PART 8: Kind CEO Gave Poor Begger His $1M Card… What She Did Next Was More Shocking
Part 8: The Boy Behind the Door
29:41.
The red numbers continued counting down.
Ethan stared at the black screen long after the video had disappeared.
His father’s final words echoed inside his head.
I was protecting Ariana from you.
He couldn’t make sense of them.
Ariana stood beside him, completely silent.
She had spent the last year believing Ethan was the one person in the world she could trust without question.
Now, for the first time, doubt had entered her mind.
Not because she believed Ethan was dangerous.
Because she was terrified that someone had spent years manipulating both of them.
Marcus finally broke the silence.
“We need to move.”
Ethan looked at him.
“To the mansion.”
Marcus nodded.
“Exactly.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“No.”
Ethan turned.
“Why?”
“Because that’s what they want.”
“They told us to go there.”
“Exactly.”
Ethan stared at him.
“If my father is alive, I need answers.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You need to understand something.”
“What?”
“Your father has been hiding for years.”
“So?”
“So if he suddenly wants you to find him, there’s a reason.”
Ariana looked at Daniel.
“Then what do you suggest?”
Daniel pointed toward the monitors.
“The facility still has access to the Helix network.”
“Can we use it?”
“Maybe.”
“To do what?”
“Track Edward.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Then do it.”
Daniel walked toward the control panel.
His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.
Several windows appeared.
Buildings.
Bank accounts.
Security cameras.
Private communications.
Then one location began flashing.
CARTER MANSION.
Daniel zoomed in.
“There.”
Ariana stepped closer.
“What?”
Daniel pointed at the screen.
“Someone just entered the mansion.”
Ethan frowned.
“Who?”
The system displayed an identification number.
No name.
No photograph.
Only a code.
SUBJECT 17.
Daniel’s face went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
Ethan looked at him.
“What?”
“Subject 17 died twelve years ago.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“Apparently not.”
Daniel continued staring at the screen.
“Unless…”
“Unless what?”
Daniel whispered:
“Someone has been faking the deaths.”
The room fell silent.
Ethan looked toward the exit.
“Then we go.”
Ariana grabbed his arm.
“Ethan.”
He stopped.
“What?”
She looked into his eyes.
“Whatever happens, don’t believe everything you see.”
He nodded.
“I won’t.”
She hesitated.
“And if your father tells you something about me…”
“I’ll ask you first.”
Ariana smiled weakly.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
They left the underground facility.
The storm had almost stopped.
The city was strangely quiet.
Ethan’s driver was waiting outside.
Marcus opened the rear door.
“Everyone in.”
Daniel hesitated.
“I’m coming.”
Ethan looked at him.
“You’ve been shot.”
“I’ve survived worse.”
Marcus sighed.
“Get in.”
The car sped through the empty streets.
Ethan stared out the window.
His entire life had become a puzzle.
A puzzle where every answer created three more questions.
Who was Lucas?
Who was Subject Zero?
Who was the mysterious boy in the mansion?
And most importantly…
Why did his father believe Ariana needed protection from him?
Twenty minutes later, the car turned onto the private road leading to the Carter estate.
Ethan immediately noticed something strange.
The gates were open.
Security cameras were turned off.
There were no guards.
The mansion stood completely dark.
Marcus reached for his weapon.
“This is wrong.”
Ethan nodded.
“Stay close.”
They entered through the front doors.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
Ethan looked around.
Everything appeared exactly as he remembered.
The marble staircase.
The enormous chandelier.
The paintings.
The fireplace.
But there was something different.
Photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Pictures Ethan had never seen before.
Children.
Dozens of children.
Some looked like him.
Some looked like Lucas.
Others looked completely different.
Ariana walked toward one of the walls.
“These aren’t family photographs.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“What are they?”
“Subjects.”
Ethan stared at the pictures.
“How many?”
Daniel counted silently.
“Forty-eight.”
Marcus frowned.
“Forty-eight?”
Daniel nodded.
“That’s more than the original records.”
Ethan’s expression hardened.
“Then the records were incomplete.”
A soft sound came from upstairs.
Ariana looked up.
“Did you hear that?”
Everyone froze.
Footsteps.
Slowly descending the stairs.
Ethan raised his weapon.
A figure appeared.
It was an elderly woman.
She wore a white dress.
Her hair was gray.
Her eyes were tired.
Ethan lowered his weapon.
“Who are you?”
The woman looked at him.
Then smiled.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Ariana stepped forward.
“Are you working for Nathaniel?”
The woman laughed.
“No.”
“Then who are you?”
The woman looked at Ethan.
“My name is Margaret.”
Ethan frowned.
“Margaret what?”
“Margaret Carter.”
Daniel suddenly stepped backward.
“You…”
Margaret looked at him.
“You remember me.”
Daniel’s face went white.
Ethan looked between them.
“You know her?”
