Chapter 54 - VICTORIA MET THE WOMAN EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS DEAD—BUT HER REASON FOR KEEPING SILENT BROKE SOFIA'S HEART
Victoria Ashford did not run.
She did not scream.
She did not accuse anyone of inventing evidence.
Instead, she walked slowly into the library and sat down.
For a moment, Sofia remembered the woman in the red sequined dress.
The woman who had raised a silver baseball bat over a helpless elderly person.
The woman Sofia had slapped twice.
That woman had seemed incapable of admitting wrongdoing.
But the Victoria sitting before them looked different.
Older.
Tired.
Afraid.
Sofia placed the photograph on the table.
"Explain."
Victoria nodded.
"I met Miriam Cole."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"When?"
"Last month."
"Why?"
Victoria looked toward Naomi.
"Because she contacted me."
Naomi frowned.
"Why would she contact you?"
Victoria swallowed.
"She said my father had kept something that belonged to Rebecca."
Sofia felt cold.
"What?"
"Records."
"Medical records?"
"Yes."
Daniel stepped closer.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Victoria's eyes filled.
"Because she threatened someone."
Sofia folded her arms.
"Who?"
Victoria looked toward the hallway.
"Lily."
The room became silent.
Sofia stared.
"What did she say?"
Victoria's voice shook.
"She knew Lily's school. Her schedule. The names of her friends. She said if I told anyone about the meeting, Lily would disappear."
Sofia felt anger rise.
"Why didn't you come to us?"
Victoria looked down.
"Because I panicked."
Daniel's face tightened.
"Victoria."
"I know."
She began crying.
"I know I should have told you."
Sofia stared at her.
For years, Victoria had been taught that fear justified control.
Her father had built her entire childhood around threats and manipulation.
Now, even after trying to change, she had fallen into the same pattern.
Someone threatened a child.
And Victoria tried to handle it alone.
Sofia sat opposite her.
"Did you give Miriam anything?"
Victoria nodded.
"Money."
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand dollars."
Daniel looked shocked.
"Where did you get it?"
"From the settlement of my personal assets."
Sofia asked, "Did you give her any records?"
"No."
"Did she give you anything?"
Victoria hesitated.
"Yes."
She reached into her bag.
A small flash drive rested inside a sealed plastic envelope.
Daniel immediately contacted the investigators.
The drive was examined in a controlled environment.
Inside were several documents.
Most concerned Meridian's original fertility program.
But one file contained a video.
The recording showed an older woman seated in a dimly lit room.
Her hair was gray.
Her face was thin.
She looked directly into the camera.
"My name is Miriam Cole."
Sofia leaned forward.
The woman continued.
"I worked for Meridian. I participated in decisions that harmed children and families. I cannot undo those decisions."
Naomi covered her mouth.
Miriam continued.
"Rebecca Cross asked me to protect her son. I failed."
Noah closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
"After Rebecca died, her biological material was preserved against her wishes. I discovered the unauthorized use years later."
Sofia felt her stomach tighten.
Miriam looked away briefly.
Then returned her gaze to the camera.
"There were people who believed they could correct what they had done by creating more children."
Daniel whispered, "Genesis."
Miriam nodded on the recording as if answering him.
"They called it a second chance."
The video continued.
"But children are not second chances for adults. They are people."
Sofia stared.
Miriam's expression darkened.
"I have spent years trying to recover the records before someone uses them again."
The recording ended.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Daniel looked at Victoria.
"Why would she threaten Lily if she wanted to expose the program?"
Victoria shook her head.
"I don't know."
Sofia studied the recording.
Something felt wrong.
Miriam's words sounded sincere.
But the threats Victoria described did not fit.
Unless someone else had made them.
Sofia looked toward the investigator.
"Can you verify that the woman Victoria met is the same person in the recording?"
"We'll examine the available evidence."
"And the threatening messages?"
Victoria handed over her phone.
The investigators recovered the messages.
The sender had used a disposable number.
But one message contained an attachment.
A photograph of Lily outside her school.
Sofia's face hardened.
Then the investigator enlarged the image.
A reflection appeared in the school window.
The photographer's face was not visible.
But a distinctive silver ring could be seen on one hand.
Daniel stared.
"I've seen that ring."
Sofia turned.
"Where?"
Daniel looked toward Charles's portrait.
"My father owned one like it."
The investigator examined the ring.
A small engraved symbol appeared on its surface.
A black star.
Naomi whispered:
"Meridian."
The following morning, investigators found Miriam Cole.
Alive.
Living under an assumed name in a small town outside Philadelphia.
She agreed to cooperate.
But when asked about Victoria, she looked confused.
"I never threatened Lily."
Victoria stared.
"Then who sent those messages?"
Miriam shook her head.
"I don't know."
Sofia asked about the meeting.
Miriam nodded.
"Victoria brought me money."
"Why?"
"She believed I needed help leaving the country."
Victoria looked shocked.
"You told me you were in danger."
"I was."
"From whom?"
Miriam's face changed.
"The person who took the remaining Genesis records."
Sofia leaned forward.
"Who?"
Miriam looked toward Noah.
Then Claire.
Finally, Mateo.
"I don't know the person's current name."
Sofia's pulse quickened.
"Then what do you know?"
Miriam whispered:
"The person was once registered as Meridian Subject Zero."
Daniel frowned.
"Subject Zero?"
Miriam nodded.
"The first child the program ever tried to erase."
Sofia stared.
"And where is that child now?"
Miriam's eyes filled with fear.
"That child is no longer a child."
She looked directly at Sofia.
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"And I believe they've been living in your house."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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