Chapter 8 - THE SECOND HEARTBEAT
I confronted Dr. Reed immediately.
She closed the door and asked Priya to remain.
Then she turned the ultrasound monitor back on.
The image showed my daughter.
Behind her, partially concealed by placental tissue, was a second smaller fetus.
Another girl.
The twins had not been detected earlier because Aaron altered the imaging reports and positioned every scan himself.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“I needed to know whether the second fetus was viable before increasing your panic.”
“You demanded I sign a form without explaining.”
“I was trying to remove you from Aaron’s control.”
“That is what everyone says when they take my choices.”
The words struck her.
She lowered her eyes.
“You’re right.”
She apologized without defending herself.
That mattered.
The second fetus had a weaker heartbeat but could survive with careful monitoring.
Aaron had designed another twin pregnancy.
One baby to replace Lucy medically.
One to enter the foundation’s adoption pipeline.
The plan repeated the first pregnancy exactly.
Except this time I had seen the machinery before delivery.
Dr. Reed amended every medical record and assigned independent specialists.
Priya copied the scans to federal evidence storage.
Rebecca Sloan filed protection orders covering both unborn children.
Aaron’s attorney claimed the embryos belonged to Genesis because they were created under a fertility research contract.
My signature appeared on the contract.
Again, forged.
The court scheduled an emergency hearing.
Meanwhile, federal agents raided the New Mexico facility.
They found medical rooms, donor storage, child restraints, and records for Lucy.
But Lucy was gone.
A recent video showed Sylvia escorting her through a service tunnel.
The girl looked weak.
Ella had also been brought there days earlier.
Both daughters were now with Sylvia.
Rebecca Mitchell identified a fallback property in rural Colorado owned by the Mitchell family.
It had once been a silver mine.
Sylvia called it Sanctuary.
Before agents could leave, a video arrived.
Lucy sat in a hospital bed.
Ella stood beside her, crying.
Sylvia held the polished silver cup.
“Anna,” she said, “you may keep one of the babies you are carrying.”
May you like
She looked between Lucy and Ella.
“But first, choose which daughter I return.”
