CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
THE DNA ENVELOPE
"Hello, sister."
The woman's voice was soft.
Almost gentle.
That somehow made it worse.
I stared at her.
She looked like me.
Not similar.
Not vaguely familiar.
She looked exactly like me.
The same dark eyes.
The same shape of the mouth.
The same small scar beneath the left eyebrow.
Even the same slight tilt of the head when she was confused.
My hand instinctively moved toward my own face.
She smiled.
"You finally noticed."
I couldn't speak.
Luka raised his weapon.
"Don't move."
The woman looked at him.
"You still point that thing at people you love?"
Luka's expression hardened.
"You don't know anything about me."
She laughed quietly.
"I know more than you think."
Maria stepped between us.
"Enough."
The woman looked at her.
"You're still protecting her."
Maria's face was filled with pain.
"She's my daughter."
The woman shook her head.
"No."
She looked directly at me.
"She's my sister."
My heart hammered.
I looked at Maria.
"Who is she?"
Maria's eyes filled with tears.
"Her name is Eva."
"Eva?"
She nodded.
"Eva Moretti."
I looked back at the woman.
"Why does she look like me?"
Maria took a breath.
"Because you were made from the same source."
I felt sick.
"What source?"
Maria didn't answer.
Eva did.
"Me."
Silence.
I stared at her.
"You?"
She nodded.
"I was the original."
My mind struggled to process the words.
"Original what?"
"The first successful M-17 subject."
Luka's face changed.
"No."
Eva looked at him.
"You've known."
"I knew there was another subject."
"You knew it was me."
"I thought you were dead."
"So did everyone."
Maria stepped forward.
"That's what Robert wanted."
I turned toward her.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"And you let me believe I was Elena?"
Maria closed her eyes.
"I had no choice."
"You always have a choice."
"I was trying to keep you alive."
"By lying to me?"
"Yes."
I laughed bitterly.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Maria looked at my daughter.
"Because it's true."
My baby stirred in my arms.
I held her tighter.
"Then tell me everything."
Maria looked at Luka.
Then Eva.
Finally, she looked at me.
"You are not the first Elena."
My throat tightened.
"Who was the first?"
She pointed toward Eva.
"Her."
Eva smiled sadly.
"Robert gave you my name."
"Why?"
"Because I disappeared."
"Where did I come from?"
Maria's voice trembled.
"From her."
I stared at Eva.
"You're saying I'm a copy?"
"No."
Eva stepped closer.
"You're my genetic sister."
"Then why do we look identical?"
"Because Robert used my DNA."
"For what?"
"To create you."
The words landed like a blow.
I looked down at my daughter.
"So I'm not natural."
"No."
"Neither am I."
Eva's voice softened.
"But you are different."
"How?"
"You're the first one who was born naturally."
I looked at Maria.
"Then what about my birth?"
"That is the lie Robert protected."
"What lie?"
Maria's eyes moved toward Luka.
"He knows."
Luka looked away.
I turned to him.
"You know?"
"I know part of it."
"Tell me."
He didn't speak.
"Tell me!"
He finally said:
"You weren't born in a hospital."
I froze.
"What?"
"You were born in the M-17 facility."
"That's impossible."
"Your official birth date is correct."
"Then?"
"The location isn't."
I shook my head.
"Where was I born?"
"Below the original laboratory."
I felt dizzy.
"Who was there?"
"Your mother."
"Robert?"
"Yes."
"Marcus?"
Luka hesitated.
"Yes."
"And Eva?"
She answered.
"I was there."
I looked at her.
"You remember?"
"Everything."
"What happened?"
Eva's expression changed.
"They were trying to create the perfect carrier."
"For M-17."
"Yes."
"Then you were the first."
"I was."
"What went wrong?"
She looked at Maria.
"Nothing."
I frowned.
"Nothing?"
"I survived."
Maria whispered:
"That's what terrified them."
Eva continued.
"Marcus wanted to repeat the experiment."
"With me."
"With you."
"Why?"
"Because I couldn't have children."
I stared.
"What?"
Eva's eyes became cold.
"After the experiments, I could no longer carry a pregnancy."
I looked at my daughter.
"So they used my mother?"
Maria nodded.
"They used my body to carry your embryo."
My blood ran cold.
"My embryo?"
Eva nodded.
"Your genetic material came from me."
"Then who was the father?"
Silence.
I looked at Luka.
Then Maria.
Then Eva.
Nobody answered.
My heart began pounding.
"Who?"
Maria whispered:
"Marcus."
I couldn't breathe.
"So Marcus is my biological father."
"Yes."
