THE MESSAGE IN BLOOD
1179 Words
DANGEROUS OBSESSION
Episode 4:
The ballroom fell into stunned silence.
No one spoke.
No one breathed.
The guard’s words seemed to hang in the air.
“Elena Hart belongs to us.”
Elena’s knees nearly gave out beneath her.
What did that even mean?
Who would write something like that?
And why?
The guests exchanged frightened glances.
The reporters lowered their phones.
Even the musicians had stopped playing.
Fear spread through the room like poison.
Damien’s expression darkened.
For the first time since entering the ballroom, his calm façade cracked.
Only slightly.
But Elena noticed.
And if Damien Blackwood was worried…
Then something was terribly wrong.
“Clear the room.”
His voice was cold.
Sharp.
Deadly.
Nobody argued.
Nobody questioned him.
Within seconds, security began escorting guests toward the exits.
The reporters protested.
“Mr. Blackwood, do you have a statement?”
“Was the victim connected to you?”
“Who killed him?”
Damien ignored them.
His eyes remained fixed on Elena.
As if she was the only thing that mattered.
As if everyone else was irrelevant.
Lucas suddenly stepped forward.
“This has nothing to do with Elena.”
Damien slowly turned his head.
The look he gave Lucas made him immediately regret speaking.
“You should leave.”
Lucas clenched his jaw.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Damien raised an eyebrow.
The gesture alone was enough to make several people nervous.
“Lucas.”
His voice became dangerously soft.
“The only reason you’re still standing is because Elena hasn’t asked me to break your legs.”
The room froze.
Lucas’s face paled.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Lucas, let’s go.”
For once, she sounded frightened.
Lucas stared at Damien.
Then at Elena.
His eyes filled with hatred.
Pure hatred.
As though this was somehow her fault.
Finally, he turned and walked away.
Vanessa quickly followed.
The moment they disappeared from the ballroom, Damien looked back at Elena.
“Come with me.”
It wasn’t a request.
It was an order.
Elena frowned.
“No.”
The answer surprised everyone.
Including Damien.
A dangerous silence followed.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“I said no.”
Elena folded her arms.
“I don’t even know you.”
A faint smile touched Damien’s lips.
The smile of a predator amused by prey.
“You know my name.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No.”
His gaze lingered on her face.
“It’s not.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Damien sighed.
The sound was almost… disappointed.
“As much as I enjoy your stubbornness, we’re out of time.”
“What are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, Damien turned toward the terrified guard.
“Where’s the body?”
“Parking level three, sir.”
Damien nodded.
Then looked at Elena.
“You’re coming with me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
The way he said her name sent a strange shiver down her spine.
As if he’d said it a thousand times before.
As if he had known her forever.
“I wasn’t asking.”
Before she could argue again, another security guard rushed into the room.
He looked panicked.
Completely panicked.
“Sir!”
Damien immediately recognized the urgency.
“What happened?”
The guard swallowed hard.
“We found this.”
He handed over a small black envelope.
Damien took it.
His expression immediately darkened.
Elena noticed.
“What is it?”
No answer.
“Damien.”
His eyes snapped to hers.
The intensity of his gaze stole her breath.
Then he handed her the envelope.
“Read it.”
Confused, Elena opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
The moment she saw it…
Her blood turned to ice.
It was a picture of her.
Taken earlier that evening.
Inside the ballroom.
Before the engagement announcement.
Before the scandal.
Before everything.
Someone had been watching her.
Someone had been close enough to take the picture.
Without her knowing.
Without anyone knowing.
Her hands trembled.
Then she noticed the writing on the back.
Three simple words.
FOUND HER AGAIN.
A cold wave of terror washed over her.
“What is this?”
Nobody answered.
“Damien.”
Still silence.
Her voice rose.
“What is this?!”
Damien stared at the photograph.
His jaw clenenched.
For a moment, genuine anger flashed across his face.
The kind of anger that could destroy cities.
“They’re getting closer.”
Elena’s heart pounded.
“Who?”
No answer.
“Who are they?”
Damien looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And for the first time…
She saw something unexpected.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
“They’re the reason your parents died.”
The world stopped.
Elena blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then laughed.
A broken laugh.
A disbelieving laugh.
“What?”
Damien’s expression remained unchanged.
“You heard me.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“My parents died in a car accident.”
A pause.
Then Damien spoke.
Slowly.
Carefully.
“That’s what they wanted everyone to believe.”
The room spun around her.
“No.”
“They were murdered.”
“No!”
Elena stepped backward.
Her chest tightened.
Her breathing became uneven.
“No.”
For ten years she had lived with the pain.
The grief.
The loss.
The belief that fate had stolen her parents.
Now this stranger was telling her it wasn’t an accident?
That someone had killed them?
It was impossible.
It had to be.
Damien moved closer.
“Elena.”
“Don’t.”
His face softened.
Barely.
But enough.
“I know this is difficult.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
The words came out harsher than intended.
Damien’s eyes darkened.
The strange thing was…
He didn’t seem offended.
He seemed hurt.
As though the accusation genuinely affected him.
And that made no sense.
Because they had just met.
Hadn’t they?
Before she could think further—
A gunshot exploded somewhere outside.
BANG!
The sound echoed through the hotel.
People screamed.
Security immediately reached for their weapons.
Another gunshot followed.
BANG!
Then another.
Chaos erupted.
Damien’s expression instantly changed.
All softness vanished.
The devil returned.
“Get down!”
Before Elena could react—
Damien grabbed her waist.
Pulled her against him.
And threw both of them to the floor.
A second later—
CRASH!
A bullet shattered the ballroom window.
Glass exploded everywhere.
Guests screamed.
Security shouted orders.
And through the broken window…
A red laser sight appeared.
Moving.
Searching.
Looking for a target.
Looking for someone to kill.
The laser stopped.
Directly on Elena’s chest.
Her heart stopped.
Someone was aiming at her.
Someone wanted her dead.
Damien saw it.
And his face became terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.
Because whoever was holding that rifle had just made the biggest mistake of their life.
TBC
Who is the sniper targeting Elena, and why does someone want her dead? More importantly, what secret connection exists between Elena’s murdered parents and the mysterious enemies hunting her?
- Writer
