Bound by Fate

Bound by Fate Episode 10

BOUND BY FATE

Episode 10: The Man with the Phoenix Tattoo

The photograph slipped from Adrian's trembling hands and landed on the dusty wooden floor.

Maya quickly picked it up again, staring at the smiling young man with the phoenix tattoo on his neck.

"You... know him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adrian nodded slowly, unable to take his eyes off the picture.

"His name is Daniel Cross."

"Who is he?"

"He has worked for my family for over twenty years. After my father died, he became my personal security advisor. He's been by my side through everything."

Maya's heart sank.

"If that's true... then he's been watching us this whole time."

Adrian clenched his fists.

"And if Victoria is telling the truth, Daniel has been hiding his real identity for decades."

Margaret stepped closer and looked at the photograph.

"I remember him," she said quietly.

"He visited the orphanage several times after your parents died."

Maya looked at her in shock.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know his name," Margaret replied. "He always came at night. He never spoke much. He only watched you from a distance before disappearing."

A chill ran down Maya's spine.

"He was watching me... even when I was a child."

Before anyone could speak again, Adrian's phone vibrated.

The caller ID read:

**Daniel Cross.**

Adrian froze.

Maya stared at the screen.

"He knows where we are..."

The phone continued ringing.

After a few seconds, Adrian answered.

"Daniel."

"Sir," Daniel's calm voice replied. "I've been trying to reach you. Where are you?"

Adrian hesitated.

"I'm handling a personal matter."

There was a brief silence.

Then Daniel said something that made Adrian's blood run cold.

"I wouldn't stay at the orphanage if I were you."

Adrian's eyes widened.

"How do you know where I am?"

Another pause.

Then Daniel laughed softly.

"I know much more than you think."

The call ended.

At that exact moment, the lights inside the orphanage flickered.

A low humming sound echoed through the building.

Margaret's face turned pale.

"Oh no..."

"What is it?" Maya asked.

"This building still has an old emergency generator."

"So?"

"If someone turned it on..."

A loud explosion shook the entire orphanage.

The floor trembled beneath their feet.

Dust and pieces of plaster rained from the ceiling.

"They planted explosives!" Adrian shouted.

"Everyone, run!"

The three of them sprinted toward the front entrance as another blast echoed behind them.

Wooden beams crashed onto the staircase, blocking the path they had used earlier.

Smoke quickly filled the corridors.

Maya coughed, struggling to breathe.

"This way!" Margaret cried, pointing toward an old service tunnel hidden behind a storage room.

They pushed open the rusty metal door and hurried into the narrow underground passage.

The tunnel was dark, damp, and barely wide enough for them to walk.

After several minutes, they finally emerged into the forest behind the orphanage.

They turned just in time to see flames consume the old building.

The orphanage where Maya had spent the first years of her life disappeared beneath a cloud of fire and smoke.

Tears filled her eyes.

"All the answers... they're gone."

Adrian gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Not all of them."

He reached into his jacket.

During the escape, he had managed to save Maya's mother's diary and the mysterious brass key.

"We still have these."

Just then, Maya noticed something tucked inside the diary that hadn't been there before.

It was a folded map.

Across the top, in her mother's handwriting, were the words:

**'If you find this, go to Blackwood Manor. The truth is buried beneath the rose garden.'**

Adrian looked at Maya in disbelief.

"My family estate..."

Before either of them could speak, a twig snapped behind them.

They spun around.

Standing between the trees was Daniel Cross.

He slowly removed his scarf, revealing the unmistakable phoenix tattoo on his neck.

Then he smiled.

"You've finally found me."

**To Be Continued...**