MY BILLIONAIRE FATHER'S REMARRIAGE SCANDAL

CHAPTER 5:the third file

The moment Lissa spoke everything around them changed. The world inside the balcony was not the same anymore. It was not loud it was not dramatic. It was something worse. It was like certainty had replaced confusion. Nathan stood still watching Lissas face. It was like someone else was looking through her eyes.

Lissa said, "Now he knows where to find you." Her voice was calm too calm. James stepped back a little and that said everything. Nathan. He said, "You're afraid " looking at James. James did not say anything he just said, "That's not her." Lissa tilted her head. Said, "I've always been her."

Nathan felt something in his chest. He said, "Lissa, look at me." She looked at him. It was not the same look. It was still her face, her eyes but something behind them had changed. Nathan reached out slowly like he was afraid she might disappear. He said, "Whatever is happening you're still here you're still Lissa."

Lissa smiled a little. She said, "That's the problem." Then the balcony doors. James turned toward the exit. He said, "That wasn't me." Nathan. He said, "Then who?" The estate lights. Something changed in the air. It was like the house had just acknowledged an instruction.

Lissa stepped forward. She said, "Someone is calling me." Nathan moved in front of her. He said, "No you're not going anywhere." Lissa looked at him. For a moment she was back to normal. She said, "I don't think I have a choice." Nathan felt like he had been hit. He did not know what to do.

James said, "Shes syncing, we're out of time." Nathan turned to him. He said, "Syncing with what?" James did not answer immediately then he said, "The original sequence." Nathans jaw. He said, "Stop talking in riddles." James looked at him. He said, "I'm not you just don't like the answer."

The doors behind them. Lissa stepped forward. Nathan followed her. James stayed behind. The corridor beneath the estate felt cold not because of the temperature. Because of the presence. It was like the house had stopped pretending to be a home. It had become something else.

They reached the archive and it was already open. Nathan. He said, "This wasn't like this before." James. He said, "It wasn't meant to open manually twice." Lissa stepped inside. The lights turned on. Nathan. James noticed too. They understood what it meant the system recognized Lissa.

The central terminal flickered to life. A file appeared. Nathan said, "Don't touch it ". Lissa did not listen. James said, "If she opens it fully there's no going " Nathan turned to him. He said, "Then stop her." James did not. Nathan said, "You can't." James looked away. He said, "That's not entirely true."

Nathan. He said, "What does that mean?" James looked at him. He said, "I tried once I tried to remove her from the system." Nathans voice. He said, "You mean you knew her before all this?" James. He said, "Yes I knew what she was before they erased the rest."

Lissa turned to James. She said, "You knew me?" James hesitated he said, "I knew what you were before they erased the rest." Nathan stepped closer. He said, "What are you saying exactly?" James looked at Lissa at Nathan and he said, "She wasn't just a daughter in this system she was the control point."

Lissa took a step back. She said, "What does that mean?" James answered carefully "It means your emotional responses determine system stability." Nathan shook his head. He said, "That's insane." James corrected him "It's expensive not insane." Lissa said, "So I'm what a trigger?" James did not answer immediately then he said, "You're the regulator of both families legacy systems."

Nathan stared at him. He said, "That's not a person." James. He said, "That's the point." Lissas breathing. She said, "Then why do I feel like I know him?" She looked at Nathan and James answered, "Because your system was paired you and Nathan were built to stabilize each others volatility."

Nathan turned to Lissa. He said, "No that's not true.". Something in his voice cracked and Lissa looked at him carefully. She said, "You feel it too." Nathan did not answer immediately then he said, "Yes." James watched them. He said, "Which is why this is the dangerous part, the part where she remembers what they erased."

The terminal. A video began. It was a room, soft lighting and a younger Lissa sitting on the floor laughing. Nathan stood still. He said, "That's not possible.". It was and beside her in the video was a younger Nathan smiling. Nathan stepped closer. He said, "We knew each other." James. He said, "Yes, before memory segmentation."

Lissa stared at the screen. Something, in her face shifted. Nathans voice. He said, "We knew each other." Lissa turned to him. She said, "I thought I was alone." Nathan looked at her. Something broke inside him. He stepped closer. He said, "Maybe we weren't." Lissa looked at him and for the time she did not look uncertain she looked hurt.

The lights in the archive started to flicker

This time they just kept on flickering.

They did not. Become steady.

Every terminal in the room turned on all once.

James took a step back away.

He said "That is not me" again.

Nathan looked around the room.

He asked "What is going on here?"

The screen stopped moving on the video of James and Nathan when they were younger.

Then a new message came up on the screen.

It was typed out automatically.

It said SYSTEM RECOGNITION COMPLETE.

Lissa took a step slowly.

Nathan reached out to her without thinking.

She stopped him with a look.

It was not that she did not want him to touch her.

It was a warning.

Then the system started speaking out

It did not use the speakers in the room.

It was like the room itself was talking.

The voice was calm and familiar.

It said "I am glad you are awake."

Nathan stopped moving.

James stopped moving.

Lissa did not stop.

She whispered "I know that voice."

Then she turned to face Nathan.

She did this slowly.

Her face looked different now.

She was not confused or scared.

She just seemed to accept what was happening.

She said "He is already, inside the system."

Nathans eyes got smaller.

He asked "Who is?"

Lissa looked at him.

Then she said "My father."