After my brother’s death, my parents forced me to undergo plastic surgery to look like him and live his life. “Your brother was a genius. His fiancée and research project can’t just disappear. You have to take over,” they insisted. “You’ve never amounted to anything anyway. Living his life is a windfall for you!” They seemed to forget that I had my own name and life. My personal records were erased, yet my parents felt completely justified. “If you’re a good son, you’ll understand our position.” “We’re doing this for your own good. Don’t be ungrateful.” Everyone thought I would break down and run away. Instead, I laughed. “He was a genius? Fine, I’ll take his place.” Later, wearing my brother’s face, I signed a high-stakes agreement with his former rival and even conducted more daring experiments in his name. “Son, don’t do anything rash. It could ruin our family…” my parents pleaded. I looked at them calmly. “I understand now.” I gripped the will my brother left behind and silently fed it into the paper shredder.
The face in the mirror was both familiar and strange. It was Liam’s face. My twin brother’s face. Three months ago, Liam had jumped from the roof of his research lab without leaving a word. A week ago, I removed the last bandage from my face, becoming him. “Perfect. Looks just like him,” my father, Frank, said excitedly behind me. My mother fussed with the ill-fitting suit I wore. Her voice trembled with barely contained excitement. “Liam, don’t be nervous. Rachel will be here soon.” My name is Lucas, not Liam. But now, no one remembers Lucas anymore. My identity, my education records, every trace of my existence had been quietly erased a week ago. “She’s here,” my father announced as the sound of high heels echoed from outside. A woman in a Chanel suit walked in. When she saw my face, her eyes instantly welled up with tears. This was Rachel, my brother’s fiancée, a woman as outstanding in family background as she was in beauty. “Liam…” she whispered, throwing herself into my arms. Her body shook slightly. I could smell her expensive perfume. My body stiffened, unsure how to respond. My father immediately stepped forward, patting my back with satisfaction. “Rachel, dear, you see? Liam is fine. He just had a little accident, hurt his brain, forgot some things. But he’s all better now.” “Your engagement, his project, everything can continue as planned.” Rachel lifted her tear-stained face, examining me closely. “Really… you remember everything now?” My mother pinched my arm hard. Suppressing the pain, I mimicked my brother’s smile – warm yet distant. “Rachel, it’s been a while.” Rachel’s eyes flickered for a moment, then broke into a smile. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me.” My parents exchanged relieved glances. They took Rachel to the study, discussing how to restart my brother’s “Genesis” project. I stood alone in the spacious living room, surrounded by Liam’s trophies and awards on the walls. He had always been a genius, the pride of our parents. And I? I was the twin of a genius, the shadow no one cared about in his brilliant light. We had the same face, but walked completely different paths in life. He was the star, I was utterly ordinary. I thought we would continue like this forever. Until he decisively jumped from the research building he had built with his own hands. My parents’ world collapsed. Then, they placed that fallen sky on my shoulders. My phone vibrated. It was a message from my only friend. “Lucas, where have you disappeared to?” I stared at those two words – my name – and slowly typed a reply. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Then, I blocked him. From today on, Lucas no longer exists in this world. There is only Liam.
