Chapter 4: The Letter
2112 Words
Ava stared at Ethan.
“Your mother's last letter.”
The words echoed inside her head.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
She couldn't even speak.
Her mother had been gone for years.
There had been no final letter.
No secret message.
No hidden box.
At least, that's what Ava had always believed.
“What did you just say?”
Ethan opened the car door.
“Get inside.”
“No.”
“Ava.”
“You said my mother's last letter was found.”
“Yes.”
“Then I want to see it.”
“You will.”
“Now.”
Ethan looked toward the mansion.
Security guards were still moving through the grounds.
Something had clearly happened, but Ava no longer cared.
For the first time in years, she had a possible answer to the questions that had haunted her.
Why had her mother suddenly become distant before she died?
Why had she refused to talk about her past?
Why had she always warned Ava never to trust wealthy families?
And why had she once told Ava that some doors were better left unopened?
Ava remembered those words now.
She had been twelve.
Her mother had been sitting beside her bed, holding an old blue box.
Ava had asked what was inside.
Her mother had smiled sadly.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
Then she had hidden the box.
Ava had completely forgotten about it.
Until now.
“Ethan.”
He looked at her.
“I remember.”
“What?”
“My mother had a blue box.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I was young. I saw her with it.”
“What did it look like?”
“Small. Dark blue. There was a silver lock.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Did she ever tell you what was inside?”
“No.”
“Did you ever see it again?”
Ava shook her head.
“Not until today.”
Ethan looked away.
“This changes things.”
“What things?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, he got into the car.
Ava followed.
The vehicle pulled away from the mansion.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Ava watched the city pass outside.
Finally, she broke the silence.
“Where are we going?”
“To a secure location.”
“Why?”
“Because someone broke into my grandmother's property looking for something.”
“And you think they were looking for the letter?”
“I think they were looking for the box.”
“Why?”
“Because the box contains information that could destroy my family.”
Ava turned toward him.
“What kind of information?”
Ethan looked at her.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying again.”
He sighed.
“I know what's written in the letter.”
Ava's heart jumped.
“You've read it?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because my grandmother read it.”
“And?”
“She wouldn't tell me everything.”
Ava folded her arms.
“So everyone in your family knows something except me.”
“That isn't true.”
“Then tell me.”
Ethan stared through the windshield.
“My mother disappeared twenty-three years ago.”
Ava went still.
“Disappeared?”
“She didn't die.”
Ava's eyes widened.
“What?”
“We were told she left.”
“Where did she go?”
“No one knows.”
“You said she disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Then how did she leave?”
“We don't know.”
“Why didn't you tell me this before?”
“Because I didn't think it mattered to the arrangement.”
Ava stared at him.
“My mother's disappearance doesn't matter?”
“I didn't say that.”
“It clearly matters.”
Ethan's voice became quieter.
“It matters more than you understand.”
The car slowed as they approached a private building.
Ava recognized it.
Blackwood Holdings.
“Why are we here?”
“Because it's secure.”
They entered an underground parking area.
Security gates closed behind them.
Ethan stepped out.
Ava followed.
Two security officers approached.
“Sir.”
“Any updates?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Keep the building locked down.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ethan turned to Ava.
“Stay beside me.”
She nodded.
They entered a private elevator.
The doors closed.
Ava looked at Ethan.
“You're scared.”
His eyes shifted toward her.
“I'm cautious.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I've seen you angry. I've seen you irritated. I've seen you frustrated.”
She paused.
“But this is different.”
Ethan didn't respond.
The elevator reached the top floor.
They entered his office.
He walked straight to his desk.
Then he opened a locked drawer.
Inside was a photograph.
Ethan picked it up.
He handed it to Ava.
She looked down.
It was a photograph of her mother.
Ava's breath caught.
“She looks happy.”
“She was.”
“Where was this taken?”
“My family's estate.”
“When?”
“Two weeks before she disappeared.”
Ava looked closer.
Her mother was standing beside Ethan's mother.
Behind them was a small table.
And on that table sat the blue box.
Ava's hands began shaking.
“That was it.”
“Yes.”
“Why did my mother have it?”
“We don't know.”
“Why was she with your mother?”
“We don't know.”
“Then what do you know?”
Ethan walked to the window.
“My mother had discovered something about my father's business.”
Ava frowned.
