CHAPTER 13 — THE GIRL THEY CAME FOR
“LIVIA!”
Alessandro's scream shook the entire house.
Clara came running behind him.
She stopped at the nursery door.
The bed was empty.
The window was open.
The curtains moved in the cold night air.
And on the floor—
the bracelet.
Clara picked it up.
Her hands began to shake.
“No…”
Alessandro grabbed the security tablet.
“Lock every exit.”
Olivia was already running downstairs.
“I'm trying.”
“Try faster!”
“I can't!”
“What do you mean?”
“The entire security system has been overridden.”
“By Isabella?”
Olivia stared at the screen.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She turned the tablet around.
A single access code appeared.
ZERO.
Alessandro stared.
“That isn't possible.”
Olivia whispered:
“Someone inside the house opened the gates.”
Clara looked around.
“Who was watching Livia?”
Everyone became silent.
Rosalie.
Daniel.
Amelia.
Elena.
Vittorio.
Reed.
Olivia.
Then Clara remembered.
There had been one person missing from the room.
One person who had disappeared during the blackout.
Vittorio.
THE MAN WHO VANISHED
Alessandro ran downstairs.
Vittorio's room was empty.
The window was open.
His coat was gone.
So was his phone.
Clara followed.
“He took her.”
Alessandro shook his head.
“We don't know that.”
“He knew about Zero.”
“He knew everything.”
“He knew where the tunnels were.”
Alessandro stopped.
Clara looked at him.
“What?”
“The passage.”
“What about it?”
“That's how they got Livia out.”
Olivia entered behind them.
“I checked.”
“And?”
“The underground passage connects to the old estate.”
“Which estate?”
“The Moretti estate.”
Alessandro grabbed his keys.
“Let's go.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I’m coming.”
Alessandro shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You're not leaving me behind.”
“Daniel—”
“You've already taken twenty-three years from me.”
He stepped closer.
“I'm not losing another hour.”
Alessandro looked into his eyes.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Clara took Daniel's hand.
“We go together.”
THE CAR
Three vehicles left the property.
Alessandro drove the first.
Clara sat beside him.
Daniel sat in the back.
Olivia followed in the second vehicle.
Reed drove the third.
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel broke the silence.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“There's something you need to know.”
Alessandro looked at him through the mirror.
“What?”
“Livia wasn't taken because of Zero.”
Clara turned.
“Then why?”
“Because of you.”
Clara frowned.
“Me?”
Daniel nodded.
“Livia carries your original memory pattern.”
Clara's face went pale.
“No.”
“She inherited something from you.”
“What?”
“Your resistance.”
Alessandro gripped the steering wheel.
“So Isabella needs Livia.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To complete the transfer.”
Clara whispered:
“She wants to use my daughter as a host.”
Daniel nodded.
“But there's more.”
“What?”
“Livia isn't just resistant.”
Daniel looked toward the road.
“She can reverse the transfer.”
Alessandro understood.
“If she can reverse it…”
“Every host Isabella ever used could lose everything.”
Clara stared.
“She could destroy Isabella.”
“Yes.”
“And that's why she wants her.”
Daniel nodded.
“Exactly.”
THE OLD ESTATE
They arrived forty minutes later.
The Moretti estate stood in darkness.
No lights.
No guards.
No cars.
Alessandro got out.
“Spread out.”
Reed and his men moved around the property.
Clara looked toward the mansion.
“I can feel her.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Who?”
“Livia.”
They entered.
The front door was unlocked.
Inside, the house looked abandoned.
Dust covered the furniture.
Old portraits hung along the walls.
But there was one thing that didn't belong.
A child's red shoe.
Clara ran toward it.
“Livia.”
She picked it up.
It was warm.
Someone had just been there.
Then a sound came from upstairs.
A child's laughter.
Clara froze.
“Livia?”
She ran.
Alessandro followed.
They reached the second floor.
A door slowly opened.
Inside—
Livia sat on the bed.
Alessandro rushed toward her.
“Baby!”
He grabbed her.
But something was wrong.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't frightened.
She was smiling.
“Daddy.”
Alessandro hugged her tightly.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No.”
“Where's the woman who took you?”
