Chapter 8: The Trust
The trust statement was only three pages long.
Three pages that turned my entire life into evidence.
Dorian stood behind me as I read.
The account had been created twenty years earlier.
The beneficiary was me.
The trustee was Evelyn Cross.
And the funding source was Mercer Biomedical.
Every month.
For twenty years.
I looked up.
“Why would they pay me?””
Dorian shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Lucas took the papers.
He read them carefully.
Then his eyes stopped on a line near the bottom.
“Wait.””
“What?””
He pointed.
“There's a second beneficiary.””
Dorian leaned closer.
The name was partially obscured by a legal code.
Lucas pulled out his phone.
“I know this code.””
“What is it?””
“Genetic research beneficiary.””
Dorian frowned.
“That doesn't identify a person.””
Lucas shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It identifies a biological sample.””
I stared at him.
“My blood?””
“Something collected from you.””
“When?””
He looked at the account history.
“Twenty years ago.””
I swallowed.
“I was a child.””
“Yes.””
Dorian suddenly grabbed his phone.
“Noah.””
“Yes, sir?””
“Find every medical facility Alina visited before she turned eighteen.””
A pause.
“That's a lot of records.””
“Find them.””
“And your brother?””
“Find his too.””
“Already searching.””
Dorian ended the call.
I looked at him.
“Twenty years.””
He nodded.
“They've been planning this since I was a child.””
“Maybe longer.””
I stared at the trust document.
“Then my marriage…”
Dorian didn't answer.
I finished the sentence.
“Was it planned too?””
His face tightened.
“I don't know.””
“Did you marry me because of this?””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
I searched his face.
“You're sure?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because I loved you before I knew any of this existed.””
My chest tightened.
It was the first time he had said loved in months.
I looked away.
“That doesn't fix what happened.””
“I know.””
“Then don't ask me to pretend.””
“I won't.””
Lucas stepped between us.
“There's something else.””
We both looked at him.
“Adrian wasn't working for Mercer.””
Dorian frowned.
“What?””
“He infiltrated them.””
Mara looked up.
“Why?””
“To protect Alina.””
I stared at Lucas.
“Then why did he forge my records?””
“Because they forced him.””
“And the pregnancy?””
“He tried to stop it.””
“Then why didn't he tell me?””
“He couldn't.””
“Why?””
Lucas hesitated.
“Because someone inside your family was watching you.””
I thought of Evelyn.
Then Dorian.
Then my mother.
“Who?””
Lucas looked at Dorian.
“Your father's attorney.””
Dorian's eyes narrowed.
“Graham Holt?””
Lucas nodded.
“He handled the foundation's legal affairs.””
“But Graham retired years ago.””
“No.””
Lucas pulled out his phone.
“He didn't.””
A photograph appeared.
Graham Holt.
Older.
Standing beside Dr. Mercer.
And beside them—
Evelyn Cross.
Alive.
The photograph had been taken two days ago.
I stared.
Dorian went completely still.
“Where?””
Lucas said, “Mercer Tower.””
Mara stepped forward.
“Then that's where they're going.””
Dorian shook his head.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“You heard him.””
“They want us there.””
“Then we go.””
“No.””
“Dorian.””
“You're pregnant.””
“And this started because of my pregnancy.””
“I said no.””
I stepped closer.
“You don't get to lock me away.””
“I'm trying to keep you alive.””
“So was everyone else, apparently.””
That silenced him.
I lowered my voice.
“I've spent six months being told what I did, what I didn't do, what I was allowed to know.””
I held up the trust document.
“I'm done.””
Dorian looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
“Fine.””
Mara exhaled.
“Good.””
Dorian looked at Lucas.
“You're coming.””
Lucas nodded.
“I was going anyway.””
We left twenty minutes later.
Mercer Tower rose above downtown like a black blade.
Forty-eight floors of glass.
The entire building belonged to Mercer Biomedical.
The lobby was empty.
Too empty.
No receptionist.
No security.
The elevator doors opened before we touched the button.
Dorian looked at Lucas.
“Trap.””
“Obviously.””
He stepped inside.
I followed.
The elevator began climbing.
Floor 12.
19.
27.
35.
No one spoke.
At floor 40, the lights flickered.
Mara grabbed the rail.
“That's comforting.””
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
A long corridor waited beyond.
At the end stood a woman.
White coat.
Silver hair.
Elegant.
I recognized her from the photographs.
Dorian whispered,
“Mother.””
Evelyn Cross smiled.
“Hello, Dorian.””
He didn't move.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“You let me believe you were dead.””
“I needed you to believe it.””
“Why?””
“Because you wouldn't have stopped looking.””
His voice shook with anger.
“You destroyed my life.””
Evelyn's expression softened.
“No, darling.””
She looked at me.
“I built it.””
I stepped forward.
“You forged my medical records.””
“Yes.””
“You manipulated my pregnancy.””
“Yes.””
“You monitored me.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Evelyn smiled.
“Because your body carries the most valuable genetic sequence on Earth.””
I felt sick.
“You experimented on me.””
“No.””
She looked at Dorian.
“Your father did.””
Dorian's jaw tightened.
“And you?””
“I continued his work.””
Lucas stepped forward.
“You killed people.””
Evelyn looked at him.
“No.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“I saved the program from you.””
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“You buried me alive.””
“I gave you a chance to survive.””
“You erased Alina's memory.””
“I protected her.””
“You drugged Dorian.””
“I protected him too.””
Dorian's face changed.
“You drugged me?””
Evelyn sighed.
“You were becoming difficult.””
He stepped forward.
“Why did you make me hate Alina?””
Evelyn's expression became almost sad.
“Because you were easier to control when you believed she betrayed you.””
My heart broke all over again.
Dorian closed his eyes.
“So the divorce…”
“Was necessary.””
“For what?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“For custody.””
I stared.
“Of my baby?””
“Yes.””
She stepped closer.
“Once the divorce was finalized, Dorian would have retained partial parental rights. You would have been legally vulnerable.””
Dorian whispered,
“You planned to take the child.””
“Not take.””
Evelyn smiled.
“Transfer.””
I felt rage rise through me.
“You don't own me.””
“No.””
She pointed toward a glass door.
“But you signed something twenty years ago.””
Inside was a laboratory.
Rows of equipment.
Medical refrigerators.
Computers.
And on the center table—
a folder.
My name.
Evelyn opened the door.
“Come see what your mother agreed to.””
I stepped inside.
Dorian followed.
The folder contained photographs of my mother.
Not dead.
Not sick.
Alive.
Pregnant.
Twenty years ago.
I stared at the final photograph.
My mother was holding a newborn.
Lucas.
Beside her stood another newborn.
I frowned.
“Who is that?””
Evelyn said nothing.
Dorian picked up the photograph.
His eyes widened.
“There were two babies.””
Lucas stepped closer.
“That's impossible.””
Evelyn finally spoke.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“That's the child everyone forgot.””
I stared at the photograph.
Two newborns.
Lucas.
And another baby.
A small hospital bracelet was visible.
The name was blurred.
But beneath it was a handwritten note.
*GENETIC MATCH: 100%.*
Then I noticed the baby's face.
My own face.
As a newborn.
I looked at Dorian.
“Why is there a picture of me?””
Evelyn smiled.
“Because that wasn't you.””
The room went silent.
May you like
She pointed to the baby beside Lucas.
“That child was your twin.””
