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Chapter 31: The List
Rina stared at the screen Lena projected.
Rows upon rows of names.
Not just agents.
Not just operatives.
But civilians. Students. Politicians. Soldiers.
All marked: DNA harvested. Match confirmed. Replicant created.
Near the top—her own name.
Below it—
Eliot Kade.
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"No," Rina whispered. "That's impossible."
"They took a scan of his blood when we were in Geneva," Lena said. "Remember the drone that buzzed his neck?"
"That was a Replicant marker."
Rina's hands trembled. "So there's… another him?"
Lena didn't answer.
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Back in D.C., Eliot met a contact in a parking garage.
The man wore a trench coat, hood up.
"You're being watched," the contact warned. "Even now."
Eliot leaned in. "What do they want?"
The man handed him a chip.
"They don't want to destroy the world," he said. "They want to replace it. Bit by bit. Piece by perfect piece."
Then—he collapsed.
Dead.
No wound. No sound.
Just a flicker of static where his eyes should've been.
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In Alaska, Rina opened a hidden panel beneath the floorboards.
Inside: an old Kane Corp core drive. From before the breach.
She hooked it to the system.
One video file auto-launched.
> Eliot Kade.
Interview log.
Timestamp: six months ago.
Eliot—on-screen. Speaking to Kane.
And behind him…
A second Eliot. Silent. Smiling.
Watching.
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Author's Note:
What if the person you trust most… isn't the original? Or worse—what if you're not? If your pulse jumped, make sure Billionaire in Disguise stays in your collection. Every chapter brings us closer to the truth—thank you for reading!
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