Chapter 5: The Hidden Legacy
1112 Words
Amber stared at the photograph for what felt like an eternity.
Her father.
Adrian.
And Ethan.
Together.
Years before Ethan had ever entered her life.
The picture trembled in her hands.
"No..."
It couldn't be.
In her previous life, Ethan had claimed they met by chance at a charity event.
He said it was love at first sight.
He said fate had brought them together.
But if this photograph was real, then everything had been a lie from the very beginning.
Amber carefully turned the picture over.
Written on the back in faded ink was a date.
Eight years ago.
Eight years.
Long before she and Ethan became a couple.
Long before Ethan started working at her company.
Long before he proposed.
A chill crawled down her spine.
Had Ethan planned everything?
Had she been chosen as a target years ago?
The thought made her sick.
Her attention shifted to the silver key.
It looked old.
Very old.
The metal was slightly worn, as if it had been used many times.
Most importantly, she had never seen it before.
The note lay beside it.
Trust no one.
Three simple words.
Yet they carried a terrifying weight.
Because after everything she had learned, Amber wasn't sure who she could trust anymore.
Even Adrian remained a mystery.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
A servant entered the room.
"Miss Amber, Mr. Adrian Knight is here."
Amber's eyes widened.
Adrian?
Again?
What timing.
Almost as if he knew she needed answers.
"Send him in."
A few moments later, Adrian stepped into the study.
As always, he looked calm and composed.
His dark suit fit perfectly, and his sharp features made him seem almost intimidating.
But the moment he saw Amber's expression, his eyes narrowed.
"Something happened."
It wasn't a question.
Amber silently handed him the photograph.
Adrian studied it.
For the first time since she'd met him, genuine shock appeared on his face.
"You found this?"
"It was sent to me this morning."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Who sent it?"
"There was no name."
Amber watched him carefully.
"You knew this picture existed, didn't you?"
For several seconds, Adrian remained silent.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
Amber's frustration exploded.
"Then explain."
Adrian walked toward the window.
His expression became distant.
As if he were remembering something painful.
"Your father saved my life."
Amber blinked.
"What?"
"When I was younger, my family lost everything."
His voice remained calm.
"But your father gave me an opportunity when nobody else would."
Amber remembered her father always helping people.
It sounded exactly like something he would do.
Adrian continued.
"I worked for him for several years."
Amber looked down at the photograph.
"So Ethan worked for him too?"
A dangerous look crossed Adrian's face.
"Unfortunately."
Amber's stomach dropped.
"Unfortunately?"
Adrian turned toward her.
"He wasn't called Ethan Carter back then."
Amber froze.
"What?"
His voice became cold.
"His real name was Ethan Blackwood."
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Amber's pulse raced.
"Why would he change his name?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"Because he was fired."
Amber stared at him.
"Fired?"
Adrian nodded.
"For stealing."
The words hit her like a truck.
Stealing.
Even before meeting her, Ethan had been a thief.
Adrian walked closer.
"Your father discovered irregularities in company accounts."
Amber remembered the documents Adrian had shown her.
The same pattern.
The same thefts.
Ethan had been doing this for years.
"He was arrested?" Amber asked.
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
"Why not?"
A sad smile appeared on Adrian's face.
"Because your father showed mercy."
Of course he did.
Richard Sterling had always believed people deserved second chances.
Unfortunately, Ethan clearly hadn't deserved one.
"What happened next?" Amber asked.
"Ethan disappeared."
Adrian's gaze darkened.
"Until years later."
"When he met me."
"Yes."
Amber's hands clenched.
No.
Not met.
Targeted.
The realization struck her like lightning.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The charity event.
The perfect romance.
The carefully planned proposal.
It hadn't been fate.
It had been revenge.
Ethan had returned to destroy the Sterling family.
And she had walked directly into his trap.
Tears burned her eyes.
Not from sadness.
From anger.
How could she have been so blind?
Adrian noticed.
His expression softened slightly.
"Amber."
She quickly looked away.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Adrian quietly placed something on the desk.
Another photograph.
Amber picked it up.
This one was newer.
And far more disturbing.
The image showed Ethan and Bliss entering a hotel together.
The date printed on the corner was three years before Amber's wedding.
Three years.
Not two.
Three.
Amber's heart sank.
The affair had started even earlier than Bliss admitted.
Every memory suddenly felt tainted.
Every birthday.
Every holiday.
Every smile.
All lies.
"They've been together for a long time," Adrian said carefully.
Amber laughed bitterly.
"A very long time."
Then something caught her attention.
There was another person in the hotel photo.
A man standing beside Ethan.
His face was partially hidden.
"Who's that?"
Adrian's expression immediately hardened.
"That's what worries me."
Amber frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Adrian pointed toward the man.
"My investigators have been tracking him."
"And?"
"Nobody knows who he is."
Amber blinked.
"What?"
"His records don't exist."
A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
No records.
No identity.
Nothing.
Who was this man?
And why was he connected to Ethan?
Before Adrian could continue, his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen.
For the first time, Amber saw genuine concern in his eyes.
"What happened?" she asked.
Adrian ended the call.
His expression was grim.
"Someone broke into one of your father's old properties last night."
Amber stood up immediately.
"What?"
Adrian nodded.
"The same property connected to the key you're holding."
Amber looked down at the silver key.
Her pulse quickened.
"So this key belongs there?"
"Yes."
"And someone broke in?"
"Exactly."
A terrible realization struck her.
Someone else was looking for whatever her father had hidden.
And judging by the timing...
That someone was probably Ethan.
Adrian met her gaze.
"We need to go there immediately."
Amber nodded.
For the first time, she felt that she was getting closer to the truth.
Closer to understanding her father's secret.
Closer to uncovering Ethan's real plan.
But neither of them noticed the figure standing outside the study window.
Watching them.
Listening.
Smiling.
The moment Amber and Adrian left the room, the mysterious figure pulled out a phone.
A familiar voice answered.
"Did she find the key?"
The figure smirked.
"Yes."
A pause.
Then the voice on the other end laughed softly.
A voice Amber would have recognized instantly.
Bliss.
"Perfect," Bliss whispered.
"Everything is going exactly according to plan."
To Be Continued...
- Writer
