THE BLACKWOOD SECRET

Rose’s secret

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ROSE’S SECRET

“Rose…”

The name echoed in Arabella’s mind long after Dr. Harrison Cole slipped back into unconsciousness.

She looked at Damian, her heart pounding.

“Who is Rose?”

Damian slowly shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“But she’s connected to everything.”

Hospital staff rushed into the room after hearing the commotion.

A nurse checked Dr. Cole’s condition while security officers searched every floor.

The thief had disappeared without a trace.

The diary was gone.

The only clue they had left was a single name.

Rose.

The next morning…

Richard Carter called an emergency family meeting.

Everyone gathered in the mansion’s conference room.

Damian placed a file on the table.

“I spent all night searching public records.”

He opened the file.

“Rose Carter.”

Arabella leaned forward.

“What did you find?”

Damian sighed.

“Almost nothing.”

“There are no recent records.”

“No marriage certificate.”

“No death certificate.”

“No passport.”

Richard frowned.

“It’s like she never existed.”

Victoria’s face suddenly turned pale.

“I remember her.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

Arabella’s eyes widened.

“You knew Rose?”

Victoria nodded slowly.

“She was Margaret’s closest friend.”

The room fell silent.

“She worked as a volunteer at St. Mary’s Hospital.”

Arabella’s heartbeat quickened.

“Then she could have been there the night we were born.”

Victoria looked down.

“Yes…”

“But after that night…”

“She disappeared.”

Meanwhile…

Elena couldn’t stop thinking about the threatening note.

You were never supposed to survive.

She drove to the cemetery where her adoptive grandparents were buried, hoping to clear her mind.

As she stood quietly beside the graves, she noticed fresh flowers resting on one of the headstones.

There was a small white envelope tucked beneath them.

It had her name written across the front.

With trembling hands, she opened it.

Inside was another message.

Find Rose before they do.

There was no signature.

Only a black rose drawn at the bottom of the page.

Elena’s breathing became uneven.

Someone knew where she was.

Someone had been watching her.

Later that afternoon…

Arabella and Damian returned to St. Mary’s Hospital.

This time, they weren’t looking for records.

They wanted security footage from the night Dr. Cole was attacked.

The hospital director escorted them into the surveillance room.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Our cameras don’t cover every hallway.”

Damian nodded.

“Show us what you have.”

The footage began playing.

At exactly 9:42 p.m., a masked figure entered the hospital through the emergency entrance.

The intruder wore black gloves.

A dark hoodie.

And on the left wrist…

A silver bracelet engraved with a black rose.

Arabella pointed at the screen.

“The bracelet!”

Damian paused the video.

The masked figure briefly reached up to adjust the hood.

For less than a second, part of the person’s face became visible.

Arabella gasped.

“I know those eyes.”

Damian looked at her.

“Who?”

She swallowed hard.

“I’ve seen them before…”

“But I can’t remember where.”

That evening…

As Arabella walked into the mansion’s library, she noticed someone standing by the fireplace.

It was Margaret Carter.

Victoria’s older sister.

She hadn’t visited the mansion in years.

Margaret smiled warmly.

“Arabella…”

“I heard everything.”

Arabella stared at her.

“You worked at St. Mary’s Hospital the night I was born.”

Margaret’s smile faded.

“Yes.”

Arabella stepped closer.

“Then tell me.”

“What really happened that night?”

Margaret lowered her eyes.

For a long moment, she said nothing.

Then, with tears filling her eyes, she whispered,

“I’ve been waiting twenty-one years for someone to ask me that question.”

Before she could continue—

A loud explosion rocked the mansion.

The lights flickered violently.

Smoke poured in from the front entrance.

Someone had planted a bomb outside the Carter estate.

And written across the burning front gate in red paint were four chilling words:

STOP DIGGING OR DIE.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE TRUTH IN THE FLAMES

The explosion shook the entire Carter mansion.

Windows shattered.

Smoke billowed through the front entrance as terrified servants rushed in every direction.

“Everyone, get outside!” Richard shouted.

Damian instinctively grabbed Arabella’s hand, pulling her behind him as pieces of stone fell from the ceiling.

“Stay close to me.”

Arabella’s heart pounded as they hurried into the grand foyer.

Outside, the mansion’s front gate was engulfed in flames.

Security guards fought desperately to contain the fire while the sound of sirens echoed in the distance.

Written across the black iron gate in dripping red paint were four horrifying words.

