Chapter 15: The Fourteenth Child
The call ended.
Victoria stared at the phone.
Veronica slowly lowered herself into a chair.
"Another brother?""
Samuel opened the Genesis file again.
He searched through the pages.
"There's no record of another child.""
Elena pointed toward the final section.
"Look at the numbers.""
Samuel turned the file around.
The records listed fourteen subjects.
001 through 014.
But the original charter mentioned fifteen genetic profiles.
The missing entry was labeled 000.
Victoria felt a chill.
"Daniel.""
Samuel shook his head.
"No. Daniel is listed separately.""
He pulled another sheet from the folder.
The document was dated twenty-nine years earlier.
It contained three names.
Robert Hale.
Richard Vance.
Margaret Vance.
And a fourth name.
*SUBJECT 000 — MATTHEW HALE.*
Victoria stared.
"Who is Matthew?""
Elena looked toward the window.
"I've never heard that name.""
Veronica studied the photograph attached to the document.
It showed a newborn baby with a small birthmark beneath his left ear.
The same birthmark appeared on the medical records for Subject 000.
Samuel checked the final page.
"There's a note here.""
He read aloud.
"Subject 000 removed from program after successful transfer. Identity sealed under executive authorization.""
Victoria looked up.
"Transferred where?""
Samuel shook his head.
"No destination listed.""
Veronica suddenly stood.
"I've seen that name.""
Everyone turned.
"Where?"" Victoria asked.
"In Daniel's personal office. There was a framed photograph on his desk. A man named Matthew. Daniel told me he was an old family friend.""
Samuel frowned.
"What did he look like?""
"About forty. Dark hair. Gray eyes. A scar beneath his left ear.""
Victoria looked at the photograph.
The birthmark.
"That's him.""
Veronica nodded.
"Daniel said the man had helped him build the company.""
Samuel searched his contacts.
"I need to make a call.""
He stepped outside.
Victoria turned toward Elena.
"Could Daniel have another brother?""
Elena looked devastated.
"I don't know.""
"Did Robert ever mention another child?""
Elena shook her head.
"Robert mentioned many things. He never told me about Matthew.""
Veronica sat beside her.
"Maybe Matthew is the real heir.""
Victoria looked at the family trust documents.
"Or maybe he's the reason Robert kept everything hidden.""
A few minutes later, Samuel returned.
His face was pale.
"I found him.""
"Where?""
"New York.""
"Who is he?""
Samuel swallowed.
"Matthew Hale is the current chairman of a private biotechnology company called Genesis Medical Holdings.""
Victoria frowned.
"Is it connected to Vance Global?""
"Not officially.""
"Then how did you find him?""
Samuel held up his phone.
"Because his company has been purchasing Vance Global laboratory equipment for the last six months.""
Victoria stared.
"He's been preparing to restart the program.""
Samuel nodded.
"And he's scheduled to attend an emergency shareholders' meeting tomorrow morning.""
Veronica looked at the clock.
"Then we go to New York.""
Elena shook her head.
"We can't leave Margaret.""
Victoria looked at her.
"She's with Robert.""
"Exactly.""
Samuel's phone vibrated.
A new message.
He read it and immediately turned the screen toward Victoria.
It was a photograph of Margaret sitting inside a glass-walled room.
Her hands were free.
She was wearing a pale blue dress.
Behind her stood an elderly man.
Robert Hale.
But something else caught Victoria's attention.
A second man stood beside him.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
A scar beneath his left ear.
Matthew.
The message read:
*THE FAMILY MEETING IS TOMORROW. COME ALONE, OR YOUR MOTHER DISAPPEARS AGAIN.*
Victoria looked at Veronica.
"We're not going alone.""
At 8:30 the following morning, Victoria entered the headquarters of Genesis Medical Holdings in Manhattan.
The building stood in the middle of a row of financial institutions, its glass exterior reflecting the gray New York sky.
A receptionist greeted her.
"Good morning. Do you have an appointment?""
Victoria placed a document on the desk.
"I own sixty-two percent of Vance Global Industries.""
The receptionist looked at the paper.
Then at Victoria.
"Of course. Mr. Hale is expecting you.""
She pressed a button.
A private elevator opened.
Victoria entered alone.
Samuel and Veronica waited in a vehicle outside, connected through a secure communication device.
Elena had stayed behind to coordinate with the federal investigators.
The elevator stopped on the thirty-eighth floor.
A man stood waiting.
Matthew Hale.
He looked exactly like the photograph.
His suit was charcoal gray, his tie dark blue, and his expression unreadable.
"Victoria.""
She didn't offer her hand.
"Where is my mother?""
Matthew smiled.
"Straight to the point. I like that.""
"Where is she?""
"Safe.""
"Let me see her.""
"After the meeting.""
He led her into a conference room.
A long table occupied the center.
At the far end sat Robert Hale.
Beside him sat Margaret.
She looked tired but unharmed.
Victoria rushed toward her.
"Mom!""
Margaret stood.
"Victoria, don't come closer.""
Victoria stopped.
Robert smiled.
"Always so obedient.""
Victoria turned toward him.
"You wanted me here. I'm here.""
Robert gestured toward an empty chair.