"And Eva is my genetic mother."
"Yes."
"Then what is Maria?"
Eva looked at her.
"The woman who carried you."
I stared at Maria.
"You gave birth to me."
"Yes."
"But I'm not biologically yours."
Maria's tears fell.
"No."
I stepped backward.
She reached for me.
I moved away.
"Don't."
Her hand dropped.
"I loved you."
"But you lied."
"Because I had to."
"No."
My voice broke.
"You lied because everyone decided they knew what was best for me."
Maria cried silently.
I turned toward Luka.
"And you?"
He didn't move.
"What are you to me?"
His answer came quietly.
"Nothing by blood."
I waited.
"But?"
"I loved you."
"Before I lost my memory."
"Yes."
"After?"
"Every day."
I looked away.
I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Then Eva walked toward the table.
She picked up the small metal box from Chapter 7.
"You still haven't opened the envelope."
I frowned.
"What envelope?"
She pointed inside the box.
Beneath the key was a sealed white envelope.
I had overlooked it.
My name was written across the front.
ELENA — DNA RESULTS
My hands went cold.
I picked it up.
Luka immediately said:
"Don't."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because Robert didn't want you to see it."
"That isn't a reason."
"It may change everything."
"Everything already changed."
I tore open the envelope.
Inside was a laboratory report.
The first page contained my name.
SUBJECT: ELENA HAYES
Underneath:
GENETIC ORIGIN: EVA MORETTI
CARRIED BY: MARIA MORETTI
PATERNAL CONTRIBUTION: MARCUS MORETTI
I stared.
Everything Eva had said was true.
Then I reached the second page.
My eyes moved down the report.
SECONDARY GENETIC MATCH: LUKA MORETTI
I froze.
I looked at Luka.
"Why?"
He said nothing.
I read the line again.
GENETIC RELATIONSHIP: 50.02%
My hands began shaking.
"You're my brother."
The room went completely silent.
Luka closed his eyes.
Eva looked away.
Maria began crying.
"No."
I shook my head.
"No."
I looked at Luka.
"You knew."
"I suspected."
"You knew."
"I found the report six years ago."
"You knew you were my brother."
"Yes."
"And you still told me you loved me."
His face twisted with pain.
"I loved you before I knew."
"But after you knew?"
"I loved you differently."
"How?"
"As my sister."
I couldn't breathe.
All the memories rushing through my mind suddenly became unbearable.
The boy holding my hand.
The kiss I remembered.
The promise.
The night he tried to take me.
Were those memories even real?
I turned toward Eva.
"What about her?"
Eva looked at me.
"What?"
"Does she have the same father?"
"Yes."
"Then she's my sister too."
Eva nodded.
"Biologically."
I looked at Maria.
"And you carried all of us?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"I carried you."
"Then who carried Eva?"
Eva answered.
"Another woman."
"Who?"
She hesitated.
"She didn't survive."
My stomach turned.
"How many women?"
"Three."
"For how many children?"
"Four."
I stared.
"Four?"
Eva nodded.
"You, me, and two others."
"Where are they?"
"Dead."
I looked at the photographs of the sixteen children.
Suddenly, the numbers made sense.
M-01 through M-16 weren't random subjects.
They were attempts.
Some were genetic matches.
Some were failed embryos.
Some were children born from the experiments.
And M-17—
was me.
Or Lily.
Or both.
I looked at the report.
Something didn't fit.
I turned the page.
There was a handwritten note.
Robert's handwriting.
DO NOT DISCLOSE THE PATERNAL RESULT.
Below it:
LUKA MUST NEVER KNOW.
I looked at Luka.
"You weren't supposed to know."
"No."
"Then how did you find it?"
"Robert gave it to me."
"Why?"
"Because he was dying."
I stared.
"Why would he give you this?"
"Because he wanted me to protect you."
"From Marcus?"
"From everyone."
I looked back at the report.
Then I noticed something.
A small line at the bottom.
DNA SAMPLE COMPARED AGAINST: LUKA MORETTI — 2001
I froze.
"Why was your DNA tested against mine in 2001?"
Luka didn't answer.
"Why?"
Eva looked at him.
"You really never told her?"
Luka shook his head.
"Tell me."
Eva's voice was cold.
"Because Luka wasn't supposed to be your brother."
I looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
She walked toward me.
"Marcus wasn't Luka's biological father."
I stared.
"What?"
"Robert was."
My mind went blank.
I looked at Luka.
He didn't deny it.
"Then..."
I could barely speak.
"Who is my father?"
Eva looked at me.
"Marcus."