Livia pointed toward the mirror.
“She was here.”
Clara entered.
“What did she want?”
Livia looked at her.
“She wanted to talk.”
“About what?”
“Mommy.”
Clara froze.
“What about me?”
Livia smiled.
“She said you aren't my real mother.”
Silence.
Alessandro's face hardened.
“Don't listen to her.”
Livia looked confused.
“But she showed me.”
“Showed you what?”
“A video.”
THE VIDEO
Olivia entered with her laptop.
“Where is it?”
Livia pointed toward the television.
Olivia connected the device.
The screen came alive.
A hospital room appeared.
Twenty-three years earlier.
Clara was lying on a bed.
A newborn baby was crying.
Then another baby was brought into the room.
Clara looked at the second child.
The recording showed her reaching for the baby.
Then—
someone entered.
Isabella.
She took the baby.
Clara screamed.
“No!”
Isabella turned toward the camera.
“Subject Zero has been secured.”
The recording ended.
Clara collapsed into a chair.
“That isn't Livia.”
Alessandro looked at her.
“What?”
“The baby.”
Clara shook her head.
“That isn't Livia.”
Olivia paused the recording.
She zoomed in.
The baby had a tiny mark on the left wrist.
Livia had the same mark.
Clara's eyes widened.
“Wait.”
She looked at Livia.
Then at the screen.
“The baby is her.”
Alessandro frowned.
“Then why did you say—”
“Because I remember.”
Clara pressed her fingers against her temple.
“I remember holding her.”
“What?”
“I remember Isabella taking her.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“But the footage says she was taken before you even saw her.”
Clara shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at the screen.
“The footage was edited.”
THE MISSING MINUTE
Olivia examined the file.
“There's a gap.”
“What kind?”
“Exactly sixty-three seconds.”
Alessandro frowned.
“Can you recover it?”
“I can try.”
She began working.
The missing footage appeared.
Clara watched.
Her younger self was holding the baby.
Isabella stood beside her.
But another person was in the room.
Vittorio.
He was holding another newborn.
A boy.
Alessandro stared.
“That was Daniel.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Look at the bracelet.”
The baby wore a bracelet.
ADRIAN.
Alessandro's face went pale.
“That was my name.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed at the other baby.
“That was mine.”
Silence.
Clara stared.
“Then who was Adrian?”
A woman's voice answered from the doorway.
“Me.”
Everyone turned.
Isabella stood there.
But she wasn't alone.
Beside her stood Vittorio.
Alessandro's face hardened.
“Dad?”
Vittorio looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
Clara stepped forward.
“You took Livia.”
Vittorio shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To stop Isabella.”
Isabella laughed.
“You still think you can stop me?”
Vittorio looked at her.
“I already did once.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“You failed once.”
THE REAL ADRIAN
Alessandro stared at Vittorio.
“Who was Adrian?”
Vittorio looked toward Daniel.
“Your son.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I'm Daniel.”
“No.”
Vittorio's voice trembled.
“You were born Adrian.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“Then why did everyone call me Daniel?”
“Because Daniel died.”
Silence.
Clara whispered:
“What?”
Vittorio looked at her.
“The original Daniel died during the transfer.”
Alessandro stared.
“And my son?”
“Adrian survived.”
Daniel stepped backward.
“So I was given Daniel's identity.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To hide you from Eleanor.”
Daniel's hands began shaking.
“And Livia?”
Vittorio looked at the little girl.
“She was the first child who could remember her own previous life.”
Alessandro stared.
“What previous life?”
Vittorio didn't answer.
Isabella did.
“Her own.”
Everyone turned.
Isabella smiled.
“Livia was born with memories.”
Clara shook her head.
“She’s six.”
“She has lived before.”
Alessandro looked at his daughter.
“Livia?”
The little girl nodded.
“I remember.”
Clara's heart stopped.
“What do you remember?”
Livia looked at Isabella.
Then said:
“I remember being you.”
Silence.
Clara couldn't breathe.
“What?”
Livia pointed toward herself.
“I was you.”
THE MEMORY OF CLARA
Clara stared at her daughter.
“You were me?”
Livia nodded.
“In another life.”