STOP DIGGING OR DIE.

Victoria covered her mouth.

“Oh my God…”

Richard’s expression darkened.

“This isn’t just a threat anymore.”

“They’ve declared war.”

⸻

Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control.

Fortunately, no one had been injured.

Police officers surrounded the estate, collecting pieces of the homemade explosive.

One detective approached Richard.

“Whoever did this knew the layout of your property.”

Richard frowned.

“What are you saying?”

“They had inside information.”

Arabella looked at Damian.

“You mean…”

Damian finished her sentence.

“The bomber may have had help from someone inside the mansion.”

Everyone fell silent.

For the first time, they realized they couldn’t fully trust the people around them.

⸻

Meanwhile, Margaret Carter stood alone in the library.

Her hands trembled.

She had waited twenty-one years to reveal the truth.

Now someone was willing to kill to keep her silent.

Arabella entered quietly.

“You were about to tell me what happened.”

Margaret closed her eyes.

“I know.”

“And I still will.”

She walked toward a large painting hanging above the fireplace.

Carefully, she lifted it from the wall.

Behind it was a small hidden safe.

Damian and Richard entered just as Margaret unlocked it.

Inside was an old velvet box.

She placed it gently on the table.

“I’ve hidden this since the night you were born.”

Arabella slowly opened the box.

Inside were two tiny hospital bracelets.

One read:

Baby Arabella Carter.

The other read:

Baby Elena Hayes.

There was also a folded photograph.

Arabella unfolded it with shaking hands.

It showed two newborn babies lying side by side.

Standing behind them were four adults.

Dr. Harrison Cole.

Evelyn Moore.

Margaret Carter.

And…

A young woman with kind eyes.

Margaret pointed at the woman.

“That’s Rose.”

Arabella stared at the picture.

“So she was real.”

Margaret nodded.

“She wasn’t just a volunteer.”

“She was the nurse assigned to care for both of you after you were born.”

Damian frowned.

“Then why did she disappear?”

Margaret’s eyes filled with tears.

“Because she refused to follow orders.”

The room went silent.

“What orders?” Arabella whispered.

Margaret took a deep breath.

“Someone paid a large amount of money to separate the two babies.”

Victoria gasped.

“Paid?”

“It wasn’t an accident?”

Margaret slowly shook her head.

“No.”

“It was planned weeks before either of you was born.”

Arabella felt her knees weaken.

“Who paid them?”

Before Margaret could answer, a loud knock echoed through the mansion.

One of the security guards rushed inside.

“Mr. Carter!”

Richard turned.

“What is it?”

The guard looked frightened.

“A woman is at the front gate.”

“She refuses to leave.”

“She says her name is…”

He hesitated.

“…Rose Carter.”

The room froze.

Margaret’s face turned ghostly pale.

“That’s impossible.”

Victoria whispered, “Rose has been missing for twenty-one years.”

The guard swallowed.

“Well…”

“She’s here.”

“And she says she’s ready to tell the whole truth.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ROSE RETURNS

No one spoke.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Richard Carter was the first to break it.

“Bring her in.”

The security guard nodded and hurried toward the front gate.

Arabella’s pulse quickened.

She had imagined meeting Rose countless times, but now that the moment had arrived, fear settled in her chest.

What if Rose held the answers that would destroy everything?

A few moments later, the library doors opened.

An elderly woman stepped inside.

She looked to be in her late fifties, her once-dark hair now streaked with silver.

She leaned lightly on a wooden cane.

Despite the years, there was a quiet strength in her eyes.

The instant Margaret saw her, tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Rose…”

Rose smiled sadly.

“It’s been a long time, Margaret.”

Without another word, the two women embraced.

Victoria wiped away her tears.

“I thought you were dead.”

Rose shook her head.

“I wanted everyone to believe that.”

Richard stepped forward.

“Why?”

Rose looked around the room before answering.

“Because the people responsible for the switch were hunting everyone who knew the truth.”

Her eyes fell on Arabella and then Elena, who had just arrived after receiving an urgent call from Damian.

“You’ve both grown into remarkable women.”

Arabella swallowed hard.

“You knew us?”

Rose nodded.

“I held both of you the night you were born.”

Everyone gathered around the fireplace.

Rose remained standing, gripping her cane.

“I’ve been hiding for twenty-one years because I witnessed something no one else was supposed to see.”

Richard’s voice was firm.