"Who is Luka's father?"
"Robert."
"And Eva?"
"Marcus."
I felt dizzy.
"So we're not siblings."
"Not biologically."
"Then why does the report say 50%?"
Eva's face became serious.
"Because Robert wasn't your biological father."
She took the report from my hands.
"Look again."
I did.
The name at the top was:
ELENA HAYES
But the genetic origin section had been altered.
Eva pointed to a small code.
ORIGINAL SAMPLE: E-01
"That's me."
She pointed to another.
PATERNAL SAMPLE: L-00
I looked at Luka.
"What is L-00?"
He didn't answer.
Eva did.
"That's not Luka."
I froze.
"Then who?"
Eva whispered:
"Robert."
My heart stopped.
The report had been altered.
The entire family tree I'd just been given was another lie.
I turned to Luka.
"Who is your father?"
He looked at me.
"I don't know."
Eva smiled sadly.
"Neither does he."
"Why?"
"Because Marcus changed his identity too."
I shook my head.
"This is insane."
"No."
Eva's voice became quiet.
"It's worse."
She opened another compartment inside the metal box.
There was a second envelope.
Older.
Yellowed.
The words on it made my blood freeze.
FOR ELENA'S DAUGHTER.
My daughter.
I stared at it.
"Why would my father leave a letter for her?"
Eva looked at me.
"Because he knew she'd be born."
"When?"
"Twenty-five years ago."
I couldn't breathe.
"He knew about my daughter before I even knew her father."
"Yes."
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Robert's handwriting.
Elena,
If you're reading this, then Lily has been born.
My hands trembled.
I need you to understand one thing.
M-17 was never about you.
I stopped.
Eva watched me.
Luka moved closer.
I kept reading.
You were only the bridge.
My stomach dropped.
The real subject is your daughter.
I looked at Lily.
She was sleeping peacefully.
Her DNA contains something that neither I, Marcus, nor Eva ever possessed.
My heart pounded.
Something that came from the father.
I looked at Luka.
He was staring at me.
I continued.
I know what Daniel believes.
I know what Marcus believes.
And I know what Luka fears.
The next line had been underlined.
None of them is Lily's father.
My breath stopped.
Then the final paragraph.
When the DNA envelope is opened, do not trust the first result.
The first result is a lie.
I stared at the page.
Then a second sheet slipped out.
There was only one sentence.
The real father is the man who was never tested.
I looked at everyone in the room.
Daniel.
Marcus.
Luka.
Eva.
Maria.
Someone who had never been tested.
Someone Robert had deliberately kept outside the investigation.
Someone who had been close enough to Lily to leave his DNA behind.
My mind raced through every person who had been around me during the pregnancy.
The doctors.
The nurses.
My husband.
Luka.
My father.
And then I remembered.
One man.
A man who had been present at every important moment.
A man nobody had questioned.
A man I had trusted completely.
I looked at Maria.
"Where is Dr. Harris?"
Her expression changed.
Eva looked at Luka.
Luka slowly reached for his phone.
No signal.
He checked again.
Nothing.
Then his phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Who is this?"
A man's voice came through.
Calm.
Familiar.
I recognized it immediately.
Dr. Harris.
"Congratulations, Luka."
Luka's eyes hardened.
"You."
The doctor laughed softly.
"You finally found the envelope."
My blood ran cold.
Dr. Harris continued:
"Now you know the truth about Elena."
A pause.
"But there's one thing Robert never told you."
Luka tightened his grip on the phone.
"What?"
The doctor's voice became colder.
"The DNA result you just opened..."
Another pause.
"...wasn't the first one."
Luka looked at me.
I could barely breathe.
Dr. Harris continued.
"We tested Lily three times."
"Why?"
"Because the first two results were impossible."
I whispered:
"Impossible how?"
The doctor heard me.
His voice changed.
"Because your daughter doesn't have one M-17 sequence."
My heart stopped.
"She has two."
Silence.
Then he said:
"And one of them doesn't come from either of her parents."
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Luka slowly lowered it.
Eva looked terrified.
Maria whispered a prayer.
And my daughter—
the tiny baby everyone was willing to kill for—
opened her eyes.
For one impossible second, they weren't the soft newborn eyes I had known since birth.
They were bright.
Alert.
Almost unnaturally focused.
She looked directly at Luka.
Then at me.
And closed her tiny fingers around the edge of Robert's old DNA report.
The paper crumpled in her hand.
I stared at her.
A terrible thought entered my mind.
May you like
Maybe the people hunting my daughter weren't afraid of what she would become.
Maybe they were afraid of what she already was.
