’s shoulder.

“Do you want to know why your brother has been kept alive? Because he is the only person who can confirm which child was born first.”

Adrian looked at Varek.

“Don’t listen to him.”

Richard ignored him.

“Adrian remembers the original nursery. He remembers the night the children were separated. But he has spent years pretending he remembers nothing.”

Varek looked at Adrian.

“Is that true?”

Adrian shook his head.

“Not everything.”

“What do you remember?”

Adrian’s eyes moved toward Eleanor.

“I remember being told that one of the babies had to disappear.”

Eleanor closed her eyes.

“And I remember seeing you,” Adrian continued. “You were very small. Someone carried you out of the nursery.”

Varek felt his chest tighten.

“Who carried me?”

Adrian looked at Eleanor.

“She did.”

Varek turned slowly.

Eleanor began crying.

“I didn’t know what they planned to do to you.”

“But you carried me away?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“To the house where you grew up.”

Varek stared at her.

“Why would you take me there if I wasn’t your child?”

Eleanor shook her head.

“Because I was told to raise you.”

“By whom?”

She looked at Richard.

Richard smiled.

“That is a question she has never been brave enough to answer.”

Matthew suddenly laughed from behind them.

“He’s still doing it.”

Richard turned.

“Be quiet.”

Matthew stepped forward.

“You’ve spent years making everyone believe they were protecting these children. But you were only protecting yourself.”

Richard’s expression hardened.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Matthew looked at Varek.

“The document Eleanor signed was not a death order.”

Varek frowned.

“What?”

“It was a transfer order. Richard changed the wording after the original register was altered.”

Richard’s smile disappeared.

Matthew continued.

“The instruction was to remove Subject Five from the nursery before the firstborn returned. It did not say to kill him.”

Varek looked at the document again.

The words were clear, but there was something strange about the signature page.

“How do you know?”

“Because I have the original.”

Matthew reached inside his jacket.

Richard immediately raised his weapon.

“Don’t.”

Matthew stopped.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Adrian suddenly drove his shoulder into Richard’s chest.

The gun went off.

Victor pulled Varek behind the wall as the bullet struck the metal door.

Eleanor screamed.

Adrian stumbled forward, still tied at the wrists.

Richard recovered quickly and struck him across the face.

“Fool!”

Varek rushed toward them.

Victor fired into the ceiling.

“Everybody stop!”

The noise echoed through the corridor.

Richard turned toward Victor.

That moment was enough.

Varek grabbed Adrian and pulled him away.

“Move!”

Matthew kicked a nearby metal cabinet into the corridor, blocking Richard’s path.

Eleanor rushed toward them.

“Varek!”

He turned.

She was standing beside Richard.

For a brief moment, he wondered whether she would follow him or remain with the man who had controlled their lives.

Then she reached into her pocket and threw something toward him.

A small silver key.

“Take it!”

Varek caught it.

“What does it open?”

“The original nursery.”

Richard grabbed Eleanor’s arm.

“Don’t you dare!”

She struggled against him.

“Go, Varek!”

Varek wanted to return for her, but Victor pulled him toward the side corridor.

“Come on!”

They dragged Adrian through the emergency passage.

Matthew followed them.

Behind them, Richard’s voice echoed through the building.

“You cannot run from your own blood!”

⸻

They reached a small storage room several minutes later.

Victor locked the door while Varek helped Adrian sit on a wooden crate.

“Are you hurt?”

Adrian touched his cheek.

“I’ll survive.”

Varek examined the ropes around his wrists and cut them with a small blade.

Adrian rubbed his hands.

Then he looked at Varek.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

Varek gave him a hard look.

“That’s what you say after being held captive?”

“Richard wanted you here.”

“I know.”

“He wanted the original register.”

“And he didn’t get it.”

Adrian looked at the silver key in Varek’s hand.

“Where did you get that?”

“Eleanor.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“She gave it to you?”

“Yes.”

Matthew entered the room and closed the door behind him.

“That key opens the original nursery beneath St. Catherine’s.”

Varek looked at him.

“You said you had the original transfer order.”

Matthew nodded.

“Richard took it from me.”

“Then why did you tell us you had it?”

“Because I needed him to believe I still possessed something he wanted.”

Victor pointed his weapon at Matthew.

“You’re going to have to do better than that if you expect us to trust you.”

Matthew looked at him.

“You can shoot me if it makes you feel better. But you’ll still have the same problem.”

“What problem?”

Matthew glanced at Varek.

“None of you knows which child you really are.”

Varek stepped closer.

“Then start talking.”

Matthew took a breath.

