The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 71 — The Man Who Named the Dead

Nobody moved.

Alistair Thorne stood in the doorway, looking older than Varek remembered from the photographs. His hair was almost completely white, and his face carried deep lines. But his eyes were the same.

Cold.

Calculating.

Alive.

Varek slowly reached for the gun beneath his jacket.

“Don’t,” Alistair said. “You wouldn’t want to shoot the only person who can explain why you were born.”

Varek pulled out the gun anyway.

“Give me one reason not to.”

Alistair glanced at the weapon.

“Because the child beside Jonathan is carrying a secret that could destroy you.”

Samuel stepped behind Jonathan.

The old man placed a protective hand on his shoulder, but Varek noticed something strange.

Jonathan wasn’t protecting the boy.

He was holding him in place.

“Move away from him,” Varek ordered.

Alistair entered the room.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Why?”

“Because Samuel is the only surviving witness to the original transfer.”

Grace shook her head violently.

“Don’t listen to him!”

Alistair looked at her.

“You always did have a problem with knowing when to keep quiet.”

“You killed those children!”

The room fell silent.

Victor turned towards her.

“What children?”

Grace’s eyes filled with tears.

“The ones you keep talking about as if they were numbers. They were babies. They had names. They had mothers.”

Alistair sighed.

“And you helped move them.”

“I was trying to save them.”

“You were trying to save yourself.”

Varek stepped forward.

“Enough. I want answers.”

Alistair studied him.

“Then put the gun down.”

“No.”

“Very well.”

He turned towards Samuel.

“Tell him what you remember.”

The boy looked frightened.

“I don’t want to.”

Jonathan bent down.

“Samuel, tell him.”

The child shook his head.

Alistair’s expression hardened.

“Your mother taught you to be brave. Don’t disappoint her.”

Varek’s eyes narrowed.

“His mother?”

Alistair looked at him.

“Yes. You didn’t think he appeared out of nowhere, did you?”

“Who is she?”

“That depends on which version of the story you believe.”

Varek almost laughed.

“You people have spent your entire lives hiding behind different versions of the same story.”

“Because the truth was never meant to be simple.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Where did the children go?”

Alistair looked at him.

“Still asking questions about children you failed to protect?”

“I was a child myself.”

“Not when the final transfer happened.”

Adrian’s face tightened.

“What final transfer?”

Alistair walked towards the table and picked up the original register.

Varek raised his gun.

“Put it down.”

Alistair ignored him.

He opened the register to the page showing Subject Five.

“Samuel Cross was not the only child assigned that number. There were two. One was meant to inherit. The other was meant to remember.”

Matthew moved closer.

“That isn’t what the original document says.”

Alistair looked at him.

“You have only seen the surviving copy.”

“Then where is the original?”

Alistair tapped the page.

“Inside the boy.”

Everyone looked at Samuel.

The child lowered his head.

Varek felt his patience slipping.

“Explain.”

Alistair pointed at the boy’s left hand.

“The mark beneath his thumb is not a family mark. It is an identification seal. It connects him to the original memory archive.”

Matthew stared at the mark.

“That’s impossible. The archive was destroyed.”

“Only the physical archive.”

Varek looked at Samuel again.

“Are you saying someone put information inside a child?”

Alistair nodded.

“Not information. Memories.”

Grace began crying.

“Stop it, Alistair. He doesn’t even understand what you’re saying.”

“He understands more than you think.”

Varek lowered his gun slightly.

“What memories?”

Alistair’s eyes met his.

“Every transfer. Every name. Every child who was taken, replaced or declared dead. Samuel was the living record.”

Adrian stepped back.

“That’s why they kept moving him.”

“Exactly.”

Victor looked at Samuel.

“Then why was Varek listed as his guardian?”

Alistair smiled.

“Because the system needed someone who could inherit the memories without being recognized as one of the original subjects.”

Varek’s stomach tightened.

“Me?”

“You were created for that purpose.”

“I was born.”

“Those are not the same thing.”

Varek moved closer.

“Who are my parents?”

Alistair remained silent.

“Who gave me my name?”

“Your grandfather.”

“Jonathan already told me that.”

“Jonathan tells you only what he wants you to believe.”

Jonathan’s face darkened.

“Be careful, Alistair.”

Alistair turned towards him.

“Or what? You’ll pretend to be dead again?”

Jonathan stepped away from Samuel.