“Tell us.”

Rose took a deep breath.

“The babies were switched exactly forty-three minutes after they were born.”

Arabella felt her heart race.

“It wasn’t done by a nurse.”

“It wasn’t done by a doctor.”

“It was ordered by someone who walked into the maternity ward carrying legal documents and a suitcase full of cash.”

Victoria gasped.

“They bribed the hospital staff?”

Rose nodded.

“Most of them refused.”

“But one person accepted.”

Margaret lowered her head in shame.

“I was too afraid to stop it.”

Rose continued.

“I tried to report it.”

“But before I could, I received a phone call.”

Her hands began to tremble.

“They said if I spoke, they would kill my husband… and my little son.”

“So I disappeared.”

Damian frowned.

“Did you see the person’s face?”

Rose closed her eyes.

“I did.”

“Who was it?” Arabella asked.

Rose slowly opened her eyes.

“I never learned the person’s real name.”

“They were always called…”

The Director.

Richard exchanged a worried glance with Damian.

“The Director?”

Rose nodded.

“No one questioned them.”

“They controlled powerful people.”

“Doctors.”

“Politicians.”

“Police officers.”

“They could make evidence disappear.”

Arabella felt a chill crawl down her spine.

“So we’ve been fighting someone much bigger than we imagined.”

Just then, a servant rushed into the room.

“Mr. Carter!”

Richard turned.

“What now?”

“We found something in the mailbox.”

Damian opened the large brown envelope.

Inside was a birth certificate.

Everyone leaned closer.

Arabella’s name was printed at the top.

But the names listed under Mother and Father were not Richard and Victoria Carter.

Nor were they Daniel and Grace Hayes.

The certificate named two people no one recognized.

Richard looked at Rose.

“What is this?”

Rose’s face lost all color.

“No…”

“It can’t be.”

Arabella frowned.

“What?”

Rose took a shaky step backward.

“Neither of you…”

She looked at Arabella.

Then at Elena.

“…was supposed to be a Carter.”

Silence consumed the room.

Before anyone could react, a black SUV crashed through the mansion’s front gate.

Masked men poured out, armed and shouting.

“Find Rose!”

“Take the girls alive!”

Damian stepped in front of Arabella and Elena, his eyes locked on the intruders.

“No one touches them.”

Outside, gunfire erupted across the Carter estate.

The war had finally begun.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE MIDNIGHT ESCAPE

Gunfire echoed across the Carter estate.

The masked men spread out through the gardens, forcing the security guards to take cover behind parked vehicles and stone pillars.

“Protect the family!” Richard shouted.

Damian immediately grabbed Arabella’s hand.

“We have to get out of here.”

“What about Elena?” Arabella asked.

“I’m right here,” Elena replied, running toward them.

Rose looked through the library window, her face pale.

“They found me…”

Margaret rushed to her side.

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

“But if they’re here, it means they know I finally came out of hiding.”

A bullet shattered the library window.

Glass exploded across the floor.

Everyone ducked.

Damian quickly pulled a handgun from a locked drawer in Richard’s desk.

Richard stared at him.

“You still carry one?”

Damian nodded.

“I hoped I’d never need it.”

Another burst of gunfire rang out.

The mansion’s security chief rushed into the room.

“Mr. Carter!”

“They’ve surrounded the front entrance!”

Richard remained calm.

“What about the underground tunnel?”

The guard nodded.

“It’s still clear.”

Arabella frowned.

“Underground tunnel?”

Victoria took her hand.

“The mansion has a hidden escape route.”

Richard had built it years ago for emergencies.

“Come with me.”

⸻

Behind a large bookshelf in the library, Richard pressed a hidden switch.

The shelf slid open, revealing a narrow stone staircase.

“Hurry!”

One by one, they entered the passage.

The heavy bookshelf closed behind them.

Darkness surrounded them until Damian switched on his flashlight.

The tunnel stretched beneath the estate.

Its walls were old, damp, and lined with forgotten pipes.

Arabella walked beside Elena.

For the first time since learning the truth, neither of them spoke as strangers.

“I’m sorry,” Elena whispered.

Arabella looked at her.

“For what?”

“For all of this.”

Arabella sighed.

“None of this is your fault.”

A small smile appeared on Elena’s face.

“It’s not yours either.”

For the first time, the distance between them began to disappear.

⸻

Back inside the mansion…

The masked intruders searched every room.

