The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 92 — The Wrong Child Was Shot

The gunshot echoed through the underground maternity ward.

Adrian turned sharply.

Isabella had fallen from the hospital bed.

Blood spread across her white gown.

“NO!”

Varek rushed towards her while the little girl screamed.

Lucian stood near the doorway, holding the smoking weapon.

“She was about to tell you something you were never supposed to know.”

Adrian reached for his gun.

“Drop it!”

Lucian laughed.

“You still think you can threaten me?”

Adrian fired.

Lucian quickly moved behind the metal cabinet. The bullet struck the wall.

Varek knelt beside Isabella.

“Stay with me.”

The old woman struggled to breathe.

“Don’t… let him…”

“Don’t speak. I’ll get help.”

She grabbed his wrist.

“No. Listen.”

Varek leaned closer.

Isabella’s eyes moved towards the little girl.

“Protect… the first daughter.”

Varek looked at the child.

“Who is she?”

Isabella tried to answer, but her strength was fading.

Then she whispered something that made him freeze.

“Your name was never Varek.”

Her hand slipped from his.

For a moment, nobody moved.

The little girl began crying.

“Grandmother!”

Varek checked Isabella’s breathing.

She was still alive, but barely.

Adrian grabbed the medical emergency button.

“Get a doctor down here!”

The computer responded with a loud warning.

MEDICAL ACCESS DENIED.

ORIGINAL MATERNAL RECORD UNDER LOCKDOWN.

Adrian struck the side of the machine.

“Open the medical system!”

A new message appeared.

AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: SUBJECT FOUR.

Varek looked towards the doorway.

Lucian was gone.

⸻

The corridor outside the maternity ward was empty.

Adrian rushed out, but there was no sign of him.

“He’s escaped.”

Varek looked back towards Isabella.

“Find him. Don’t let him leave this facility.”

Adrian hesitated.

“I’m not leaving you alone with her.”

“Then help me save her.”

They returned to the room.

The little girl was holding Isabella’s hand.

“Please don’t let her die.”

Varek crouched beside her.

“I won’t.”

She looked at him with frightened eyes.

“She knows who you are.”

“Then she’ll tell us when she wakes up.”

The girl shook her head.

“She might not.”

Varek frowned.

“What do you mean?”

The child looked towards the computer.

“Every time they wake her, they take something from her.”

Adrian turned.

“What do they take?”

“Her memories.”

The little girl wiped her face.

“She used to remember all our names. But every time they did the transfer, she forgot another one.”

Varek looked at the machine.

“Who authorized the transfers?”

The girl pointed towards the screen.

“Jonathan.”

A sound came from the corridor.

Someone was approaching.

Adrian raised his weapon.

“Who’s there?”

A familiar voice answered.

“Put that thing down before you shoot the wrong person.”

Samuel appeared at the entrance.

He was holding a medical kit.

Varek stared at him.

“How did you get down here?”

“Through the old nursery passage.”

Samuel looked at Isabella.

Then his expression changed.

“Who shot her?”

“Lucian.”

Samuel placed the medical kit on the table.

“Then we don’t have much time.”

Adrian frowned.

“Can you save her?”

“I can try. But I need the original record.”

Varek pointed at the computer.

“It says authorization is required from Subject Four.”

Samuel looked at the screen.

Then he slowly turned towards the little girl.

“That’s because Subject Four is not the person you think.”

⸻

At the secure location, Naomi was staring at the woman standing behind the safe room door.

The woman looked exactly like her mother.

But something was different.

She was younger.

And she was wearing the same necklace Naomi had found in the old envelope.

Evelyn raised her weapon.

“Step away from the door.”

The woman didn’t move.

“Naomi, I need you to listen to me.”

Naomi approached cautiously.

“Who are you?”

The woman looked at her.

“I’m your mother.”

Naomi shook her head.

“No. My mother just called me.”

The woman smiled sadly.

“Then you have spoken to the wrong one.”

Evelyn moved closer.

“Identify yourself.”

The woman reached into her handbag and pulled out an old photograph.

She placed it against the glass.

Naomi looked at it.

It showed two women standing beside each other.

Both had her face.

One was older.

