Chapter 50 Replacement
Flora
I stared up at Isabella in shock.
She could talk. She'd been able to talk this whole time?
"You lied," I said. "The doctors said your vocal cords were damaged. That you couldn't speak."
"The doctors said what I paid them to say," Isabella replied. "Just like I paid Thomas and Marie Rossi to pretend to be your parents. Just like I paid Antonio to kill Eva and then take the fall."
What?!
My mind reeled. "You're the Architect?"
"One of them," Isabella said. She looked at Helena. "We both are. Helena and I have been working together since the beginning."
"But why?" Rafael demanded. "Why create this elaborate conspiracy? Why kill Eva?"
"Because Eva was never supposed to fall in love with you," Helena said. "She was supposed to marry you, yes. But she was supposed to remain loyal to her true family. To the Morellis."
"I don't understand," Vittorio said. His face had gone pale.
"Of course you don't," Isabella said. "Because you were just another pawn, Vittorio. Just like Rafael. Just like everyone else."
"Explain now!" Vittorio demanded.
Helena smiled coldly. "Twenty-five years ago, my sister Irina and I discovered something revolutionary. A way to split embryos and implant them in different women at different times. Twins born years apart."
"We know this already," I said.
"Do you?" Helena asked. "Do you know why we did it? What the real purpose was?"
"Money," Rafael said. "You were paid to conduct the experiment."
"Money was part of it," Helena agreed. "But the real goal was control. We wanted to create a bloodline that could infiltrate both the Valserro and Morelli families. A way to end the war between them by literally making them family."
"Eva was that bloodline," Vittorio said slowly. "And Lucia was the backup."
"Exactly," Isabella said. "Eva was born from an embryo that contained both Valserro and Morelli DNA. She was literally the child of both families."
My head spun. "But Catherine said she donated the embryo."
"Catherine lied," Helena said. "We paid her to lie. The truth is, the embryo was created in a lab. Using genetic material stolen from both families."
"That's impossible," Rafael said.
"It was difficult," Helena admitted. "But not impossible. And it worked. Eva was born with genetics from both families. The perfect bridge."
"Then why kill her?" Vittorio demanded. "If she was so important…"
"Because she discovered the truth," Isabella interrupted. "She found out what she really was. And she was going to expose everything. Destroy years of planning."
"So you had Antonio kill her," I said.
"Yes," Isabella said without remorse. "It was unfortunate, but necessary."
"And me?" I asked. "What am I?"
"You're the replacement," Helena said. "Created from the same genetic material as Eva. Kept frozen until needed. And when Eva died, we activated you. Gave you false memories. A false childhood. False parents."
"Everything was a lie," I whispered.
"Not everything," Helena said. "Your feelings are real. Your experiences since waking up are real. We couldn't control those."
"What's your endgame?" Rafael asked. "What's the point of all this?"
"Unity," Isabella said. "The Valserros and Morellis have been at war for generations. Hundreds have died. We wanted to end it."
"By forcing a marriage?" Vittorio asked. "By creating a genetic hybrid?"
"By creating an heir," Helena corrected. "A child with both Valserro and Morelli blood. Who could unite both families under one banner."
My stomach turned. "You want us to have a child?"
"Eventually," Helena said. "But first, we need to eliminate the old guard. The ones who would stand in the way of peace."
She pointed the gun at Vittorio.
"Starting with you, old man. You've caused enough death and suffering. Time to make way for the next generation."
"No!" I shouted.
But Helena's finger was already on the trigger.
A gunshot rang out.
But it wasn't Helena who fired.
It was Vittorio.
Helena fell from the choir loft, tumbling through the air. She hit the floor with a sickening crack and didn't move.
Vittorio lowered his gun calmly. "I may be old, but I'm not slow."
Isabella screamed. She aimed her gun at Vittorio.
But before she could fire, Marco burst through a side door.
"Get down!" he shouted.
We dove behind pews as gunfire erupted.
Marco returned fire, driving Isabella back.
"How did you get in?" Rafael shouted over the noise.
"Back entrance!" Marco called back. "When you didn't come out after thirty minutes, I got worried!"
"Thank God," I breathed.
Isabella retreated up the stairs, still firing.
"We need to get out of here!" Rafael said. "Before she calls for backup!"
"This way!" Vittorio gestured to a side exit.
We ran, staying low as bullets pinged off the stone walls.
We burst out of the church into bright sunlight.
"My car!" Vittorio pointed to a black limousine parked nearby.
We piled in. Vittorio's driver hit the gas before the doors were even closed.
As we sped away, I looked back at the church.
Isabella stood in the doorway, watching us go. Even from a distance, I could see the hatred on her face.
"She'll come after us," I said.
"Let her try," Vittorio said grimly.
I let out a sigh. At least we weren't alone anymore.
The car drove on into the afternoon.
Behind us, the church grew smaller in the distance.
But I knew this wasn't over.
Isabella was still out there. Helena might still be alive.
We drove for hours.
Vittorio's driver took us to a private airstrip where a plane was waiting.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Malta," Vittorio said. "I have a villa there. We can regroup and plan our next move."
We boarded the plane in silence. We had no choice. Going back was dangerous.
As we took off, I watched the city disappear below us.
Everything I'd known was gone. All of it had been fabricated.
Even my parents, the people who'd raised me, who I'd loved, had been paid actors.
Who was I really?
Rafael sat beside me, holding my hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"No," I said honestly. "I don't think I'll ever be okay again."
"We'll figure this out together." Rafael said.
"Will we?" I asked. "Helena and Isabella wanted us to have a child. To create some genetic heir. What if that's still their plan? What if everyone is just using us?"
"Then we'll refuse," Rafael said firmly. "We make our own choices now. No more manipulation. No more lies."
"Can we trust Vittorio?" I asked, lowering my voice.
Rafael glanced at the old man, who was on the phone at the front of the plane.
"I don't know," Rafael admitted. "But right now, he's the only ally we have."