“Find Rose!” their leader shouted.

One man entered the library.

His eyes immediately fell on the open bookshelf.

“They escaped.”

The leader slammed his fist against the wall.

“Seal every exit.”

“They can’t get far.”

⸻

Halfway through the tunnel…

Rose suddenly stopped walking.

Her breathing became heavy.

Margaret rushed to support her.

“Rose?”

Rose clutched her chest.

“I…”

“I can’t…”

Damian knelt beside her.

“She’s exhausted.”

Rose looked at Arabella with tear-filled eyes.

“I’ve carried this secret for too long.”

“There isn’t much time.”

She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small brass key.

“This opens a safety deposit box.”

She placed it in Arabella’s hand.

“Everything you need to know…”

“…is inside.”

Arabella stared at the tiny key.

“Where is the box?”

“National Trust Bank.”

“Box 217.”

“But listen carefully.”

Rose’s expression became serious.

“Do not let anyone else open it.”

“Especially…”

Before she could finish, a loud explosion shook the tunnel.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

The lights flickered.

“The tunnel!” Richard shouted.

“They’ve found us!”

Behind them came the sound of footsteps.

Fast.

Getting closer.

The intruders had discovered the hidden passage.

Damian stood, raising his weapon.

“You keep moving.”

“What about you?” Arabella cried.

“I’ll hold them off.”

“No!” she protested.

He looked into her eyes.

“I promised I’d protect you.”

“And I always keep my promises.”

Before Arabella could respond, Damian turned toward the approaching footsteps.

The beam of his flashlight caught the shadow of the first masked man rounding the corner.

Damian tightened his grip on the weapon.

“Come any closer…”

His voice echoed through the tunnel.

“…and you won’t leave here alive.”

The footsteps stopped.

Then a familiar voice laughed from the darkness.

“You’ve always been stubborn, Damian.”

Damian’s face froze.

He knew that voice.

It belonged to someone he had trusted for years.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK

The laughter echoed through the tunnel.

Damian stood frozen, his grip tightening around the gun.

“You know him?” Arabella whispered.

Damian didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes remained fixed on the darkness ahead.

Then, slowly, a masked man stepped into the beam of the flashlight.

He removed his mask.

Arabella gasped.

“Nathan?”

Nathan Reed smiled.

The same friendly smile Arabella had known for years.

But this time, it sent a chill down her spine.

“I was wondering how long it would take before we met again,” Nathan said calmly.

Elena stared at him in disbelief.

“You’ve been following us?”

Nathan shrugged.

“I’ve been doing much more than that.”

Arabella shook her head.

“No… you’re my friend.”

“I thought so too,” Nathan replied with a cold smile.

“But people change.”

Damian stepped forward.

“What are you doing, Nathan?”

“I’m finishing a job.”

“What job?”

Nathan’s smile disappeared.

“Taking Rose back.”

Rose’s hands trembled.

“No…”

“You work for him.”

Nathan looked at her.

“I work for whoever pays me.”

Richard’s face darkened.

“So you’re one of the Director’s men.”

Nathan chuckled.

“You still don’t understand.”

“The Director isn’t just one person.”

Everyone fell silent.

“What do you mean?” Arabella asked.

Nathan’s eyes swept across the group.

“The Director is an organization.”

“They’ve existed for decades.”

“They’re the reason powerful families stay powerful.”

“And anyone who stands in their way…”

He smiled again.

“…disappears.”

Damian’s expression hardened.

“So the baby switch wasn’t about revenge.”

Nathan nodded.

“It was business.”

Arabella frowned.

“What kind of business could involve switching newborn babies?”

Nathan didn’t answer.

Instead, his gaze settled on the brass key in Arabella’s hand.

“There it is.”

“The key.”

Rose instinctively stepped in front of Arabella.

“You’ll never get it.”

Nathan sighed.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

He snapped his fingers.

Masked men emerged from both ends of the tunnel.

Within seconds, the Carter family was surrounded.

Damian counted them quickly.

Eight.

Too many.

Nathan looked at Damian.

“You’ve always been the difficult one.”

“Move aside.”

Damian raised his weapon.

“No.”

Nathan smiled sadly.

“I didn’t want this.”

He nodded toward one of his men.

The masked man lifted his gun.

Before anyone could react—

A gunshot rang out.

The tunnel echoed with screams.

Nathan’s eyes widened.

He looked down.

Blood spread across his shoulder.