"Sit.""
She remained standing.
Matthew closed the door.
Robert studied her.
"You look like your mother.""
"Unfortunately, I inherited your face too.""
Robert laughed.
"You're angry.""
"You're a criminal.""
"Those are often the same thing in business.""
Victoria placed the trust documents on the table.
"Here's what you wanted.""
Robert examined the folder.
"Excellent.""
"But first, explain Matthew.""
Robert looked toward the younger man.
"Matthew is my eldest son.""
Victoria's eyes widened.
"Older than Daniel?""
"By eleven months.""
"Then why was he hidden?""
Matthew answered.
"Because I wasn't born into the right circumstances.""
Robert nodded.
"Your mother was pregnant with me before she married Richard. But she was already involved with me.""
Margaret's face hardened.
"That's not what happened.""
Robert ignored her.
"Matthew was born first. Daniel came later. When Margaret discovered the truth, she agreed to hide the first child in exchange for keeping the second.""
Victoria stared at her mother.
"Is that true?""
Margaret shook her head.
"Your father is twisting everything.""
Robert smiled.
"Am I?""
He opened a folder.
Inside were photographs of Margaret holding newborn Matthew.
Then another photograph showed Richard standing beside Daniel.
Robert continued.
"Richard wanted an heir. Margaret wanted to protect her marriage. I wanted my son to inherit the research.""
Matthew sat down.
"And I wanted what was promised to me.""
Victoria looked at him.
"Which was?""
"The company. The patents. The Genesis archive.""
"Why?""
Matthew's smile was thin.
"Because I am the only person who understands what Project Genesis was supposed to achieve.""
Victoria felt sick.
"You want to continue the experiments?""
"Not the old program. Something much better.""
He placed a laboratory report on the table.
It contained the same compound used to poison her gown.
VX-17.
Victoria looked at Margaret.
Her mother shook her head desperately.
"Don't listen to him.""
Matthew leaned forward.
"Your mother developed the original formula. Robert funded it. I improved it.""
Victoria looked at him.
"Improved it how?""
Matthew opened another document.
It contained a list of proposed medical applications.
The compound could alter the way certain cells responded to inherited genetic disorders.
But the risks were enormous.
The document included records of severe reactions, permanent injuries, and several deaths.
Victoria pushed it away.
"This is murder disguised as medicine.""
Matthew smiled.
"That's why we need someone with your reputation.""
"My reputation?""
"You're the controlling shareholder. You're respected. You're wealthy. People believe you.""
Robert slid a pen across the table.
"Sign the transfer, Victoria.""
She stared at the document.
"Why would I give you my shares?""
"Because your mother will be released.""
Victoria looked at Margaret.
Her mother was crying silently.
Then Victoria noticed something.
Margaret's left hand was tapping against the table.
Three times.
Pause.
Three times.
Pause.
Victoria remembered the old family habit.
When she was a child, Margaret used to tap that pattern against her bedroom door whenever she wanted Victoria to pretend she hadn't heard something.
It meant one thing.
Look behind you.
Victoria glanced toward the glass wall.
A security guard stood outside.
But behind him was another door.
Slightly open.
And through the narrow gap, she saw a familiar face.
Elena.
Victoria kept her expression neutral.
Robert pushed the pen closer.
"Sign.""
Victoria picked it up.
Then she looked at Matthew.
"Before I do, I have one question.""
Matthew raised an eyebrow.
"Ask.""
"Which one of you ordered the original poison?""
Matthew smiled.
"Both of us.""
Robert's expression changed.
Matthew continued.
"Robert designed the operation. I supplied the compound. Daniel simply delivered the dress.""
Victoria slowly put down the pen.
"Thank you.""
Robert frowned.
"For what?""
"For telling me exactly who needs to go to prison.""
The conference room door suddenly opened.
Federal agents entered.
"Robert Hale! Matthew Hale! Step away from the table!""
Matthew jumped to his feet.
Robert remained seated.
He looked at Victoria.
Then he began laughing.
"You really think this is over?""
Victoria stood.
"The evidence is already with the federal investigators.""
Robert's smile faded.
"Which evidence?""
Victoria held up her phone.
"The recording of your confession.""
Matthew turned toward Robert.
"You said the room was secure.""
Robert stared at Victoria.
Then at Margaret.
His face transformed.
"You betrayed me.""
Margaret stood.
"No, Robert.""
She wiped her tears.
"I finally stopped protecting you.""
The agents seized Matthew.
Another officer approached Robert.
But before they could handcuff him, Robert leaned toward Victoria and whispered:
"You still don't know what happened to the first fourteen children.""
Victoria looked at him.
"Then tell me.""
Robert smiled.
"Because the first fourteen weren't experiments.""
He paused.
"They were witnesses.""
And as the agents pulled him away, he delivered one final revelation.
"One of them is already sitting in your boardroom.""
Victoria turned toward the conference table.
The screen at the far end suddenly activated.
A live video appeared.
Daniel Vance was sitting inside a private room.
He was smiling.
And beside him sat a woman Victoria had never seen before.
May you like
The caption beneath her photograph read:
*GENESIS SUBJECT 014 — THE ORIGINAL SUCCESSOR.*
