Episode Ten
1368 Words
His Father's Son
Amelia couldn't breathe.
The man standing in the hospital room lowered the gun slightly.
He looked young.
Perhaps twenty five.
His dark hair was disheveled, and a small scar ran from his left eyebrow toward his temple.
But there was something familiar about his face.
Something that made Amelia's heart race.
Her mother whispered again.
“His father's son.”
Damien stared at the stranger.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
“You already know.”
“No.”
Damien stepped forward.
“I don't.”
The stranger laughed quietly.
“You've spent your entire life believing Andrew Blackwood was your father's greatest mistake.”
His eyes moved toward Damien.
“But you were wrong.”
Damien's jaw tightened.
“Put the gun down.”
“Not yet.”
Amelia stepped closer to her mother.
“Why are you here?”
The stranger looked at her.
“For the same reason everyone else is.”
“The key?”
“The key.”
“And the photograph?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He smiled.
“Because your father hid something that belongs to my family.”
Damien shook his head.
“Your family lost everything.”
“No.”
The stranger's voice became colder.
“My family was robbed.”
He took another step.
“By yours.”
Damien's eyes darkened.
“That's not what happened.”
“You weren't there.”
“I was.”
The stranger stopped.
“You were there the night Robert Carter died?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know why he had to die.”
Amelia's heart stopped.
Damien looked at him.
“I know he didn't deserve to die.”
The stranger laughed.
“That's not an answer.”
Amelia looked between them.
“Someone please tell me what is happening.”
Her mother reached for her.
“Amelia, stay behind me.”
“Mom, who is he?”
Her mother swallowed.
“His name is Adrian.”
Damien's eyes widened.
“Adrian what?”
Her mother looked at him.
“Adrian Blackwood.”
Silence.
Damien stared at the man.
“My father's son?”
Adrian smiled.
“Half-brother.”
Amelia's mind raced.
“So Andrew wasn't his father?”
“No,” Adrian replied. “Andrew was my uncle.”
Damien looked shocked.
“This makes no sense.”
“It will.”
Adrian lowered the gun.
“My mother was your father's secretary.”
Damien's expression changed.
“I remember her.”
“Of course you do.”
“She disappeared.”
“She was forced to leave.”
“By whom?”
Adrian looked at Amelia.
“Your father.”
Amelia's eyes widened.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
Adrian continued.
“Your father discovered that my mother was pregnant with me. He wanted to keep the pregnancy secret because my existence could destroy your father's partnership with Ethan Blackwood.”
Damien's face hardened.
“My father already knew?”
“He did.”
“Then why didn't he say anything?”
“Because he was protecting his reputation.”
Amelia shook her head.
“Then why did my father protect you?”
Adrian looked at her.
“He didn't.”
“What?”
“He protected you.”
Amelia felt dizzy.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian lowered his weapon completely.
“Your father believed that if anyone knew about the secret account, they would come after you.”
“What account?”
“The Blackwood account.”
Damien's eyes narrowed.
“You're talking about the money.”
“No.”
Adrian shook his head.
“The money is nothing.”
He looked at Amelia.
“Your father discovered a list of names.”
“What names?”
“Politicians. Judges. Business leaders. Police officers.”
Amelia's blood ran cold.
“A list of people involved in a massive criminal network.”
Damien stared at him.
“That's impossible.”
“Your father was going to expose them.”
“And they killed him.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Adrian looked toward Amelia's mother.
“She knows.”
Everyone turned toward her.
Her mother began crying.
“I couldn't.”
“Tell them,” Adrian said.
Amelia took her mother's hand.
“Mom.”
Her mother closed her eyes.
“Your father was going to give the information to the police.”
“What happened?”
“They found out.”
“Who found out?”
“Andrew.”
Damien stepped forward.
“My brother knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me?”
“I was afraid.”
“Afraid of Andrew?”
“Afraid of everyone.”
Adrian nodded.
“That's why your mother helped hide the account.”
Amelia stared at him.
“Where is it?”
Adrian smiled.
“That's what I came for.”
“I don't have it.”
“You do.”
“No.”
He pointed at the photograph.
“The account is connected to your identity.”
Amelia looked at the picture.
“I don't understand.”
“Your father used your birth records to protect the account.”
Damien frowned.
“How?”
“Your legal identity became the password.”
Amelia stared at him.
“What?”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Your name. Your date of birth. Your original birth certificate.”
Her heart pounded.
“That's why my father hid my real birth records.”
“Yes.”
Damien looked at Amelia.
“Where are they?”
“I don't know.”
Adrian smiled.
“Your mother does.”
Amelia turned.
“Mom?”
Her mother began crying.
“I hid them.”
“Where?”
She looked toward the ceiling.
“Your father never told me exactly where the account was.”
“Then what did you hide?”
“The key.”
Damien's expression changed.
“The second key?”
Her mother nodded.
“It opens a safe.”
“Where is it?” Damien asked.
She looked at Amelia.
“In the house.”
Amelia's heart jumped.
“But we searched the house.”
“Not properly.”
Her mother's voice became weaker.
“It is hidden beneath your father's desk.”
Damien turned toward the door.
“Then we're going back.”
Adrian lifted the gun again.
“No.”
Damien stopped.
“You're coming with us.”
Adrian smiled.
“Of course.”
Amelia looked at him.
“You're going to help us?”
“No.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“I'm going to take the safe.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Amelia's house.
The police had already cleared the area.
The house was dark.
Damien entered first.
Adrian followed.
Amelia stayed close to her mother, who had been brought along under medical supervision.
They moved into studies.
Her father's desk stood exactly where it had been for years.
Amelia touched the wooden surface.
“Where?”
Her mother pointed toward the bottom drawer.
“Remove it.”
Damien pulled the drawer free.
Nothing.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Try the floor.”
Damien knelt.
He ran his fingers across the wooden panels.
Then he stopped.
“This one.”
He pried it open.
A narrow compartment appeared.
Inside was a small black safe.
Amelia's heart raced.
The second key fit perfectly.
Click.
The safe opened.
Inside was a bundle of documents.
A flash drive.
And an old envelope.
Amelia picked up the envelope.
Her name was written across it.
AMELIA CARTER.
She opened it.
Inside was a single letter.
Her father's handwriting.
She read the first line.
**My daughter, if you are reading this, then you have married Damien Blackwood.**
Amelia froze.
She looked at Damien.
He was staring at the letter.
The next sentence made her blood run cold.
And if you have married him, then I have failed to keep my biggest secret from you.
Amelia's hands began to shake.
She continued reading.
Damien is not the man you think he is.
The room went silent.
Damien slowly looked at Amelia.
And for the first time, she saw something in his eyes she had never seen before.
Fear.
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