“What—”

Another shot rang out.

This time, one of the masked men collapsed.

Everyone turned toward the opposite end of the tunnel.

A woman dressed in black stood there, holding a pistol.

Her face was hidden beneath a hood.

“Run!” she shouted.

“I’ll hold them off!”

Damian didn’t hesitate.

“Move!”

Richard helped Victoria and Rose forward while Elena grabbed Arabella’s hand.

They ran deeper into the tunnel as gunfire erupted behind them.

Arabella glanced back one last time.

The mysterious woman fought with incredible skill, refusing to let Nathan’s men pass.

Then, just before the tunnel curved out of sight, the woman pulled back her hood.

Arabella caught a clear glimpse of her face.

She froze.

“No…”

It couldn’t be.

The woman risking her life to save them looked exactly like Arabella.

Not similar.

Not familiar.

Exactly like her.

An identical face.

An identical pair of green eyes.

An identical scar above the left eyebrow.

Arabella’s voice trembled.

“Who… is she?”

The woman met her gaze from across the tunnel and whispered only two words before disappearing into the smoke.

“Trust Rose.”

The tunnel exploded behind her, sealing the entrance with tons of rock.

Whoever the mysterious woman was…

She had just sacrificed herself to save Arabella.

And she wore the same silver bracelet engraved with a black rose.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE SAFE DEPOSIT BOX

The explosion shook the tunnel.

Dust and chunks of stone crashed to the ground, sealing the passage behind them.

Arabella stood frozen, unable to take her eyes off the collapsed entrance.

“No…” she whispered.

“She was still in there.”

Damian gently took her arm.

“We have to keep moving.”

“But she saved us!”

“I know.”

“If we stay here, her sacrifice will be for nothing.”

Fighting back tears, Arabella nodded.

The group hurried through the remainder of the tunnel until they emerged inside an abandoned wine cellar several blocks away from the Carter estate.

Fresh air filled their lungs.

Police sirens echoed in the distance.

Richard leaned against the wall, exhausted.

“Our home…”

Victoria squeezed his hand.

“We can rebuild a house.”

“But we can’t replace our family.”

⸻

An hour later, the Carters checked into a private hotel under assumed names.

Only a handful of trusted employees knew their location.

Richard locked the suite door.

“No one leaves until we know who we can trust.”

Rose sat quietly by the window.

She looked weaker than ever.

Arabella walked over to her.

“The woman in the tunnel…”

Rose slowly looked up.

“You saw her face?”

Arabella nodded.

“She looked exactly like me.”

Rose closed her eyes.

“I prayed you’d never meet her.”

Damian frowned.

“You know who she is?”

Rose hesitated.

“I know… who she might be.”

“What does that mean?” Elena asked.

Rose lowered her head.

“Not yet.”

“I need proof before I tell you.”

The next morning, Damian parked outside National Trust Bank.

He looked at Arabella.

“Are you ready?”

She opened her hand.

The small brass key rested in her palm.

“I’ve waited my whole life for answers.”

Together, they entered the bank.

The manager greeted them politely.

“How may I help you?”

Damian placed the brass key on the counter.

“We’re here to access Safety Deposit Box 217.”

The manager examined the key.

His expression changed.

“Please follow me.”

He led them through a secure hallway to a steel vault.

After unlocking several security doors, he stopped in front of a small metal box labeled 217.

“This box hasn’t been opened in twenty-one years,” he said.

Arabella’s heartbeat quickened.

She inserted the key.

The lock clicked.

Slowly, she pulled the box open.

Inside were three items.

A sealed envelope.

An old cassette recorder.

And a leather-bound journal.

Damian picked up the envelope.

Across the front, written in neat handwriting, were the words:

For Arabella and Elena.

Rose had known this day would come.

Arabella carefully opened the envelope.

Inside was a handwritten letter.

If you’re reading this, it means I failed to protect the truth.

Do not believe everything you’ve been told.

The babies were switched… but not for the reason everyone thinks.

Arabella exchanged a confused glance with Damian.

She continued reading.

One of you was born into danger.

The other was born into safety.

I switched your lives because it was the only way to keep one child alive.

Arabella’s hands began to tremble.

“This changes everything.”

Damian reached for the cassette recorder.

“There must be more.”

He pressed the play button.

Static filled the room.

Then a woman’s voice spoke.

It was unmistakably Rose’s.

“If this recording is playing, I may already be dead.”

