Chapter 15 - The Sister's Gambit
Evelyn stepped onto the catwalk, stepping out from behind Victor’s tactical team. She pulled off her insulated hood, revealing her face—the exact mirror image of the woman controlling the console.
Isabella froze, her hands hovering over the glass screen. "Evelyn. You survived the crash. Impressive for a waitress."
"I’m not a waitress anymore, Isabella," Evelyn said, stepping forward onto the narrow metal bridge. "I’m the woman who raised your foundation."
"Raised it?" Isabella laughed bitterly. "You were an accident! A backup drive left in an American orphanage because Julian thought my genetic code might degrade over time! You are nothing but a living spare part!"
"If I’m just a spare part, why did Sophie choose me?" Evelyn countered, taking another step. "Why didn't she speak to you? Why did she look for me when she broke her silence?"
Isabella’s composure cracked for a second, her jaw tightening. "Because she was programmed to identify the biological maternal signature! It was a glitch!"
"It wasn't a glitch," Evelyn said softly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, worn plush rabbit Sophie had carried for two years. "It was love. Something you couldn't code if you spent a thousand lifetimes trying."
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Isabella snapped, pressing a master command on her tablet. "Initiate full override! Drain the control subject’s neural capacity!"
The silver wires around the children began to glow blindingly white. Inside the sphere, Sophie began to scream in agony, her small body convulsing against the harness.