Daniel nodded.
“She was the head nurse at the first Helix facility.”
Ethan stared at the woman.
“You worked for my grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you here?”
Margaret looked toward the staircase.
“Because I betrayed him.”
Ethan lowered his weapon.
“Explain.”
Margaret took a deep breath.
“Your father asked me to protect the children.”
“Which children?”
“All of them.”
She pointed toward the photographs.
“When Edward discovered what Nathaniel was doing, he couldn’t save everyone.”
Ariana looked at her.
“So he saved whoever he could.”
Margaret nodded.
“Forty-eight children.”
Ethan stared.
“But the records said thirty-seven.”
“The records were deliberately altered.”
“Why?”
“To hide the missing eleven.”
Ariana’s voice became quiet.
“Where are they?”
Margaret looked at her.
“Somewhere safe.”
“Where?”
“That’s the problem.”
Margaret’s eyes filled with tears.
“We don’t know anymore.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“What happened to them?”
Margaret whispered:
“They disappeared.”
Suddenly every light in the mansion turned on.
A voice echoed through the house.
“Margaret.”
Everyone froze.
Ethan knew that voice.
Nathaniel.
But he wasn’t supposed to be there.
Margaret looked terrified.
“He found us.”
The front doors slammed shut.
Security shutters dropped over every window.
Marcus rushed toward the doors.
“Locked.”
Ethan looked at Margaret.
“Where is he?”
She pointed toward the basement.
“Underneath us.”
Ariana frowned.
“There’s another facility?”
Margaret nodded.
“The mansion was built over it.”
Ethan stared.
“Why didn’t I know?”
“Because your father never wanted you to.”
Ariana looked at Ethan.
“This is where he was hiding.”
Margaret nodded.
“Not hiding.”
She paused.
“Waiting.”
They rushed toward the basement.
At the bottom of the staircase stood another steel door.
Ethan pulled out the black card.
The scanner immediately activated.
“SUBJECT ONE DETECTED.”
Ethan froze.
Ariana stepped closer.
The system continued.
“SUBJECT TWO DETECTED.”
Then:
“SUBJECT ZERO DETECTED.”
Everyone looked at Daniel.
Daniel stared at the scanner.
“I didn’t activate it.”
The door opened.
A dark corridor stretched ahead.
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“You’re Subject Zero?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why did the system identify you?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
They walked deeper into the facility.
At the end of the corridor was a massive observation room.
Inside were dozens of monitors.
One screen displayed live footage of Lucas.
Another showed Nathaniel.
Another showed Ariana.
Another showed Ethan.
But the strangest screen showed a young boy sitting alone in a bedroom.
The same boy from the previous video.
The boy with Ethan’s face.
Ariana stepped toward the screen.
“That’s him.”
Margaret nodded.
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
Margaret looked at Ethan.
“His name is Noah.”
Ethan stared.
“Who is his father?”
Margaret didn’t answer.
Ariana looked at her.
“Who?”
Margaret whispered:
“Edward.”
Ethan’s heart sank.
“My father has another son?”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what is Noah?”
Margaret looked toward the laboratory.
“Your father didn’t create Noah.”
Ethan frowned.
“Then who did?”
Margaret’s voice became barely audible.
“You did.”
The room went silent.
Ethan stared at her.
“What?”
Margaret continued.
“Before your memories were erased, you were part of Project Echo.”
“I was a child.”
“Yes.”
“You couldn’t have created another human being.”
“Not naturally.”
Ariana looked confused.
“Then what does she mean?”
Margaret pointed toward a glass chamber.
Inside was a small biological container.
“It was genetic replication.”
Ethan stared.
“They copied him from me?”
Margaret nodded.
“Using Ethan’s DNA.”
Marcus shook his head.
“That’s impossible.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
Margaret looked at him.
“But Helix did things that shouldn’t have been possible.”
Ariana stepped closer to Ethan.
“So Noah is…”
“Ethan’s genetic duplicate.”
Ethan felt sick.
“Why would my father keep him here?”
Margaret looked toward the screen.
“Because Noah is different.”
“How?”
“He doesn’t have the conditioning.”
Ethan stared.
“Neither do I.”
Margaret shook her head.
“You were never supposed to be free.”
Ariana whispered:
“Then why is he?”
Margaret looked at her.
“Because someone removed it.”
“Who?”
Margaret’s eyes shifted toward the hallway.
Before she could answer, the door opened.
Edward Carter walked inside.
Ethan froze.
His father looked older than the last photograph he remembered.
But he was alive.
And he looked strangely calm.
“Dad.”
Edward looked at him.
“My son.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You lied to me.”
Edward nodded.
“Yes.”
“You erased my memories.”
“Yes.”
“You allowed me to believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You created Noah.”
Edward shook his head.
“No.”
Ethan frowned.
“Margaret says I did.”
“She is partially correct.”
Ethan stared.