I was “escorted” to my brother’s company, to the core lab of the “Genesis” project. Everything here bore Liam’s mark. The employees looked at me with relief, as if they had survived a disaster. “Mr. Lane, you’re finally back!” “With you here for the project, we have our cornerstone again!” My father, Frank, stood beside me, basking in these compliments as if I really were his resurrected genius son. “Liam’s just recovered. Please bear with him,” he said, pushing me towards the main console. “Son, go on. Show everyone what you’ve got.” I stared at the complex data streams before me, my mind blank. I had majored in history in college. I knew nothing about quantum physics. Just then, the lab door was kicked open. A man in a black jacket strode in, followed by several aggressive-looking board members. The man was tall, with sharp features and a rebellious smirk. Sean Frost. My brother’s biggest rival in life, and the only madman in the industry who could compete with him. “Liam Lane, heard you’ve come back from the dead. I’m here to pay my respects to the deceased,” Sean’s gaze fell on my face like a knife. My father’s face darkened. “Sean! Watch your words!” Sean sneered, ignoring him completely, and walked straight up to me. He reached out and roughly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. “Let me see. Did the fall fry your brain, or just give you a new set of balls?” His fingers were cold, his grip strong. Rachel immediately rushed over, slapping his hand away. “Sean! Don’t go too far!” Sean glanced at her, his eyes ambiguous. “Rachel, no need to be so formal between us, right?” Rachel’s face paled for a moment, but she quickly regained composure. “Please show some respect.” My father was shaking with anger, pointing at Sean. “You… you! Security!” “Dad.” I suddenly spoke up. My voice wasn’t loud, but it silenced everyone. I gently pushed away Rachel’s protective hand and calmly met Sean’s gaze. “Mr. Frost, it’s been a while.” My parents were stunned. Sean raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised. “Oh? You still recognize me?” He leaned in close, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “When Liam hit the ground, his head splattered like a rotten melon. Yours… seems stitched up quite nicely.” My heart clenched violently. He straightened up, his voice returning to normal. “Your ‘Genesis’ project is nothing but a scam. I’m here today to expose you!” He threw a document onto the main console. “This is a joint agreement between me and the board. Either you produce results within three months to prove your theory, or you and your family get the hell out of this building!” My father clutched his chest, coughing violently. “You… you’re taking advantage of our misfortune!” “Dad, don’t get excited.” I steadied him, but my eyes never left Sean. I smiled and picked up the agreement. “Alright, I’ll sign it.”
The news that I had signed the high-stakes agreement spread like wildfire through the company. Everyone thought I had gone mad. My father was so angry his blood pressure spiked, and he was admitted to the hospital that night. In the hospital room, he pointed at my nose and cursed. “Ungrateful child! Are you trying to drive our family to ruin?” “Even your brother wouldn’t dare sign such an agreement with Sean when he was alive. Who do you think you are!” My mother wiped her tears beside him. “Liam, tell mom the truth. Did you really… hurt your brain? We can beg Sean to withdraw the agreement…” “Beg?” I let out a cold laugh. “When did you ever see Liam Lane beg anyone?” That sentence left them speechless. Liam was a genius, a prodigy. He had his pride. He never bowed his head. My mother stared at me blankly, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “You… you just now, you really looked like your brother.” My father fell silent too. Just then, Rachel walked in carrying a fruit basket. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, she spoke up tactfully. “Uncle, Aunt, don’t blame Liam. I believe in him. He must have his own plans.” She walked to my side and linked her arm with mine, her posture intimate. “Liam, I’ll always support you.” That night, I returned to my brother’s spacious apartment. Rachel followed me in, saying it was to “take better care of me”. She hugged me from behind, her warm breath on my neck. “Liam, it’s been so long… since you held me.” Her hands began to wander inappropriately over my body. I suddenly grabbed her wrist. “I’m tired.” Rachel’s body stiffened. She looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of inquiry and dissatisfaction. “You weren’t like this before.” I broke free from her embrace and walked straight to the study. “I have a lot of project work to deal with.” I closed the study door, shutting her out. Leaning against the door, I waited until I heard no more movement outside before letting out a sigh of relief. I turned on my brother’s computer. It was full of data on the “Genesis” project, dense and overwhelming, like an insurmountable mountain. I couldn’t understand any of it. But I knew my brother’s secret must be hidden in here somewhere. I tried several passwords my brother commonly used, but they all showed errors. I stared at the login screen with my brother’s confident photo, suddenly remembering something. Many years ago, when we brothers were still close, he had once pointed at the night sky and said to me. “Lucas, look. That dimmest star, one day, I’ll make it shine brighter than the sun.” That was a secret between us. I typed the name of that star into the password field. “Nyx”. The computer screen lit up, entering the desktop. But what I saw wasn’t research data for “Genesis”. It was an encrypted video file and a hidden folder. The folder was named “Thief”.
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