Arabella held her breath.

“The person who ordered the attack wasn’t after the Carter fortune.”

“They wanted a child.”

“A very specific child.”

Suddenly, the recording stopped.

The tape had snapped.

“No!” Arabella cried.

“The rest is missing.”

Before Damian could inspect the recorder, his phone vibrated.

It was Richard.

He answered immediately.

“What happened?”

Richard’s voice was urgent.

“Get back to the hotel.”

“Now.”

“Rose is gone.”

Damian’s expression darkened.

“What do you mean, gone?”

“She disappeared.”

“And she left a message.”

There was a long pause before Richard spoke again.

“It says…”

Don’t look for me. They’re already here.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE WOMAN WHO VANISHED

Damian ended the call, his face tense.

“Rose is missing.”

Arabella felt the blood drain from her face.

“What?”

“Richard said she disappeared from the hotel.”

Without another word, Damian grabbed the journal and the broken cassette recorder from the safety deposit box.

“We’re leaving.”

Within minutes, they arrived at the hotel.

Police cars lined the entrance.

Hotel staff huddled together, whispering nervously.

Richard met them in the lobby.

His usually composed expression had crumbled.

“She vanished ten minutes after you left.”

Arabella looked around.

“There were guards outside her room.”

“There were,” Richard replied.

“They were both found unconscious.”

Inside Rose’s suite, everything looked untouched.

The bed was neatly made.

Her suitcase was still there.

Nothing appeared to be missing.

Damian slowly walked around the room, studying every detail.

“Whoever took her knew exactly what they were doing.”

Arabella noticed the window was slightly open.

A cool breeze drifted through the room.

She stepped closer.

On the windowsill lay a single black rose.

She picked it up carefully.

Tucked beneath it was a folded piece of paper.

She unfolded it.

The message contained only one sentence.

The truth dies with Rose.

Arabella swallowed hard.

“They have her.”

Meanwhile…

Miles away, Rose slowly opened her eyes.

She found herself tied to a chair in a dimly lit warehouse.

Her wrists were bound behind her back.

A single light bulb hung from the ceiling.

Footsteps echoed through the room.

A tall man stepped out of the shadows.

He wore an expensive black suit.

His face remained hidden.

“So,” he said calmly.

“You finally came out of hiding.”

Rose glared at him.

“I’ll never tell you where it is.”

The man smiled.

“You already have.”

He placed a photograph on the table.

It showed Arabella and Damian leaving National Trust Bank earlier that morning.

“They opened the box.”

Rose’s heart sank.

The man leaned closer.

“They’re following the path exactly as I expected.”

⸻

Back at the hotel…

Damian sat alone, reading Rose’s journal.

Most of the pages contained medical notes.

Birth records.

Hospital schedules.

Names.

Dates.

Then one folded page slipped onto the floor.

It was a map.

Across the top, someone had written:

Blackwood Estate

Damian frowned.

“I’ve heard this name before.”

Arabella looked up.

“What is it?”

He spread the map across the table.

“Blackwood Estate burned down twenty-one years ago.”

Richard’s eyes widened.

“The same year the babies were switched.”

Damian nodded.

“And according to this map…”

He pointed to a red circle.

“…there’s something buried beneath the ruins.”

Before anyone could respond, Elena rushed into the room.

“You need to see this!”

She held up her phone.

A breaking news report filled the screen.

The headline read:

Businesswoman Catherine Monroe Found Dead in Car Crash.

Arabella froze.

“No…”

The reporter continued.

“Police believe the crash was caused by brake failure.”

Damian quietly turned off the television.

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

Neither did Arabella.

Everyone connected to the switch was dying.

Evelyn Moore.

Now Catherine Monroe.

And Rose had disappeared.

Someone was erasing every witness.

Just then, Arabella’s phone buzzed.

An unknown number.

She hesitated before opening the message.

Attached was a photograph.

It showed Rose tied to a chair, bruised but alive.

Beneath it was a single line:

Come to Blackwood Estate alone… if you ever want to see her alive again.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE BLACKWOOD ESTATE

Arabella’s hands trembled as she stared at the message on her phone.

The photograph of Rose was unmistakable.

She was alive.

But for how long?

Damian took the phone from her and studied the image carefully.

“This wasn’t sent to save her.”

“It’s a trap.”

Arabella looked up at him.

“I know.”

“But if we don’t go…”

“They’ll kill her.”