CHAPTER 3:The girl in the wrong family.
1330 Words
The estate had never felt like home to Nathan Rowland. It was like a museum, built around his fathers name with everything being beautiful and expensive but also emotionally dead. That morning it felt even worse. The air inside the house had changed since they found that folder. It was not a change but the silence felt heavy like the walls were listening.
Nathan stood by the staircase for a time staring at nothing thinking about the words over and over again. She is not a Voss he thought. She is a Rowland. He let out a breath and rubbed his hand over his face. "No " he said to himself. "That's not possible.". He was already doubting himself.
Then he heard footsteps. It was Lissa coming down the stairs slowly barefoot with her hair a bit messy. She looked different that morning, not tired, but confused like she was trying to figure something out. She stopped down when she saw Nathan. "You've been standing there for a time " she said quietly.
Nathan did not answer away. He just looked at her. There was something about her that day that seemed familiar but strange, like a memory that he could not quite remember. "I couldn't sleep " he finally said. "Same " she replied. They stood there in silence for a moment both of them thinking much to say anything.
Then Lissa spoke up. "Your father wants to see me." Nathans jaw tightened a bit. "He said that?" he asked. She nodded. ". You're going?" he asked again. She nodded again. Nathan pushed off the stair rail. "I'll come with you " he said.
Lissa looked at him for a moment then said, "You don't trust me." Nathan replied, "It's not about trust anymore." Lissa looked away. Nathan could tell that his answer had hurt her.
They went to the study, where Nathans father, Chief Anthony Rowland was waiting for them. He was standing by the window his hands clasped behind his back looking like he was waiting for something to happen. Melissa, Nathans mother was there too. She was not sitting like she usually did. She was standing, looking like she was bracing herself for something.
Anthony turned to them as they entered. His eyes went straight to Lissa. "You shouldn't have seen that file " he said. Lissa stepped forward a bit. "You expected me not to find it?" she asked. Anthony replied, "I expected you to stay unaware a little longer."
Nathan stepped in. "What is going on?" he asked.. Anthony did not look at him. He was still focused on Lissa. "It wasn't supposed to happen this " he said. Lissas voice got a bit tighter. "Stop talking like I'm part of a plan I don't understand."
Anthony finally turned to her. "You are not who you think you are " he said. The room went silent. Nathan felt like the gravity had shifted. Lissa blinked slowly. "That's not an answer " she said. Anthony replied, "It is. You just don't recognize it yet."
Melissa stepped forward. "Anthony this is too early.". Anthony said, "Nothing about this is early." Nathan cut in. "Someone explain whats going on. Now." Anthony finally looked at his son and Nathan saw something in his eyes that he had never seen before. Regret.
Anthony said, "You were both raised in systems built on lies." Nathan frowned. "Both?" he asked. Anthony turned back to Lissa. "You were taken when you were three " he said. The room went still. Lissas lips parted slightly. "No " she whispered. Anthony said, "Yes. Before you even learned your name."
Nathan shook his head. "That's impossible " he said.. Anthony continued. "You were not lost. You were relocated." Lissa took a step back. "Why would anyone do that?" she whispered. Anthony. That hesitation was worse than the answer. "Because you were part of a merger that never became public " he said.
Lissas breathing slowed a bit. "That doesn't make sense " she said. Anthony replied, "It doesn't have to. It only has to exist." The room was silent for a moment then Nathan spoke up. "So what are you saying exactly?" Anthony looked at Lissa. "You were born a Rowland " he said.
The words hit Nathan like a punch. Lissa shook her head immediately. "No. I would know if—" Anthony interrupted her gently. "Because we made sure you wouldn't." That sentence changed the temperature in the room. Nathan felt something tighten in his chest. "You erased her memory?" he asked slowly.
Anthony did not answer directly. "We protected her identity." Nathan snapped, "That's not protection. That's control." Anthonys eyes darkened a bit. "It was survival " he said. Lissas voice broke slightly. "Why me?" she asked. That question hung in the air for a time.
Anthony walked slowly toward her. "Because your existence stabilizes everything we built " he said. Nathan stepped forward. "That's not an answer " he said. Anthony replied, "It is.". Even he did not sound convinced.
That night Lissa did not go back to her room. Nathan found her outside near the edge of the estate garden sitting on a stone bench staring at the horizon. He did not approach her away. He just stood there. Then she spoke without looking at him. "Do you think hes telling the truth?" Nathan hesitated. "I think he believes it " he said finally.
Lissa laughed softly. It was not funny. It was disbelief trying to survive. "That's not comforting " she said. Nathan replied, "I didn't mean it to be." She finally looked at him and for a moment they just looked at each other. Not with romance or trust. With shared uncertainty.
Lissa said, "I feel like I'm standing in a life that belongs to someone " Nathan stepped slowly. "Maybe it does " he replied. That should have been cruel. The way he said it was not. It was careful almost afraid. Lissa looked away again then asked, "Do you think I could hurt someone and not remember it?"
Nathans expression changed immediately. "Why would you say that?" he asked. She shook her head slightly. "I don't know. It just feels like I've been here before. Like I've done things I don't remember." Nathan crouched in front of her. "Look at me " he said gently. She. Nathan said, "You're not a weapon. No matter what my father says."
Her breath caught slightly at that. For a second they just looked at each other close too aware. Then they heard a sound, an alert from inside the estate. Nathan stood up immediately. Lissa too.. That's when they heard it. Screaming. Inside the house.
They ran back, to the hall, where everything was chaos. Melissa was shouting security guards were running and Anthony was standing still looking at a screen. Nathan pushed through the crowd. "What happened?" he asked. One of the guards turned pale. "The system... Its been breached."
Nathan froze. "Which system?" he asked. Anthony answered without turning. "All of them." The main screen flickered violently then stabilized. A file opened automatically labeled: LISSA VOSS. ORIGIN LOG. Lissa stepped forward slowly. "No..." she whispered.
Nathan grabbed her arm instinctively. "Don't look " he said.. She already was. The file started playing showing a hospital room a child crying, doctors moving fast and Anthonys voice saying, "If she wakes with memory she destabilizes both families." Lissa staggered slightly. Nathan caught her.
Then the video cut and switched to a live feed of someone sitting in a dark room watching them.
Then the person said something.
“I told you she would remember fast faster than we thought she would.”
The screen got a little bigger.
It showed a face that nobody thought they would see.
James Voss was on the screen.
He had a smile on his face.
Then he said:
“Now it is time for phase two to start.”
END, OF CHAPTER 3
- Writer
