INICIAR SESIÓN"Daddy?" The voice echoed through the underground chamber. Elena froze. Adrian's face had gone completely pale. Another voice followed. "Mommy?" Then a third voice whispered, "We've been waiting twenty years." The words seemed to come from beneath the mansion itself. Elena tightened her grip on Adrian's hand. "Did you hear that?" He nodded. "Yes." Gabriel looked toward the dark corridor. "There are people beneath us." Serena shook her head. "No." Everyone looked at her. She swallowed. "There aren't supposed to be." Amelia smiled sadly. "But they are." Adrian raised his weapon. "Who is down there?" Amelia pointed toward the floor. "My brothers and sisters." Elena's heart pounded. "How many?" Amelia counted quietly. "Three." Gabriel frowned. "Three children?" Amelia nodded. "But they're not experiments anymore." Elena stared at her. "What are they?" Amelia looked directly at Elena. "They're survivors." A loud metallic sound shook the chamber. CLANG
The glass exploded across the floor. Elena screamed. Adrian immediately pulled her against him, shielding her body with his own. Gabriel raised his weapon. Serena stepped backward. Matteo stared at the woman who had just emerged from the shattered chamber. Amelia, however, didn't move. She only smiled. The woman stood completely still. She looked exactly like Elena. But her eyes were different. Completely black. No visible whites. No reflection. Nothing. She tilted her head. Then smiled. "Hello, Elena." Elena's heart pounded. "Who are you?" The woman took one slow step forward. "I already told you." Her voice sounded like Elena's. But deeper. Colder. "I'm the one who started all of this." Adrian raised his weapon. "Don't come any closer." The woman looked at him. "You still protect her." "She's my wife." The woman smiled. "That's why you're dangerous." Adrian's expression hardened. "Explain." She ignored him. Her eyes returned to Elena. "You finall
THUMP.THUMP.THUMP.THUMP.The sound echoed through the underground chamber.Elena stood frozen.The woman in front of her had her face.Her eyes.Her lips.Her expression.Everything.It was like staring into a mirror that had somehow learned how to breathe.But there was something different in those eyes.Something older.Something broken.Adrian immediately stepped between them."Stay away from my wife."The woman didn't move.Instead, she smiled."Your wife?"Her eyes moved toward Elena."That's interesting."Adrian's voice hardened."What is?"The woman looked back at him."You're still protecting her.""Of course I am.""Even after everything?"Adrian frowned."What are you talking about?"The woman laughed softly."You still don't know."Elena stepped around Adrian."Stop."He turned toward her."Elena—""I need answers."The woman smiled."That's exactly why you're here."Elena stared at her."Who are you?"The woman slowly raised her hand."My name is Elena Rossi."Elena's f
The gates of the De Luca estate appeared through the darkness.Elena stared through the windshield, her fingers tightly wrapped around Adrian's hand.For the first time in years, the estate didn't feel like home.It felt like a trap.The enormous iron gates stood open.Too open.No guards.No lights.No movement.Nothing.Adrian's eyes narrowed."Something's wrong."Elena swallowed."Everything has been wrong since we discovered the Black Rose."Adrian looked at her."I mean something is wrong right now."Gabriel, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned forward."He's right."Elena frowned."You see something?"Gabriel pointed toward the gate."The security cameras."Adrian looked up.Every camera was pointed directly at the road.But none of them moved."They've been disabled," Adrian said.Matteo, sitting behind them, slowly shook his head."Not disabled."Everyone looked at him."They're watching us."A cold silence filled the vehicle.Elena's stomach tightened."How?"Matteo stared
“I have a twenty-year-old daughter?” Elena's voice trembled. Nobody answered. The screen remained black. Adrian was the first to move. He pulled Elena closer. “No.” Elena looked at him. “No?” Adrian shook his head. “We don't know if that's true.” “But the machine said—” “The machine has been manipulated before.” Gabriel nodded. “Adrian is right.” Elena looked at him. “But you saw her.” “Yes.” “And she looks exactly like me.” “Yes.” “She called me Mommy.” Gabriel's expression became serious. “That doesn't prove she's your biological daughter.” Elena swallowed. “Then what does it prove?” “That the Black Rose wants you to believe she is.” Celeste suddenly stepped toward the terminal. “Wait.” Everyone turned. “What?” Adrian asked. Celeste pointed at the screen. “The file hasn't closed.” A line of text appeared. SUBJECT 004 — PARENTAL IDENTIFICATION Then: MOTHER: ELENA ROSSI GENETIC CONFIDENCE: 99.99% Elena's face went pale. Adrian stared at the number
HEARTBEAT FOUR DETECTED. MATERNAL ORIGIN: UNKNOWN. The words remained on the screen. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Elena stood frozen in Adrian's arms, one hand pressed against her stomach. “Four…” she whispered. Adrian stared at the monitor. “That can't be right.” Celeste didn't answer. “Celeste.” She slowly looked at him. “Tell me the machine is wrong.” Celeste swallowed. “I can't.” Adrian's face hardened. “Then tell me what it means.” “I don't know.” “You don't know?” “I've never seen this result before.” Elena looked at her. “But you said the Black Rose created the third embryo.” “Yes.” “And now there's a fourth?” “Yes.” “How?” Celeste shook her head. “I don't know.” Elena's voice trembled. “Everyone keeps saying that.” She looked around the room. “My mother doesn't know.” “My father didn't know.” “Matteo doesn't know.” “Gabriel doesn't know.” “Even the woman who looks like me won't tell me.” She placed both hands over her stomach. “And now there