For the first time, Varek saw something close to fear in the old man’s expression.

Alistair continued.

“The original Varek Thorne was not simply a family patriarch. He was the first person to discover that the inheritance could be controlled through identity records. He built the system that later became the Black Ledger.”

Varek stared at him.

“And I was named after him?”

“Yes. But not because he wanted you to take his place.”

“Then why?”

Alistair looked towards Samuel.

“Because the original Varek was the only person who ever managed to escape the system.”

Matthew frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense. The original Varek died decades ago.”

“That is what the records say.”

“Are you suggesting he survived?”

Alistair smiled.

“I’m suggesting that some people have been using his identity long after his death.”

The room became silent.

Varek looked at Jonathan.

“Is that why you wanted me here?”

Jonathan didn’t answer.

Alistair placed the register on the table.

“Jonathan wanted to activate the original Black Ledger. Richard wanted to control it. Matthew wanted to rewrite it. But none of them could complete the process without you.”

“And what do you want?”

“To finish what I started.”

Varek raised his gun again.

“You started this?”

Alistair nodded.

“I created the first transfer arrangement.”

Adrian rushed forward, but Victor caught his arm.

“You arranged the separation of those children?” Adrian demanded.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the Thorne family was dying. The inheritance was worth billions, but the family had no legitimate successor who could be trusted with it.”

“So you stole children?”

“We selected them.”

Adrian struck the table with his fist.

“They were children!”

“And now look at what they have become.”

Varek felt disgust rise inside him.

“You speak as if you did them a favour.”

Alistair ignored him.

“The first system was designed around four roles. One child would inherit. One would protect. One would control. One would remember. But when the first arrangement failed, we created replacements.”

“That’s why there are so many identities.”

“Yes.”

“And Subject Zero?”

For the first time, Alistair’s expression changed.

It was brief, but Varek noticed.

“Who told you about Subject Zero?”

“Naomi found the file.”

Alistair looked towards Matthew.

“Then the archive is already awake.”

Matthew checked his device.

“Someone has accessed the system again.”

A warning flashed across the screen.

MEMORY ARCHIVE: 12% RESTORED.

Another message appeared beneath it.

SUBJECT ZERO: IDENTIFICATION PENDING.

Varek turned to Alistair.

“Who is Subject Zero?”

Alistair slowly closed the register.

“The person who remembers what happened before the first transfer.”

“Who?”

Alistair looked directly at Grace.

She began shaking her head.

“No.”

“Tell him,” Alistair ordered.

Grace looked at Varek.

Her lips trembled.

“Subject Zero wasn’t a boy.”

Varek frowned.

“Then what was it?”

“A girl.”

Jonathan suddenly moved towards the door.

Victor blocked him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Jonathan’s face twisted.

“Get out of my way.”

Victor didn’t move.

Grace continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

“The girl was born before all of you. Before the Black Ledger. Before the children were given numbers. She was the first person they used to test the memory system.”

Varek stared at her.

“Who was she?”

Grace looked at Samuel.

Then she looked back at Varek.

“Her name was Mary.”

At the secure location, Isabella dropped the necklace.

It hit the floor with a sharp metallic sound.

Naomi turned.

“Isabella?”

The young woman was staring at the laptop.

A new photograph had appeared.

It showed a woman holding a newborn baby.

Naomi moved closer.

“Do you recognize her?”

Isabella nodded slowly.

“That’s the woman who buried me.”

Evelyn picked up the photograph.

“Wait. Look at the baby.”

Naomi enlarged the image.

There was a small hospital bracelet around the newborn’s wrist.

The name written on it was barely visible.

But Naomi could read it.

VAREK THORNE.

Below the photograph was another line.

MOTHER: MARY.

Isabella backed away.

“No.”

Naomi looked at her.

“What is it?”

Isabella’s voice broke.

“I remember now.”

“What?”

She stared at the screen.

“The woman who buried me wasn’t trying to kill me.”

A new message appeared on the laptop.

SUBJECT ZERO HAS AWAKENED.

Then the message changed.

SHE REMEMBERS WHO GAVE BIRTH TO VAREK.

At the medical facility, Varek stared at Grace.

“Mary was my mother?”

Grace opened her mouth.

But before she could answer, Samuel suddenly screamed.

He clutched his head and fell to his knees.

The lights went out.

In the darkness, a small voice whispered:

“Father, don’t let them take me back.”

Then a gunshot rang through the original nursery.