“What does that mean?”
Edward looked toward the monitor showing Noah.
“I didn’t create him.”
“Then who did?”
Edward looked at Ariana.
“Your mother.”
Ariana stopped breathing.
“My mother?”
Edward nodded.
“She used Ethan’s genetic material to create Noah.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew Nathaniel would eventually come for Ethan.”
Ariana shook her head.
“No.”
Edward stepped closer.
“She wanted Ethan to have someone who could survive what he couldn’t.”
Ethan looked confused.
“Survive what?”
Edward’s expression became serious.
“The final phase.”
Ariana stepped forward.
“What is the final phase?”
Edward looked at her.
“The removal of free will.”
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
“What?”
Edward continued.
“Nathaniel wanted to create a generation of people who could be controlled without knowing they were being controlled.”
“And Noah?”
“He was designed to resist it.”
Ariana stared at the screen.
“Then why is he still here?”
Edward looked at her.
“Because he isn’t the one Nathaniel fears.”
“Who is?”
Edward looked at Ethan.
“You.”
Ethan’s face tightened.
“Why?”
Edward whispered:
“Because you were the only subject who learned how to resist Helix without losing his memories.”
Ethan shook his head.
“I don’t remember.”
“Not consciously.”
Edward stepped closer.
“Your mind remembers everything.”
He pointed toward the monitors.
“That’s why Nathaniel has spent twenty years trying to break you.”
Ariana suddenly understood.
“The illness.”
Edward nodded.
“The poison.”
“The card.”
“The fake diagnosis.”
“The homeless girl.”
Edward’s expression changed.
“That part wasn’t fake.”
Ariana looked at him.
“What?”
Edward smiled sadly.
“Your kindness was the one variable Helix couldn’t predict.”
Ethan looked at Ariana.
She was crying.
Edward continued.
“Your grandfather believed people could be reduced to numbers, behaviors, and genetic patterns.”
He looked at Ariana.
“But he made one mistake.”
“What?”
“He believed kindness was weakness.”
Ariana wiped her tears.
“It isn’t.”
Edward smiled.
“No.”
Then suddenly the monitors began flashing.
An alarm sounded.
Margaret looked at the screen.
“Someone breached the outer security.”
Edward’s expression changed.
“He’s here.”
Ethan immediately knew who he meant.
“Nathaniel.”
Edward nodded.
A loud explosion shook the mansion.
The ceiling trembled.
Marcus raised his weapon.
“We need to leave.”
Edward shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“If Nathaniel gets Noah, everything ends.”
Ethan looked toward the bedroom monitor.
Noah was gone.
Ariana’s eyes widened.
“Where is he?”
Edward looked at another screen.
A security camera showed Noah walking through a hallway.
Someone was following him.
The figure stepped into view.
Ethan’s heart stopped.
It was Lucas.
He was carrying a gun.
“Lucas.”
Edward stared at the screen.
“He’s here.”
Ariana looked at Ethan.
“Maybe he’s helping Noah.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel’s face was pale.
“I know why Lucas came.”
“Why?”
Daniel pointed toward the screen.
“He isn’t here for Noah.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Then who?”
Daniel swallowed.
“He’s here for you.”
The mansion shook again.
Then every monitor displayed the same message.
SUBJECT ZERO HAS BEEN RELEASED.
Daniel looked terrified.
Edward whispered:
“No.”
Ethan turned.
“What?”
Edward stared directly at Daniel.
“That’s not Lucas.”
Daniel’s face went white.
Edward continued:
“Lucas is Subject Zero.”
“Then who is Daniel?”
Edward looked at Ethan.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to find out.”
Daniel slowly backed away.
Ariana stared at him.
“Daniel?”
He didn’t answer.
Ethan took a step toward him.
“Who are you?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
The fear disappeared.
A cold smile appeared.
Then he whispered:
“You finally asked the right question.”
The lights went out.
A gunshot echoed through the mansion.
Ariana screamed.
Ethan reached for her.
Then the emergency lights came on.
Daniel was gone.
So was Noah.
And on the wall behind them, written in red, were four words:
THE WRONG BROTHER SURVIVED.
Ethan stared at the message.
Edward quietly closed his eyes.
Ariana grabbed Ethan’s hand.
And somewhere beneath the mansion, a child’s laughter echoed through the darkness.
Then the countdown appeared again.
00:19:59
00:19:58
00:19:57
Ethan looked at his father.
“What happens in nineteen minutes?”
Edward didn’t answer.
Ariana looked at him.
“Tell us.”
Edward finally whispered:
“When the countdown reaches zero…”
He paused.
“…the original Ethan Carter wakes up.”
Ethan’s face went pale.
“Original?”
Edward looked directly into his eyes.
“You’re not him.”
The countdown continued.
00:19:41.
And for the first time in his life, Ethan wondered whether every memory he had ever loved…
had belonged to someone else.
