They Removed the Fake Chip but the Real System Came for Me Chapter 04

They Removed the Fake Chip but the Real System Came for Me Chapter 04

“What the hell are you talking about? The children are dead.”

Dominic shoved my hand off, impatience all over his face. “Elena, you’ll say any insane thing to get yourself off the hook.”

“It’s true!”

I scrambled for Ivy’s phone. Julian caught my arm and locked it in his grip.

“You’ve lost your mind. We’re locking you up to cool down before you hurt Ivy.”

“No! I have to save them! Julian, just believe me once. One time…”

The walk-in closet door slammed shut.

The world went black. My breathing shattered. I couldn’t get air in.

That hurricane years ago. I’d been buried under debris for a full day and night.

Ever since, tight spaces did this to me.

Through the door, Ivy’s voice floated in, light as air. “Elena, can you hear them? My two little nephews are screaming so loud.”

“They’re crying in the fire, calling for their mommy. Why won’t you come save us?”

I threw myself at the door, pounding. “Open it! Open the door!”

My nails clawed into the crack. Splinters drove under the skin. My fingernails snapped off one by one.

I don’t know how long I was in there. Long enough to think I’d died inside that closet.

Then the lock turned.

Dominic stared down at me like I was a misbehaving lunatic. “You ready to admit you were out of line?”

“I get it. The truth was hard to hear. You convinced yourself the kids were still alive. But that doesn’t give you the right to lose it and attack Ivy.”

“She’s fragile. She can’t handle you setting her off over and over.”

“If you just fall in line from now on, I’ll…”

The door wasn’t even fully open before I scrambled up and ran.

Dominic clearly didn’t expect that. His face twisted. “Elena!”

I crashed into Ivy and nearly knocked her over. Julian caught her, shaking with rage. “Elena, you’re out of control!”

“Apologize to Ivy for today. And if you take one more step out of this room, we’re done.”

My feet stopped.

Triumph flickered in Julian’s eyes. He opened his mouth.

I cut him off, voice wrecked but every word deliberate. “Julian Ashford. The biggest regret of my life was marrying you.”

Silence behind me.

I didn’t get far. Ivy caught up. She grabbed my arm.

“Elena, where are you rushing off to?”

“You’re too late anyway. At best, you’ll get to collect what’s left of them.”

In the distance, a truck horn screamed.

“Get off me!” I tried to throw her aside.

My body locked.

ALS.

Two figures charged toward us at the same time.

“Save Ivy first!”

“Elena can walk! None of this would’ve happened if she hadn’t thrown a tantrum and made Ivy run after her!”

Dominic and Julian lunged for Ivy, wrapping her up, shielding her with their own bodies.

Then came the impact. My body couldn’t move, but the pain was crystal clear.

The wheels rolled over me, and I felt every part of my body flatten.

And I just lay there, eyes open, staring ahead.

I watched Dominic and Julian scoop up Ivy in a panic and sprint toward the hospital.

Neither of them looked back.

On the wind, I caught Dominic’s frayed voice. “I am so damn disappointed in her.”

“Elena knows we can’t do anything to her no matter how angry we get. That’s why she keeps pulling these stunts to threaten us.”

“If I could choose, I wish Ivy were my real sister.”

Blood gushed up my throat. The scream locked in my chest. No sound came out.

Then the voice spoke inside my head. [　　Time’s up. Host disengaging from world.]

Congratulations, Dominic. You finally got what you wanted.