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Chapter 35: The Two Rinas
The summit hall fell silent.
The original Rina—bloodied from her rooftop fight—stood in the control room.
The other Rina, flawless and composed, walked through the main entrance.
Both had the same voice.
Same face.
Same memories.
Eliot stepped between them.
"Which one of you sent the signal?" he demanded.
The Rina beside him raised her hand. "I did."
The new Rina smiled. "And I intercepted it."
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Savannah pulled Elowen aside.
"Is this possible? Two identical soulprints?"
Elowen shook her head. "No. Unless… one of them stole the original's cognitive map."
"You mean—"
"She thinks she's Rina. And she might not even know she isn't."
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The two Rinas circled each other like predators.
"I remember Lena's laugh," one said.
"I remember burying her body in the snow," the other whispered.
The room tensed.
"Only one of us is willing to face what happened," the first Rina said coldly. "That makes me real."
"I don't need to remember pain to be human," the second replied.
Eliot stepped back.
"I can't tell."
And for the first time, he looked truly afraid.
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Suddenly, an alarm blared.
Elowen gasped. "The soulprint net—someone's trying to overwrite the real Rina's identity!"
Savannah turned to the Rinas.
"Whoever's fake—she's trying to erase the real one now."
Only one Rina remained still. Silent. Calm.
The other turned and ran.
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Author's Note:
Two Rinas. One truth. And a race against a digital erasure. If your heart raced reading this chapter, please add Billionaire in Disguise to your collection. Every support keeps the real ones alive. Thank you always.
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