THE MISSING BRIDE MYSTERY

THE FIRST MEETING

The drive to Blackwood Manor was quiet. I sat in the backseat of the expensive black car, staring out the window . My mind still could not fully process what I had just done.I had married a man I barely knew.

A billionaire with too many secrets.And somehow, I was now on my way to live inside his house.My chest felt extremely tight throughout the journey

David sat beside me without speaking, focused on something on his phone. His calmness made everything feel even worse . It was as if he found signing contracts with strangers was completely normal to him.Meanwhile, I felt like my entire world had been turned upside down in just one night .

After almost an hour, the car finally slowed down in front of massive black gates. Security guards immediately opened them, allowing the car to enter slowly.I looked outside and froze.Blackwood Manor looked more like a fortress.

The mansion was large p, surrounded by high walls and cameras placed everywhere. Lights illuminated the large building beautifully, but instead of feeling welcoming, it felt cold and distant. The car stopped near the entrance, and before I could react properly, another staff member opened the door for me.

I looked up at the mansion again. This was going to be my home for one year. The thought felt terrifying.

David stepped out beside me and walked toward the entrance without waiting to see if I followed. I quickly grabbed my bag and moved after him.

The inside of the mansion was even more intimidating. Everything looked expensive and perfectly arranged. The floors shined under the lights, and the silence inside the house .

Several staff members stood nearby, lowering their heads respectfully when David walked past. And nobody smiled.It felt like everyone inside the house was afraid of him.

A woman suddenly approached us.She looked older, probably in her fifties, dressed neatly in black and white.

“This is Martha,She manages the house.” David said .

Martha gave me a polite nod. “Welcome to Blackwood Manor, Mrs. Blackwood.”The title sounded strange coming from someone else.

“Martha will show you your room,” David continued. “You will receive the rest of the house rules tomorrow.” Before I could say anything, he started walking away.

“Wait,” I called softly.David stopped but did not turn around immediately.

I swallowed nervously. “Where are you going?”

Finally, he looked back at me.“To work.” I frowned slightly. “At this hour?”

“It’s none of your concern.”

His cold response made me feel so embarrassed. Without another word, David walked away , leaving me standing there feeling small and completely alone.Martha gently cleared her throat beside me.

“This way, ma’am.”

I followed her upstairs quietly, my footsteps echoing softly through the massive mansion. As we walked through the long hallways, I noticed some portraits.Several framed pictures hung on the walls, but one portrait immediately caught my attention. Which was a woman who looked exactly like me. This left me in shock.

My eyes stayed fixed on the portrait as if my body had forgotten how to move. The woman in the painting looked too familiar. Same face shape,Same eyes, even the expression felt strangely close to mine.

“Martha…” I called softly, not taking my eyes off the portrait. “Who is that?” I turned slightly and saw Martha hesitate for a moment before answering.

“That is the former lady of the house.”

Former lady?

“What happened to her?” I asked quietly.Martha looked uncomfortable, like she had been warned not to talk about it.

“I’m not allowed to discuss it, ma’am,” she said carefully. “Master Blackwood gave strict instructions.” That answer alone made my chest feel heavier.

Of course,another secret. I looked back at the portrait again. The woman’s eyes seemed to follow me. Wep continued walking after that, but I no longer felt calm. Every hallway felt longer. Every shadow felt deeper. The mansion no longer felt like a home. It felt like a place full of locked memories.

Martha finally stopped in front of a large door.

“This will be your room,” she said gently. I nodded slowly and stepped inside.The room was bigger than anything I had ever seen. Soft lighting, expensive furniture,and a big bed.

I placed my bag on the bed and sat down slowly, trying to steady my breathing. My mind kept going back to the portrait. That face looked so familiar.

Before I could think further, a soft knock came at the door. I stood up quickly.

The door opened slowly.

And David Blackwood walked in.He stopped the moment his eyes met mine.

“The portrait I had just seen” I said

He felt so uncomfortable and in a low voice, he said something that made my blood turn cold.

“Do not ask about her again.” The warning stayed in my head even after David left the room . Suddenly I started feeling bad ,because I realized I was reminding David Blackwood of someone else.which made me uncomfortable. The realization hurt more than it should have . I walked toward the large window beside the bed and looked outside. Rain still covered the dark grounds of the mansion. Security lights glowed across the property, making it impossible to not notice the cameras placed around the estate.

The cameras were literally everywhere. Near the gates, along the walls,even outside the hallways upstairs. This place was being watched constantly.I stepped away from the window. The room suddenly felt like a cage covered in expensive decorations

I couldn’t think straight so I decided to unpack my small bag.Compared to everything inside the mansion, my belongings looked embarrassingly cheap. A few clothes,old shoes,my mother's photograph.That was all I really owned.

I picked up the photo frame carefully and stared at my mother’s smiling face. Guilt slowly filled me again.Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

A sudden sound interrupted my thoughts.It was a door slamming somewhere downstairs.Then different voices. The voice was low,sharp and angry. I frowned slightly and moved towards my bedroom door. At first, I told myself to ignore it. This house clearly had secrets, and getting involved too early sounded dangerous.

But I was so curious. I opened the door carefully and stepped into the hallway.The voices became clearer. I heard David’s voice and the other voice sounded unfamiliar. I moved quietly towards the staircase before stopping near the shadows upstairs. In the large living room, David stood facing another man dressed in a grey suit. The tension between them was obvious immediately.

“You should’ve informed me before bringing her here,” the man said angrily.

David’s expression stayed cold. “I don’t need your permission.”

“This is reckless even for you.”

“She signed the contract.”

The man ran a frustrated hand through his hair before lowering his voice.

“And what happens if she discovers the truth?”

The room suddenly became silent.

My heartbeat quickened instantly. Truth?

I leaned slightly closer without thinking.

Then David spoke.

“She won’t.”

The confidence in his voice sent chills through my body. Because he did not sound hopeful, he sounded really certain.

I quickly stepped back from the staircase, my heart pounding so loudly I was afraid they would hear it downstairs. My breathing became fast as David’s words repeated inside my head.“She won’t.”

What truth was he talking about?And why did it sound like something I was never supposed to discover?

For a moment, I thought about returning to my room immediately, but the voices downstairs continued.Curiosity pulled me back towards the staircase. Carefully, I looked down again.

The man in the grey suit looked tensed now, unlike David who still appeared completely calm.

“This situation is already dangerous,” the man said quietly. “The board is suspicious enough.”

David poured himself another drink before answering.“I’ll handle the board.”

“And Ethan Blake?”At the mention of that name, David’s expression hardened slightly.

“He’s becoming a problem,” the man continued. “He’s still investigating the disappearance.”

Disappearance?

My stomach tightened immediately.They were talking about the missing bride.David finally looked irritated for the first time that night.

“Ethan only knows fragments,” he said coldly. “Nothing more.”

“That’s still enough to damage the company if he speaks publicly.” I could feel fear slowly growing inside me. This was bigger than I thought.

The contract marriage suddenly felt less like an arrangement and more like stepping into the middle of something dangerous.Before I could move away again, the floor beneath my foot creaked softly.

The sound echoed through the quiet hallway,My eyes widened.

Downstairs, both men looked up instantly, straight towards me. For one terrifying second, nobody moved.Then David slowly placed his glass down.His grey eyes locked onto mine with a calmness that somehow felt more frightening than anger.

“Come downstairs, Zoe.”