Bound by Fate

Bound by Fate Episode 9

BOUND BY FATE

Episode 9: Face to Face

The orphanage fell into complete silence.

The only sound was the slow tapping of high heels against the old wooden floor.

Tap...

Tap...

Tap...

Each step grew louder.

Adrian stood in front of Maya, shielding her with his body while keeping his eyes fixed on the doorway.

"Stay behind me," he whispered.

The footsteps stopped.

Then, a tall woman dressed in an elegant black suit appeared in the doorway. Her long dark hair rested neatly on her shoulders, and her piercing green eyes never left Maya.

Behind her stood six armed men wearing black masks.

She smiled.

"So... after all these years, we finally meet."

Maya stared at her, confused.

"Who are you?"

The woman tilted her head.

"You don't remember me?"

Maya shook her head.

The stranger laughed softly.

"I suppose that's for the best."

Adrian stepped forward.

"If you've come for Maya, you'll have to go through me."

The woman looked at him with amusement.

"Adrian Blackwood... just like your father. Always trying to play the hero."

At the mention of his father, Adrian's jaw tightened.

"You knew my father?"

"I knew him very well."

She slowly removed a leather glove and revealed a silver ring engraved with the image of a serpent.

Margaret gasped.

"The Black Circle..."

The woman smiled.

"At least someone still remembers."

She turned back to Maya.

"My name is Victoria Ashford."

"The leader of the Black Circle."

Maya felt a chill run through her body.

"So you're the one who killed my parents?"

Victoria's smile disappeared.

"No."

"What?"

"I didn't kill them."

Maya frowned.

"You're lying."

"I've told many lies in my life," Victoria admitted. "But not this one."

She took another step closer.

"The people who murdered your parents also betrayed me."

The room became deathly quiet.

Adrian looked at her suspiciously.

"Why should we believe anything you say?"

"You shouldn't."

Victoria reached into her handbag and placed a sealed envelope on the floor.

"Everything you need is inside."

She slowly stepped back.

"But once you read it, your lives will change forever."

One of her masked men leaned toward her.

"Ma'am, we should leave."

Victoria nodded.

Before walking away, she looked directly into Maya's eyes.

"Your greatest enemy isn't me."

She paused.

"It's someone you already trust."

With that, she turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Within seconds, the black vehicles sped away from the orphanage.

No one moved.

Finally, Adrian picked up the envelope.

He carefully broke the seal.

Inside was a newspaper clipping dated twenty years earlier.

The headline read:

**LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND WIFE DIE IN TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT. DAUGHTER MISSING.**

Below the article was a handwritten note.

**The accident was staged. Look for the man with the phoenix tattoo. He was there that night.**

As Adrian unfolded the final page, a small photograph slipped onto the floor.

Maya bent down to pick it up.

The moment she saw it, the color drained from her face.

"No..."

Adrian took the photograph.

His hands began to shake.

It showed Maya's parents standing beside Adrian's father...

And next to them was a smiling young man with a large phoenix tattoo on his neck.

Adrian stared at the face in disbelief.

"I know him."

"Who is he?" Maya asked.

Adrian swallowed hard.

"He's the man who has worked for my family for the last twenty years."

To Be Continued...