Chapter 26 The other girl
Flora
I watched Rafael sleep. His face was finally peaceful after the drugs took full effect.
The monster was quiet now. But I'd seen it.
And I was terrified.
I walked back to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale. My eyes were red from crying. I looked exactly like Eva.
I splashed cold water on my face and tried to think clearly.
Eva's diary had revealed so much.
And now I'd planted a seed in Rafael's mind. What if Isabella had been involved in Eva's death?
It was a guess. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
Isabella had loved Rafael obsessively. She'd built Eva into this perfect image. And when Eva wanted to leave, when she wanted to destroy that perfect image…
What would Isabella have done to protect her cousin?
I heard voices in the bedroom. Marco and Dr. Russo were talking quietly.
"He's getting worse." Dr. Russo said.
"I know," Marco replied. "But what can we do? He won't listen."
"The girl might be the key. If she can reach him, if she can help him see reality..."
"Or she might be making it worse. Feeding his delusion."
I stepped out of the bathroom. They both turned to look at me.
"I'm not feeding his delusion," I said firmly. "I'm trying to survive it."
Dr. Russo nodded. "I believe you. And I'm sorry you're caught in this situation."
"Can you help him?" I asked.
"I can try. But he has to want to change."
"He agreed to therapy."
"Because you asked him to. Not because he believes he needs it." Dr. Russo packed his medical bag. "Be careful, Flora. Men like Rafael don't change easily. And when they do, they can be unpredictable."
He left, leaving me alone with Marco.
We stood in awkward silence for a moment. Then Marco spoke.
"I owe you an apology," he said quietly.
"For what?"
"For not stopping this sooner. For letting Rafael take you." He looked genuinely pained. "I knew it was wrong. But he's been my friend for twenty years. And I didn't know how to save him from himself."
"You tried," I said. "That's why you gave me the phone."
"Fat lot of good that did. He found out, punished me and you're still here."
"But you planted doubt in his mind. You made him question things." I walked closer to Marco. "And now I need your help with something else."
"What?"
"I need you to investigate Isabella quietly. Find out if she had anything to do with Eva's death."
Marco’s eyes met mine. "You really think she could have been involved?"
"I think she's capable of anything to protect Rafael. Even murder."
"If that's true, if Isabella killed Eva..." Marco trailed off. "Rafael will destroy her. Family or not."
"I know. But he deserves the truth. Eva deserves the truth."
Marco nodded slowly. "I'll look into it. But Flora? If I find proof, if Isabella really did kill Eva, things are going to get very dangerous."
"They're already dangerous."
"Not like this. Right now, Rafael is broken. But if he finds out his own cousin murdered his wife?" Marco's expression was grim. "He'll start a war."
"Then we'll deal with that when it comes." I looked back at Rafael's sleeping form. "But right now, all I want is the truth. About Eva and why I exist."
"What do you mean?" His eyes narrowed.
"The DNA match. The birthmark. The allergy developingwhen Eva died. Eva's blank childhood memories. My blank childhood memories. None of it is coincidence, Marco. Someone engineered this. Someone made me to be Eva's replacement."
"That's impossible."
"So is everything else about this situation." I walked to the window. "What if Eva's death wasn't random? What if it was planned? And what if I was created as part of that plan?"
Marco chuckled. "Created? Flora, you're not some science experiment."
"Aren't I?" I turned to face him. "I have memories of being Flora Rossi. But are they real? Or were they implanted? I remember my parents dying. But do I really? Or is that just a story I was told?"
Marco looked uncomfortable. "I don't know how to answer that."
"Neither do I. But I'm going to find out." I walked to Rafael's desk where the diary still lay on the floor. I picked it up. "Starting with this."
"You need to relax.” Marco said. But I wasn't listening. He let out a sigh. "Fine, if you won't listen, I can as well just leave."
He walked out of the room, closing the door gently.
I flipped through the pages again, reading more carefully this time.
And then, I found something I had missed before.
A loose page, tucked between two entries. But it was in different
handwriting. Not Eva's delicate script. The handwriting was rough and the paper looked different.
I pulled it out and read it carefully.
"Eva. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. But I was worried it would affect you. The other girl in your dreams who you said looks like you. She's real. And she's connected to you in ways you can't imagine. If you really want to find her. Stay with Rafael. Don't divorce him. Because if you leave, you will never get to know your true identity. - IM"
My hands shook as I read it again.
IM?
Isabella Moretti?
Isabella had known about me.
She had known about the connection between Eva and me.
And she'd hidden it. Or had Eva seen this note?
There was no date on it.
Was this note that made Eva change her mind about leaving Rafael?
My heart raced with fear.
Tears streamed down my face.
It was certain now, that Eva and I are two different people. But connected in a way. Twins? Sisters?
I stood there holding the note with shaking hands.
Had Isabella killed her own cousin's wife to protect him?
And if so, what was she planning to do with me?
I looked at Rafael sleeping peacefully, unaware of the conspiracy unraveling around him.
He'd been a monster to me. But he'd also been a victim. Manipulated by Isabella.
I walked to the bed and sat down very close beside him. I could see the pain etched in his face even in sleep. The tension in his jaw.
He'd loved Eva so much it destroyed him.
And now he loved the memory of her so much it was destroying me.
I touched Rafael's hand gently. He didn't wake, but his fingers curled around mine instinctively.
"I'll help you find the truth," I whispered. "But then you have to let me go."
He didn't respond. He just held my hand tighter in his sleep.
I stayed there until dawn, watching him sleep. Trying to understand how I'd ended up in this nightmare. And how I would escape.
When the sun finally rose, my phone buzzed. Or Eva’s phone. Rafael had given it to me, alongside a few of Eva’s stuff.
It was a message from an unknown number.
I opened it.
"Hello, Flora. Or should I call you by your real name?"