The other was younger.

Between them stood a little girl.

Naomi recognized the child.

It was the girl currently with Varek.

She stepped backwards.

“What is this?”

The woman answered quietly.

“The truth about your birth.”

Naomi stared at her.

“Who is the other woman?”

“My sister.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes. We were both given the name Isabella.”

Evelyn lowered her weapon slightly.

“You’re saying there were two Isabellas?”

The woman nodded.

“Three, actually.”

Naomi’s head began spinning.

“How many people in this family have the same names?”

The woman looked at her.

“Enough to make sure nobody could ever find the original.”

Naomi held up her pendant.

“Why does this belong to me?”

The woman looked at it.

“Because you were born with the right to open the seventh compartment.”

Naomi frowned.

“Richard wants it.”

“Richard doesn’t know what is inside.”

“Then what is inside?”

The woman leaned closer.

“Your original birth record.”

Naomi looked at Evelyn.

The woman continued.

“And the identity of your real father.”

Naomi swallowed.

“Who is he?”

The woman looked directly into her eyes.

“Jonathan Thorne.”

⸻

In the maternity ward, Samuel had opened the medical kit.

He removed a small scanner and placed it against Isabella’s wrist.

The machine made a soft sound.

“Her heartbeat is weak.”

Adrian looked at him.

“Can you save her?”

“Not without opening the original medical archive.”

Varek turned towards the computer.

“How do we do that?”

Samuel looked at the little girl.

“She has to touch the screen.”

The girl stepped backwards.

“No.”

Varek crouched beside her.

“Why not?”

“They will take me again.”

He held her hands.

“Nobody is taking you anywhere.”

Samuel shook his head.

“You don’t understand. The system will recognize her as the original memory source.”

Adrian looked at the screen.

“Then what happens?”

“Every stored memory will become accessible. Including the memories they removed from Isabella.”

Varek turned towards the little girl.

“Can you do it?”

She looked at Isabella.

Then she nodded.

Samuel guided her towards the computer.

“Place your left hand on the scanner.”

The girl hesitated.

Varek stood beside her.

“I’m right here.”

She placed her hand against the screen.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then the entire computer turned black.

A new message appeared.

SUBJECT FOUR RECOGNIZED.

ORIGINAL IDENTITY: ELEANOR’S FIRST DAUGHTER.

Varek stared.

“That’s impossible.”

Samuel stepped backwards.

The little girl looked confused.

“What’s happening?”

Another message appeared.

MATERNAL RECORD RESTORED.

SUBJECT FOUR: FEMALE.

BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: ELEANOR THORNE.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: JONATHAN THORNE.

Adrian looked at Varek.

“Jonathan was her father?”

Samuel nodded slowly.

“But that’s not the worst part.”

The computer refreshed again.

SUBJECT FIVE: MALE.

BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: ELEANOR THORNE.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: JONATHAN THORNE.

Varek stared at the screen.

He and the little girl were twins.

But the next message contradicted everything.

SUBJECT FIVE — ORIGINAL NAME: LUCIAN THORNE.

CURRENT IDENTITY: VAREK THORNE.

Varek slowly turned towards Samuel.

“Lucian?”

Samuel nodded.

“The man who shot Isabella is not the original Lucian.”

Adrian looked towards the empty doorway.

“Then who is he?”

Samuel’s face turned pale.

“He is the man who was given your name.”

Varek looked back at the screen.

A final message appeared.

SUBJECT FIVE MEMORY TRANSFER COMPLETE.

ORIGINAL MEMORY OWNER: VAREK THORNE.

CURRENT MEMORY HOLDER: ADRIAN THORNE.

Adrian stumbled backwards.

“No…”

The lights flickered.

Then a new voice came through the speakers.

It was Richard.

“Congratulations, children. You’ve finally found your original names.”

He paused.

“But there’s one little detail you haven’t discovered.”

A photograph appeared on the screen.

It showed Eleanor holding two newborn babies.

Beside her stood a man whose face had been scratched out.

Richard continued.

“Jonathan Thorne was never the father of those twins.”

The screen went black.

Then his final words echoed through the maternity ward.

“Your real father is the man who just shot Isabella.”