Chapter 7 - THE SISTER IN THE DARKFor several seconds, Sofia couldn't breathe.
The woman standing before her looked like a reflection from another life.
Same dark eyes.
Same cheekbones.
Same small scar near the right eyebrow.
Even the way she held her shoulders seemed familiar.
Sofia had never believed in the idea that twins shared some mysterious connection.
But now, staring at Elise, she felt something she couldn't explain.
Recognition.
Not of a face.
Of a missing part of herself.
“Elise?”
The woman nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I wasn't sure you'd come.”
Sofia stepped closer.
“Who sent the messages?”
“I did.”
“You've been watching me?”
Elise looked ashamed.
“For three weeks.”
Sofia stopped.
“Why didn't you just come to the hospital?”
“Because Adrian would have found me.”
The name sent a chill through Sofia.
“You know who he really is?”
Elise nodded.
“I know enough.”
She moved toward the desk and switched on a small battery-powered lamp.
The room filled with dim yellow light.
Sofia could see that Elise was exhausted.
There were dark circles beneath her eyes.
A bruise marked her wrist.
Her clothes were wrinkled, as though she had been wearing them for days.
“Sit down,” Sofia said automatically.
Elise gave a sad smile.
“You sound like Mom.”
Sofia's throat tightened.
“You know her?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
Elise's expression changed.
“I don't know anymore.”
Sofia stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
Elise sat.
“For most of my life, I believed my name was Emily Keller. Adrian told me my parents had died when I was little.”
Sofia felt cold.
“He raised you?”
“Not exactly. He moved me between private schools, foster placements, and residential programs. He visited sometimes. He always told me I was lucky he cared enough to pay for everything.”
Sofia clenched her fists.
“He stole you from our family.”
Elise looked down.
“I found that out when I was twenty-six.”
“How?”
“A woman came to see me at the clinic where I worked. She said her name was Claire.”
Sofia held her breath.
Elise continued.
“She showed me photographs. Birth certificates. A hospital bracelet with my name.”
“Did you believe her?”
“Not at first.”
Elise laughed bitterly.
“Imagine a stranger telling you your entire childhood was a lie.”
Sofia understood more than she wanted to.
“What happened?”
“I asked for a DNA test. She agreed. We used an independent laboratory.”
“And?”
Elise looked at her.
“She was my mother.”
Sofia sat beside her.
“Why didn't she bring you home?”
“Because Adrian was watching both of us.”
Elise's voice hardened.
“He knew Claire had found me. He threatened to kill you if we tried to reunite.”
Sofia closed her eyes.
For years, she had wondered whether her mother had loved her enough.
Now she was learning that Claire had spent those years protecting two daughters who didn't even know the other existed.
Elise reached across the table.
“I wanted to find you anyway.”
Sofia took her hand.
The contact felt strange.
And right.
They sat silently for a long moment.
Then Sofia asked the question that had been haunting her.
“Why did Mom pretend to die?”
Elise looked toward the photographs on the wall.
“Because she discovered something Meridian couldn't allow anyone to expose.”
“What?”
Elise stood.
She pulled a thick folder from beneath the desk.
Inside were medical records.
Financial statements.
Transfer orders.
And a list of names.
Sofia recognized some of the terminology immediately.
Clinical trial numbers.
Consent forms.
Adverse-event reports.
But something was wrong.
Several patient signatures appeared identical.
Dates had been altered.
Entire sections were missing.
Sofia looked up.
“These records were falsified.”
Elise nodded.
“Meridian tested an experimental neurological treatment on patients who had never given informed consent.”
Sofia turned another page.
“What happened to them?”
“Some developed severe complications. Others died. The company hid the results and continued operating through shell organizations.”
Sofia's stomach twisted.
“And Adrian helped cover it up?”
“He controlled the security operation. He arranged transfers, intimidated witnesses, and destroyed records.”
Sofia looked at the photographs.
“The children?”
Elise swallowed.
“Some were children of employees who tried to report what was happening. Adrian used family members as leverage.”
Sofia stared at her sister.
“Like us.”
Elise nodded.
“Exactly.”
A floorboard creaked overhead.
Both women froze.
Atlas lifted his head.
His ears pointed toward the staircase.
Then Bear moved in front of the sisters.
A man's voice echoed from above.
“Elise?”
Sofia recognized it instantly.
Victor.
Adrian.
Whatever his real name was.
He had followed her.
The basement door rattled.
Then Victor laughed softly.
“Well, well.”
May you like
His footsteps descended the stairs.
“Both daughters in one place. Your mother has made this much easier than I expected.”
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