The Warning
1264 Words
Sophia couldn't breathe.
The words Alexander had just spoken kept replaying in her mind.
“Your mother may not have died in an accident.”
For years, Sophia had believed the story without question.
Her mother had died when she was young.
An accident.
A tragic accident.
That was all she had ever been told.
But now, standing in Alexander's mansion with an old necklace clenched tightly in her hand, everything she thought she knew about her past was beginning to fall apart.
She looked at him.
“You knew?”
Alexander's jaw tightened.
“I suspected.”
“You suspected my mother was murdered and you said nothing?”
“I didn't have proof.”
Sophia's eyes filled with anger.
“You could have told me!”
“And what would you have done?” Alexander snapped.
She froze.
He took a breath and lowered his voice.
“You would have gone looking for answers alone.”
Sophia stared at him.
“And what's wrong with that?”
“Because whoever was responsible is still powerful.”
Silence.
The warning sent a chill through her.
Alexander stepped closer.
“I don't want you putting yourself in danger.”
Sophia looked down at the necklace.
“Then help me.”
His expression softened.
“I will.”
For the first time since they entered this marriage, Sophia realized something.
Alexander wasn't treating this like a business problem anymore.
He was personally involved.
And that frightened her more than anything.
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why are you doing all this for me?”
Alexander stared at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he reached out and gently took the necklace from her hand.
“Because your mother once saved my life.”
Sophia's eyes widened.
“What?”
Alexander looked away.
“I was seventeen.”
He swallowed.
“I was being followed after leaving school. Someone tried to attack me. Your mother found me.”
Sophia couldn't believe what she was hearing.
“She helped you?”
“Yes.”
“She knew you?”
“Not at first.”
Alexander's fingers tightened around the necklace.
“But she knew my family.”
Sophia's heart pounded.
“What did she know?”
Before Alexander could answer, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression immediately changed.
“Who is it?” Sophia asked.
Alexander didn't answer.
He walked toward the window and answered the call.
“Speak.”
A man's voice came through the phone.
Sophia couldn't hear everything, but she could see Alexander's face becoming increasingly tense.
“Are you sure?”
A pause.
“Where?”
Another pause.
Alexander's eyes shifted toward Sophia.
“Don't touch anything. I'm coming.”
He ended the call.
Sophia stood.
“What happened?”
Alexander grabbed his jacket.
“We found something.”
“Where?”
“At your father's old house.”
Sophia's heart stopped.
“My father's house?”
Alexander nodded.
“Someone broke into it tonight.”
THE OLD HOUSE
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside the abandoned property.
Sophia stared through the window.
She hadn't been here in years.
The house looked exactly as she remembered it.
Old.
Dark.
Silent.
But tonight, the front door was wide open.
Alexander stepped out first.
“Stay behind me.”
Sophia ignored him.
“I'm coming.”
“Sophia—”
“This is my family.”
He looked at her for a moment.
Then nodded.
“Fine. But don't leave my side.”
They entered.
The air smelled of dust and rain.
Alexander turned on his flashlight.
The living room had been completely searched.
Drawers were open.
Furniture had been moved.
Pictures were scattered across the floor.
Sophia's heart sank.
“They were looking for something.”
Alexander crouched beside a broken cabinet.
“Definitely.”
Sophia walked toward the hallway.
Then she stopped.
“Alice?”
Alexander looked at her.
“My mother's old friend. She used to live nearby.”
Sophia pointed toward a photograph lying on the floor.
It showed three people.
Her mother.
Her father.
And a third woman.
Alexander picked it up.
His eyes narrowed.
“Who is she?”
Sophia shook her head.
“I don't know.”
A strange feeling settled in her stomach.
She turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
“If anything happens to me, don't trust the Blackwoods.”
Sophia's face went pale.
Alexander read the message.
His expression darkened.
“That's my mother's handwriting.”
Sophia looked at him.
“What?”
“My mother wrote that.”
Neither of them spoke.
Then they heard a noise upstairs.
Crash.
Sophia jumped.
Alexander immediately pulled her behind him.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Sophia.”
Another sound came from above.
Footsteps.
Someone was inside.
Alexander slowly reached for the door handle.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then—
A figure ran down the stairs.
“Stop!”
Alexander chased after them.
Sophia followed.
The stranger reached the back door and escaped into the darkness.
Alexander returned seconds later.
He was breathing heavily.
“They're gone.”
Sophia looked at the open door.
“Did you see their face?”
“No.”
He looked down.
Something was lying on the floor.
A small black envelope.
Alexander picked it up.
His expression changed.
Sophia noticed.
“What is it?”
He opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Sophia stepped closer.
Her breath caught.
It was a picture of her mother.
But she wasn't alone.
Standing beside her was a much younger version of Alexander's father.
And behind them...
Was Victoria.
Sophia stared at the photograph.
“No.”
Alexander's eyes hardened.
“My father.”
Sophia pointed at Victoria.
“Why was she there?”
Neither of them had an answer.
Then Sophia noticed something written across the bottom of the photograph.
Three words.
ASK HER WHY.
THE NEXT MORNING
Victoria Blackwood sat calmly at the breakfast table.
She lifted her cup of coffee.
Everything about her looked perfectly normal.
Until Alexander placed the photograph in front of her.
Her hand stopped.
For the first time, Sophia saw fear in Victoria's eyes.
“You know this woman.”
Victoria slowly looked up.
“I knew her.”
Sophia stepped forward.
“She was my mother.”
Victoria's silence was enough.
Sophia's voice trembled.
“What happened to her?”
Victoria looked at Alexander.
Then at Sophia.
“You shouldn't have found that photograph.”
Alexander's expression hardened.
“Answer her.”
Victoria slowly placed her cup down.
“Your mother wasn't killed because of an accident.”
Sophia's heart shattered.
“Then who killed her?”
Victoria looked directly into her eyes.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying!”
Sophia's voice echoed through the room.
Victoria stood.
“I was there that night.”
Sophia froze.
“What?”
Victoria's face became pale.
“I saw what happened.”
Alexander stepped forward.
“Then tell us.”
Victoria opened her mouth.
But before she could speak—
A loud gunshot exploded outside.
BANG!
The windows shattered.
Sophia screamed.
Alexander grabbed her and pulled her to the floor.
Another shot followed.
BANG!
When the room finally went silent, Alexander lifted his head.
Victoria was standing frozen near the table.
And on the wall behind her was a bullet hole.
A warning.
Someone didn't want Victoria talking.
Sophia looked at Alexander.
He looked back at her.
Neither needed to say it.
The person who killed her mother...
was still watching them.
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