THE SECRET
941 Words
Lina didn't sleep.
The man in the East Wing.
Tall. Suit. Face in shadow.
He wasn't Elena.
At 6AM she gave up and went downstairs.
Adrian was already in the kitchen.
Making coffee himself. No Mrs. Hawthorne.
He looked up when he saw her.
"Didn't sleep?"
Lina shook her head. "Did you see anyone last night?
In the East Wing. Around 3AM."
Adrian's hand froze on the mug.
"No," he said too fast. "Why?"
"I thought I saw someone."
Adrian set the mug down. "The manor is old, Lina.
It makes sounds. Shadows. You're probably tired."
But his eyes wouldn't meet hers.
---
After breakfast, Lina had a decision to make.
She could ask again. Or she could find out herself.
She chose the second one.
The East Wing had been locked for 3 years.
But the key from the piano was in her pocket.
It wasn't warm anymore. But it was still a key.
At noon, when Adrian went to his office,
Lina went to the East Wing.
The hallway was dusty. Cobwebs.
The air smelled like old books and rain.
She tried the key on the first door.
It didn't fit.
Second door. No.
Third door. Click.
It opened.
It was a study. Just like Adrian's.
But smaller. Covered in white sheets.
Everything was covered.
Lina pulled the sheet off the desk.
Dust flew everywhere.
On the desk: papers. Letters.
And a photo frame. Face down.
Lina picked it up.
It was Adrian. And Elena.
Younger. Laughing. At a beach.
Elena looked healthy. Happy.
On the back, in Elena's handwriting:
`To my Adrian. Don't forget to live. -E`
Lina's chest hurt.
She opened the drawer.
More letters. Bills. And a diary.
Leather. Elena's name on it.
Lina hesitated. Then opened it.
`March 3rd`
`The doctors say 6 months. Adrian cried in the bathroom.
He thinks I don't know. I do.`
`April 10th`
`He stopped playing piano. He said it hurts.
I told him to keep playing for me. After.`
`May 20th`
`I met a man today. At the hospital.
He said he could help. Said there was a trial.
Adrian said no. Too risky. I don't blame him.`
Lina frowned. What man?
She kept reading.
`June 1st`
`He came to the house. Said his name was Victor.
Said Adrian was making a mistake.
Said Adrian was hiding things from me.`
`June 5th`
`Adrian and I fought. He won't tell me what Victor wants.
He said it's to protect me. I hate being protected.`
Lina closed the diary. Her hands were shaking.
Victor.
The man in the suit.
Footsteps.
Lina spun around.
Adrian stood in the doorway.
His face was stone.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. Quiet. Dangerous.
Lina held up the diary. "Who is Victor?"
Adrian didn't answer. He walked in. Closed the door.
"Put that down," he said.
"Who is he, Adrian?" Lina's voice shook.
"You lied to me. You said no one came here."
"I said no one came here AFTER," Adrian snapped.
"Victor came before. While Elena was sick."
"Why?"
"Because he's a vulture," Adrian said. Bitter.
"He wanted to buy the company when I was weak.
He told Elena I was hiding debt. That I was going to lose everything.
He tried to turn her against me."
Lina stared. "Is it true? The debt?"
Adrian laughed once. "No. But he made her doubt me.
In the last weeks of her life."
He ran a hand through his hair. "She died thinking I lied to her."
Silence.
"That's why I don't go in here," Adrian said softly.
"Because this is where she read his letters.
Where she started to believe him."
Lina put the diary down. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Adrian said. "You should have asked me."
"I did. Last night. You said no."
Adrian looked away. "I didn't want to drag you into this.
Victor is dangerous, Lina. And now he knows you're here."
Lina's blood went cold. "What?"
"He saw you. Yesterday. In town."
Adrian's jaw clenched. "He sent me an email this morning.
'Congrats on the new girl. She looks like her.'"
Lina couldn't breathe. "Like who?"
"Like Elena."
---
They went back to the main house in silence.
Adrian was furious. At Victor. At himself.
In the study, he poured whiskey. Didn't offer her any.
"You need to leave," he said suddenly.
Lina froze. "What?"
"For Maya's sake. For yours."
He drank. "Victor plays dirty. If he thinks you matter to me,
he'll use you."
Lina felt like she'd been slapped.
"So that's it? You pay for my sister and then send me away?"
"It's to protect you," Adrian said. But he wouldn't look at her.
"That's what you said to Elena," Lina shot back.
"And look how that ended."
Adrian slammed the glass down. "Don't."
"Don't what? Care about you?"
Lina stepped closer. "I'm not leaving, Adrian.
Not until Victor is gone. Not until you stop running."
Adrian looked at her. Really looked.
"I don't deserve you staying."
"Maybe not," Lina said. "But I'm staying anyway."
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Then Adrian sighed. "Fine. But we do this my way.
You don't go anywhere alone. You don't open doors.
And you stay away from the East Wing."
Lina nodded. "Deal."
That night, Lina got an email.
From an unknown address.
`Nice meeting you at the shop, Miss Carter.
Your sister is lucky to have you.
We should talk about Adrian.
-V`
Lina deleted it. Then blocked the number.
But her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
At 3AM, the piano didn't play.
But Lina heard knocking.
Three slow knocks.
From the East Wing.
End of Chapter 9
- Writer