Isabella smiled.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
Clara shook her head.
“I don't.”
“You were the first successful memory transfer.”
Clara's face went white.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You transferred into your daughter.”
“No.”
Isabella stepped closer.
“Your daughter inherited your memory.”
“Then why don't I remember?”
“Because Livia does.”
Clara looked at her child.
Livia began crying.
“Mommy…”
Clara dropped to her knees.
“What do you remember?”
Livia whispered:
“You were scared.”
“When?”
“When you gave birth to me.”
Clara closed her eyes.
“And?”
“You told me not to let them take me.”
Tears rolled down Livia's cheeks.
“But they did.”
Clara pulled her into her arms.
“I’m sorry.”
Livia whispered:
“You came back for me.”
Clara stared.
“What?”
“In every life.”
THE LAST DOOR
Suddenly, the mansion shook.
Isabella smiled.
“It's time.”
“What?”
“The final chamber is opening.”
A section of the wall slid away.
Behind it was a massive metal door.
Alessandro stepped forward.
“What is that?”
“The original archive.”
Daniel stared.
“How do we stop it?”
“You can't.”
Isabella pressed her hand against the scanner.
The door opened.
Inside was a circular chamber.
At its center—
a chair.
Two cables.
One for the head.
One for the heart.
And above it—
a screen displaying:
HOST: LIVIA MORETTI
Clara screamed.
“No!”
She ran toward her daughter.
Isabella blocked her.
“You'll only make it worse.”
Alessandro attacked.
The two collided.
Vittorio grabbed Isabella.
“Go!”
Clara took Livia.
Daniel followed.
They ran into the chamber.
Olivia rushed behind them.
“Dad!”
“What?”
“I can shut the machine down.”
“How long?”
“Three minutes.”
“Do it.”
Olivia began working.
Isabella broke free.
“Stop!”
Vittorio stood in her way.
She looked at him.
“You always were weak.”
Vittorio smiled.
“And you always underestimated love.”
Isabella raised a weapon.
A shot echoed.
Vittorio collapsed.
“Dad!”
Alessandro turned.
Vittorio looked at him.
“Save… your family.”
Then his eyes closed.
Alessandro froze.
Clara screamed.
But Olivia shouted:
“Dad!”
He turned.
“The machine is starting!”
The chamber came alive.
Livia screamed.
Her eyes rolled back.
Clara held her.
“Livia!”
The screen displayed:
TRANSFER INITIATED.
Then another line appeared.
MEMORY SOURCE: CLARA MORETTI
Clara stared.
Her memories began flooding into Livia.
Childhood.
Marriage.
Birth.
Pain.
Love.
Loss.
Everything.
Livia cried.
“Mommy!”
Clara held her tighter.
“I'm here!”
Then the screen changed.
SECOND MEMORY SOURCE: DANIEL MORETTI
Daniel froze.
“No.”
His memories began disappearing.
One by one.
His childhood.
His name.
His family.
Clara.
Alessandro.
Everything.
Clara screamed:
“Daniel!”
He looked at her.
For one terrifying second—
he didn't recognize her.
Then he smiled.
“Mom?”
The machine stopped.
Olivia stared at the screen.
“I did it.”
Everything went silent.
Livia opened her eyes.
She looked at Clara.
Then Daniel.
Then Alessandro.
And whispered:
“I remember.”
Alessandro fell to his knees.
“Remember what?”
Livia smiled through her tears.
“Everything.”
Then she pointed behind them.
“Mommy…”
Clara turned.
Isabella was gone.
The door stood open.
She had escaped.
But on the floor—
a small device blinked.
Olivia picked it up.
A countdown appeared.
00:09:59
Alessandro stared.
“What is that?”
Olivia's face drained of color.
“A backup transfer.”
“Where does it lead?”
She looked at the screen.
Then whispered:
“Every host Isabella ever created.”
The countdown continued.
00:09:47
Alessandro stood.
“Then we have ten minutes.”
Daniel looked at him.
“To do what?”
Alessandro stared toward the open doorway.
“To end this.”
He took Clara's hand.
Clara took Livia's.
Daniel stood beside them.
May you like
And together—
they ran toward the final chamber.
