Nine months ago
"I’m a loner at work. I mostly work night shifts, so people rarely see . We’re the sa height, almost the sa build, and since I don’t talk much, you won’t have a problem blending in and people won’t notice the difference in our voices."
"It’s also amazing we bear the sa first na, so it’ll be really easy to assu my identity."
On the corner of a dark street at night, two won stood opposite each other.
One was rather nervous as she spoke for several minutes, while the other leaned against the wall, slowly turning the pages of the docunts in her hand.
After a while, she closed it and reached into her coat for a brown envelope.
The other girl hurriedly reached for it, but just as her hand got to it, the envelope was retracted and the woman raised her eyes.
"What did we say you’d do after today?"
The girl paused, gulping hard as she recounted, "I’m going to disappear. Seven countries away, and I promise not to return. Silicon Valley no longer holds anything for , so I’m certain nothing will make want to co back."
The lady with the envelope said nothing. She slowly twirled it before straightening up and closing the distance between them.
"I understand all that, but I want you to really understand that you would under no circumstance return here. Except in a body bag. If you unfortunately do co back, I can’t assure you’ll have your life for much longer."
The girl smiled forcefully, solemnly promising, "You don’t have to worry, ma’am. I will never be back here."
Only then was she handed the envelope.
A few minutes later, the duo dispersed.
One boarded a taxi, while the other turned into a corner where a hackathon was being held.
Taking out her phone, she raised it, comparing the photo of a building to the one she stood in front of.
After confirming it was really it, she returned it into her pocket and strutted toward the building.
She had just gone inside when one of the Jumbotrons zood in on an inspector.
"Actually, she passed."
However, Molly wasn’t here for the tournant, so she didn’t concern herself with what he said or who he said it too.
Biting down on her lower lip, she slumped against the wall behind her and quietly scanned the place for Kelsie with her eyes.
A mont later, the cara to zood in on a group and from the group, she saw Kelsie.
Laura Sutton’s face ca into view almost imdiately before she began accusing Kelsie of cheating.
Confused, Molly turned to one of the n watching to find out what was going on.
"I’m sorry I’m late, can you tell what’s going on?"
The man imdiately pointed at Kelsie’s face on the monitor and bead broadly, "The leader of that group, the pretty one, is a genius and is the only one who attempted and passed the task with Serbian Howard."
The words were barely out of his mouth when another man turned to glare at him.
"Don’t spout nonsense from that stinking mouth! Don’t you hear Laura? That team leader cheated."
The man, who had just filled Molly in on what was happening, imdiately hissed and attacked him as well.
"How did she cheat? Do you have any proof?"
"Do I need proof when Laura herself said it? You’re only making yourself look stupid if you don’t believe her."
"Oh, don’t make excuses for her. Just because she can’t do it and soone else did better doesn’t an they cheated!"
"You little... are you calling Laura a liar?"
Molly watched the two n go from squabbling to throwing each other down. They didn’t get to roll around long before soone called security and had them removed from the premises.
So Molly stared, quietly observing everything, and wasn’t very surprised when Kelsie won the first runner-up prize.
That night, she watched Kelsie board a taxi and leave, then turned and headed into a hotel.
Once in her hotel room, she began taking off her clothes at the door.
By the ti she got to the bedroom, she was down to her underwear.
Flipping on the light, the room, one that should’ve been nothing short of luxurious, had only a deflatable bed.
On the wall where the bed should’ve been were several photographs of Kelsie, her triplets, and Jett Adler.
. . .
Present
Kelsie listened as Molly recounted everything she’d done to follow her up until now.
That’s when it hit her, the only reason she hadn’t been able to find anything about the original Molly was because she wasn’t just an orphan; she’d grown up in so rural orphanage that barely kept records of its children.
Scoffing, she took her seat and turned the swivel chair around to face Molly, clicking her tongue in disappointnt.
"You stalked for so long. Then you had your chance to take out, but what did you do?"
"You let go. Yes, that’s right. I know now it was you who let go that day. You’re the one who attacked the van that day and dropped off sowhere."
"Now I do not know why you suddenly changed your mind, but I do know making the gingerhead from the other day wear your cologne must’ve just been a distraction to throw off my suspicion."
Molly didn’t deny it.
"You’re not wrong. I did do that. But only because I knew we could end all this amicably."
"You see, I’ve co to know that as long as you have your children, you can’t protect yourself efficiently."
"Where I co from, if your child holds you back, you cut them off. If you don’t, you’ll be repeating the sa mistake your mother did."
"If she hadn’t taken in with you, I don’t think she would’ve died. I doubt a woman like her would’ve been on the run in the first place."
Kelsie gulped hard, her pupils dilating slightly as she tugged at the nail of her index finger with her thumb.
"I should’ve known."
Molly laughed.
"Yes, you would have if you weren’t so hell-bent on protecting your children. Now listen to , Kelsie, because I might be the first and only person you’d hear this from."
"The won in our family have the better genes. You rarely see a man doing as well as us. We’re always five steps ahead. But despite that... you and I are the only surviving won in our bloodline."
"Why? Because our predecessors thought they could have it all. Have kids and lead successful lives. They failed to learn from the won before them—how children are our sore spots. How we lose it when it cos to our kids."
"So, my mother died. And your mother died. And very soon, you will too. Who knows, in the coming years, if your daughter isn’t smart, she’ll make the sa mistake and die too."
"If you really love them like you say you do, then you’ll know the only good thing you can give them right now is to have them displaced to random locations."
Kelsie, however, paid no heed to everything she said and finally realized sothing.
"The day Karen Kunstler invited to their branch opening near the hospital, and I took you with , you didn’t seem the least bit surprised when she introduced Serbian Howard to as her cousin."
"No, you didn’t seem very surprised to know he was pursuing , but I never told you he was pursuing , so how did you know?"
Molly, who had been babbling nonstop just a mont ago, suddenly went quiet.
Sowhere, Serbian lit a cigarette and watched it burn with a straight face.
After a while, a man entered with a Glock.
"This is the Glock 43X Slimline 9x19mm pistol with a 10 1 round capacity, featuring a 3.41-inch barrel, 6.5-inch overall length, 1.1-inch width, and an unloaded weight of approximately 18.7 ounces."
He stopped in front of Serbian and stretched the weapon toward him.
"It’s light enough, and boss has made the assurance you’ll get into the court tomorrow with it no matter what. But he wants to get your affirmation that you’ll carry out what you said you would."
Serbian tossed the burning cigarette and crushed it underfoot before reaching out to take it.
He turned it around for several seconds before he twirled and slid it into the holster under his shirt.
Then he turned around to leave.
At this, the man, who handed him the weapon, pulled out another Glock and aid it at Serbian without hesitation.
"You’re not allowed to leave until you give your word. Boss’ orders or I shoot."
Serbian paused, slowly tilting his head to the side as he retorted calmly, "I already told your boss that I won’t stand still while he makes an innocent woman spend the rest of her life behind bars for a cri she didn’t commit."
"Rather than sit back and watch that happen, I won’t hesitate to end her foreboding, prolonged suffering."
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