Chapter 6: The Secret of the Twins
Nobody spoke.
The silence after the call felt heavier than the accusation itself.
Because accusations could be denied.
Secrets could not.
And the look on Ethan’s face…
That was not the face of a man hearing a stranger lie.
That was the face of a man remembering something.
Something he wished he could forget.
I stared at him.
My husband.
The father of my children.
The man who held my hand during labor.
The man who cried when Leo was born.
The man who kissed my forehead and promised:
“I will protect you both.”
Now he couldn't even meet my eyes.
“Ethan.”
My voice was quiet.
But everyone heard it.
“What did she mean?”
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Mrs. Sterling stepped forward.
“Ethan, say something.”
But she wasn't defending him.
She was scared too.
Because for the first time...
Even she didn't know the answer.
Daniel looked at him.
“Ethan.”
His voice was firm.
“Whatever it is, tell her now.”
Ethan sat down.
Slowly.
Like his legs couldn't hold him anymore.
He looked at Leo.
Then Luna.
Then me.
And I saw something I never wanted to see.
Regret.
“There is something you don't know.”
My chest tightened.
“How bad is it?”
He closed his eyes.
“I don't know how to explain.”
I almost laughed.
Because that was always what people said before they destroyed your world.
“Try.”
He took a breath.
“Before we got married…”
A pause.
“I knew about the investigation.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
“No.”
His voice broke.
“Not just the investigation.”
Everyone became still.
“I knew someone was looking into Sterling Holdings.”
“And?”
“And I found out the company had another problem.”
My hands went cold.
“What problem?”
Ethan looked at his mother.
Then away.
“Years ago, Sterling Holdings funded a private medical research program.”
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with the babies?”
He swallowed.
“Everything.”
My mind raced.
Medical research.
The twins.
Victoria.
The adoption papers.
The false records.
All of it.
Connected.
“The program was illegal?”
Daniel asked.
Ethan nodded.
“Not exactly.”
He struggled.
“It was unethical.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“Explain.”
He looked at me.
“The program studied fertility treatments.”
I held my breath.
“And?”
“It involved genetic screening.”
The room went silent.
I looked down at my babies.
Two tiny faces.
Sleeping peacefully.
Completely unaware that adults were fighting over their existence.
“What are you saying?”
Ethan's eyes filled.
“I found out during the pregnancy.”
My voice shook.
“You found out what?”
He whispered:
“That someone had been monitoring the pregnancy.”
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
“Monitoring?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He looked at me.
“I don't know.”
The answer made me angry.
Not confused.
Angry.
“You don't know?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
He stood quickly.
“I swear.”
“Then tell me everything.”
He nodded.
“I found files.”
“Where?”
“An old company server.”
“What files?”
He looked at Leo.
“Your pregnancy.”
My heart broke.
Because suddenly I remembered.
The strange appointment changes.
The nurse who knew details she shouldn't know.
The medical forms that had already been partially filled out.
I thought it was hospital mistakes.
I was wrong.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Ethan looked ashamed.
“Because I was scared.”
Again.
That word.
“You were scared?”
I laughed bitterly.
“Ethan, someone was watching my unborn children.”
“I know.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I was trying to figure it out.”
“No.”
My voice became sharper.
“You were trying to control it.”
He didn't deny it.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why would Victoria say the twins were never supposed to be born?”
Ethan looked at him.
“I don't know.”
But then his face changed.
Like he remembered something.
“Wait.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
He reached for his phone.
His hands shook as he unlocked it.
“There was one file.”
“What file?”
“I deleted it.”
My heart stopped.
“You deleted evidence?”
“No.”
He looked desperate.
“I deleted it because I thought it was dangerous.”
He opened an old backup.
A hidden folder.
One file.
Encrypted.
Daniel immediately moved closer.
“What is this?”
Ethan whispered:
“The day I found out about the pregnancy.”
The file opened.
A scanned document.
Old.
Medical.
Confidential.
I read the first line.
And felt the room disappear.
PROJECT: GENESIS
SUBJECT: ELENA STERLING
My hands started shaking.
“No.”
I looked at Ethan.
“What is this?”
He didn't answer.
Because he couldn't.
Daniel kept reading.
His expression changed.
Then he looked at me.
“Judge Sterling…”
“What?”
He hesitated.
“The twins were not randomly conceived.”
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?”
He turned the page.
“The pregnancy was part of a genetic selection program.”
I stepped back.
“No.”
I looked at my babies.
“No.”
Ethan moved toward me.
“I didn't know.”
I pushed him away.
“You knew enough.”
Then the hospital lights suddenly flickered.
Everyone froze.
The monitors continued.
The babies slept.
But the security system went dark.
One by one.
Cameras offline.
Doors unlocking.
Chief Mike reached for his radio.
“We have a security breach.”
Daniel looked at the screen.
And his face went pale.
“What?”
I looked at him.
“What is it?”
He pointed.
The hospital camera feed came back for one second.
One single image.
A woman standing outside the maternity wing.
Victoria.
Holding a folder.
Looking directly into the camera.
Then a message appeared:
YOU WANTED THE TRUTH.
NOW YOU'LL SEE WHY THEY WERE CREATED.
May you like
The screen went black.
And the entire hospital went into lockdown.
