Chapter 28 My name was lucia
Flora
My heart pounded as I sat down across from Isabella.
She looked different. Her platinum hair was dull. Her eyes were distant.
"Hello, Flora," she said quietly.
"Is that even my real name?" I asked.
She smiled sadly. "No. But we'll get to that. First, I need you to understand something. I don’t know what you guys have found out. Rafael is probably blaming me for ruining his life. But I'm not the villain here."
"You killed Eva."
"No." Her response was firm. "I did not kill Eva. I loved her. She was like a sister to me."
"Then who did?"
"That's complicated. But I promise you, it wasn't me." She leaned forward. "And it wasn't Rafael either."
I studied her face, looking for signs of deception. "Then why all the secrecy? Why the note in Eva's diary?"
"Because I was trying to protect you both. But I failed." She looked down at her hands.
"Start from the beginning," I demanded. "Tell me who I am."
Isabella took a deep breath
"Twenty-four years ago, a woman named Dr. IrinaVasquez came to someone with a proposal. She was working on cutting-edge genetics research. Specifically, artificial twinning."
"Artificial twinning?"
"Creating identical twins from a single embryo. Separating them and gestating them at different times."
Isabella's voice was low now. "Eva's biological mother had agreed to donate her embryo for the research in exchange for her huge some of money. She was in huge debt at the time. Her husband was an asshole. So Irina splitted it. Eva was implanted first. You were frozen."
The words hit me like ice water. "I was frozen?"
"For five years. Then they implanted you in a surrogate mother. You were born five years after Eva."
My stomach turned. "So I am her clone."
"No. You're her identical twin. Just born five years later." Isabella reached across the table but I pulled back. "You have the same DNA because you came from the same embryo. You're both real. Both valid."
"Why?" My voice cracked. "Why create me at all?"
"That's where it gets complicated." Isabella looked around nervously. "Dr. Vasquez wasn't working alone. She was funded by someone with very specific intentions. Someone who wanted a backup plan."
"A backup for what?"
"For Eva. In case something happened to her." Isabella's eyes met mine. "Someone very powerful wanted to make sure Rafael would never be alone. That he'd always have his perfect wife. They want to keep him controlled."
Dread filled my stomach. "Who is the person?"
Isabella's face went pale. "I can't tell you that. Because if I do, they'll kill us both." She glanced around the café nervously.
"Then why this meeting?"
"Because you deserve to know the truth. At least part of it." Isabella's hands shook. "I found out about you by accident. Five years ago. Right before Eva died."
"How?"
"Dr. Vasquez contacted me. She was dying of cancer and wanted to confess. She told me everything." Isabella's voice dropped. "She told me about you. And who was really pulling the strings."
"And then Eva died."
"Yes. And I've spent five years trying to figure out if her death was natural or if the person behind your creation had her killed."
I felt sick. "Why would they kill her if I was supposed to be a replacement?"
"Because Eva was asking too many questions. She started having dreams about you and wanted to find you."
Isabella's voice cracked. "She was getting too close to the truth. And the person behind this couldn't let that happen."
"Why not?"
"Because if Eva found you, if she discovered what had been done, the whole plan would collapse. Rafael would know he'd been manipulated. You would know you were created as a replacement. Everything would fall apart."
I tried to process this. "So they killed her?"
"I think so. But I can't prove it. That's why I've been investigating." She looked at me desperately. Her eyes darted around the café again. She leaned in close. "I'll give you proof of who he is. But you can't tell Rafael yet. Because if he finds out before we have everything we need, he'll go to war. And he'll lose. This person is too powerful. And close."
"Close?" My blood ran cold.
"They're closer to Rafael than you think." She pulled out a flash drive, sliding it across the table. "It's all on here. Bank records. Emails. Contracts with Dr. Vasquez. The whole truth about who funded your creation and why."
I took the flash drive with shaking hands. "Why should I believe you?"
"Because I loved Eva. And I see her in you." Tears filled Isabella's eyes. "I failed to protect her. But I won't fail to protect you. Even if you hate me."
"I don't know what I feel," I admitted.
"That's fair." She stood up. "But Flora? Your real name is Lucia. Lucia Orlova. Eva was given their mother's married name. You were given her maiden name."
Lucia. My real name was Lucia.
"There's one more thing," Isabella said, her voice urgent. "The people who created you are watching. Always. That's why you need to be careful. You can't tell Rafael anything until you're ready."
"Ready for what?"
"For war." Isabella's eyes were deadly serious. "Because when the truth comes out, that's exactly what this will become. And you need to make sure Rafael survives it."
She turned to leave, then paused. "Don't open the flash drive here. Don't open it anywhere Rafael can access it. Not until you've looked at everything and you're absolutely sure you're ready for what comes next."
She walked away, leaving me sitting alone with the flash drive in my hand.
My name was Lucia. I was Eva's identical twin, born five years later from a frozen embryo. And someone powerful, someone close to Rafael had created me to replace her.
But who?
My phone buzzed. Rafael.
"Are you okay? What did she say?"
I looked at the flash drive.
Should I tell him? Or should I protect him until I know more?
I typed back. "She told me I'm Eva's twin. Created from the same embryo. Born five years later."
The response came quickly. "Who created you? Who's behind this?"
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I could tell him everything Isabella said. Or I could wait to make sure I understood exactly what I was dealing with before I potentially destroyed his world.
I made my choice.
"She wouldn't say. Said it was too dangerous. But she gave me a flash drive with evidence. I'm coming back now."
I hit send and stood up. The flash drive felt heavy in my pocket.
Isabella's words echoed in my mind.
Someone closer to Rafael was behind all this.
Who could it be?
Who was close enough to Rafael to manipulate his entire life?
I walked out of the café, my mind racing with possibilities.
As I got into the car, I clutched the flash drive tighter.
I would gather enough evidence before I say a word.
Because whoever was behind this had already killed once to protect their secret.
And if they realized I knew the truth, I would be next.