“The original Black Ledger was created around four children. The firstborn was meant to inherit. The second was meant to protect. The third was meant to control. The fourth was meant to remember.”

Adrian nodded slowly.

“I remember that arrangement.”

Matthew continued.

“Alistair later expanded the system. More children were added, and the original positions became confused. Some were assigned numbers. Others were given false names. Eventually, Richard began using the system to control the family.”

“Where do I fit?” Varek asked.

Matthew looked at him.

“That’s the problem. You were never supposed to be Subject Five.”

“Then who was?”

Matthew opened his mouth.

Before he could answer, Adrian interrupted.

“I was.”

Varek turned.

“What?”

Adrian looked down at his hands.

“I was originally assigned Subject Five. The number was changed after the first transfer.”

Matthew shook his head.

“No. You were assigned Subject Three.”

Adrian stared at him.

“That’s not what I remember.”

“Because someone altered your memory.”

Varek looked between them.

“Enough. I want the actual records.”

Matthew nodded.

“Then we need the original nursery.”

Victor glanced at the door.

“And how do we get there without Richard finding us?”

Matthew smiled faintly.

“Richard doesn’t know where it is.”

Varek looked at the key.

“Then let’s go.”

⸻

At the same time, Naomi was working through the facility’s security system.

She had managed to recover some of the missing footage, but the main system was now locked.

Evelyn sat beside her while Isabella stood near the window.

“Have you heard from Varek?” Evelyn asked.

“Not directly. His phone is still active, but the signal keeps disappearing.”

Isabella moved closer.

“Can you find the original nursery?”

Naomi turned.

“Why?”

Isabella touched the necklace around her neck.

“Because I remember being there.”

Evelyn looked at her.

“You said you remembered a white room.”

“It wasn’t just a white room. There were four doors. Each door had a different symbol.”

Naomi leaned forward.

“What symbols?”

“A crown. A shield. An open hand. And an eye.”

Naomi immediately opened another document.

“Those are the four original positions.”

Isabella nodded.

“There was a fifth door too.”

Naomi stopped typing.

“What was on it?”

Isabella closed her eyes.

“I don’t remember clearly.”

“Try.”

“There was a small mark. Like a star.”

Naomi stared at her screen.

Then she opened the photograph Varek had sent earlier.

The little boy behind the hospital door had a small star-shaped mark stitched onto his shirt.

“Isabella, are you certain?”

She nodded.

Naomi searched the archive again.

A hidden file appeared.

It was titled:

ORIGINAL NURSERY — SUBJECT ZERO.

She opened it.

The document contained only one sentence.

SUBJECT ZERO WAS NEVER INCLUDED IN THE INHERITANCE. SUBJECT ZERO WAS THE REASON THE INHERITANCE EXISTED.

Naomi read it twice.

Then she noticed a second line beneath it.

IDENTITY: SEALED BY THE ORIGINAL FIRSTBORN.

Evelyn moved closer.

“What does it mean?”

Naomi shook her head.

“I don’t know yet.”

Her phone rang.

The number was unfamiliar.

She answered cautiously.

“Hello?”

A man’s voice came through.

“Naomi Cross?”

“Who is this?”

“You’ve been searching for the wrong child.”

Naomi stood.

“Who are you?”

“The child you call Subject Zero is not the missing child.”

“Then who is?”

The man paused.

“Look at the two women standing beside you.”

Naomi turned toward Evelyn and Isabella.

The caller continued.

“One of them was born into the Black Ledger. The other was never supposed to survive.”

Then the call ended.

Naomi looked at the two women.

Evelyn’s hand moved instinctively toward her necklace.

Isabella stepped backwards.

“What did he say?”

Naomi didn’t answer immediately.

She looked at the file again.

Then she noticed something she had missed earlier.

The original nursery document contained two photographs.

One showed a newborn girl wearing a bracelet marked 04.

The other showed another newborn girl wearing a bracelet marked 05.

But beneath the photographs were two different names.

EVELYN CROSS — ORIGINAL IDENTITY: SEALED.

ISABELLA THORNE — ORIGINAL IDENTITY: DECEASED.

Naomi slowly raised her head.

“There’s something wrong with these records.”

Evelyn stared at the screen.

“What’s wrong?”

Naomi swallowed.

“According to this document, Isabella died before either of you was given the name you currently use.”

Isabella’s face went pale.

Then she whispered:

“That’s impossible.”

Evelyn reached for her hand.

“Why?”

Isabella looked at her with frightened eyes.

“Because I remember the woman who buried me.”

And for the first time, Naomi realized that the mystery of the two girls might be much older than the Black Ledger itself.