“Something illegal?”
“I don't know.”
“Then what?”
“She believed someone inside the company was stealing money.”
Ava stared at him.
“My mother knew?”
“She was helping her investigate.”
“Why?”
“My mother trusted her.”
Ava looked down at the photograph.
“Then my mother wasn't a thief.”
“No.”
Ethan's answer was immediate.
“She wasn't.”
Ava looked up.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
For some reason, hearing him say it made her chest tighten.
“My mother always said people judged her without knowing the truth.”
Ethan turned around.
“She was telling the truth.”
Silence settled between them.
Ava wiped away a tear.
“Then why did she disappear?”
“I don't know.”
“You've spent twenty-three years trying to find out?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ethan's expression softened.
“Because she was my mother.”
Ava looked at him differently.
For the first time, she saw something beyond the billionaire everyone feared.
She saw a son who had spent years waiting for answers.
“I'm sorry.”
Ethan looked away.
“Don't be.”
Ava placed the photograph on the desk.
“What does the letter say?”
Ethan hesitated.
“There's only one way to find out.”
He opened another drawer.
Inside was a small evidence bag.
A blue box rested inside.
Ava stopped breathing.
“That…”
“Yes.”
He placed it on the desk.
Ava stared at it.
It looked exactly like she remembered.
Small.
Dark blue.
Silver lock.
Her mother had held that box when Ava was a child.
She reached toward it.
Ethan stopped her hand.
“Wait.”
“Why?”
“We don't know whether it's safe.”
Ava stared at him.
“It's a box, Ethan.”
“It's a box people broke into a heavily guarded property to find.”
She pulled her hand back.
He was right.
Ethan called security.
“Bring the forensic team.”
Ava waited.
Minutes later, two specialists entered the room.
They carefully examined the box.
No hidden mechanism was found.
No dangerous substance.
Nothing suspicious.
Finally, one of them nodded.
“It's safe.”
Ethan dismissed them.
Ava looked at the box.
“Open it.”
Ethan picked up the key.
“Where did you get that?”
“My grandmother gave it to me.”
“Why?”
“She said I'd understand when the time came.”
He inserted the key.
The lock clicked.
Ava's heart pounded.
The lid opened.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
A small photograph.
And a silver pendant.
Ava immediately recognized the pendant.
Her mother had worn one just like it.
She reached for it.
Her fingers trembled.
“This was hers.”
Ethan nodded.
Ava unfolded the letter.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Her mother's handwriting.
Ava's eyes filled with tears.
She began reading.
The first line made her heart stop.
My dearest Ava,
She covered her mouth.
Ethan remained silent.
Ava continued.
If you are reading this, then something has happened that I prayed would never happen.
Her hands shook.
She read the next line.
There are things about my past I kept from you because I wanted you to have a normal life. I wanted you to grow up without carrying the weight of my mistakes.
Ava looked at Ethan.
Then back at the letter.
But if the Blackwoods have found you, you are no longer safe from the truth.
Ava's heart raced.
She continued reading.
Trust no one. Not even the person who claims he wants to protect you.
Ava slowly lowered the letter.
Ethan's expression had changed.
“What does it say?”
Ava stared at him.
“My mother said not to trust anyone.”
Ethan took a step toward her.
“Keep reading.”
Ava looked down again.
The next paragraph was shorter.
There is one person who knows what really happened.
Ava's pulse quickened.
“Who?”
She continued.
His name is—
The sentence stopped.
Ava frowned.
The bottom half of the letter had been torn away.
She turned the page.
Nothing.
“That's it?”
Ethan took the letter.
His eyes scanned the page.
“The rest is missing.”
Ava looked at the box.
“Maybe it's inside.”
They searched it.
Nothing.
Then Ava noticed something.
The photograph.
She picked it up.
It showed her mother standing outside a building.
On the back was a handwritten address.
Ava read it aloud.
“47 Rosewood Lane.”
Ethan's eyes widened.
“You know that place?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“That's where my mother lived before she met my father.”
Ava stared at him.
“Then we need to go there.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if the letter was hidden for twenty-three years, someone may have been waiting for us to find it.”
Ava frowned.
“What are you saying?”
Ethan looked toward the window.
“The break-in wasn't random.”
Ava's stomach tightened.
“What then?”
Before Ethan could answer, his phone rang.
He answered.
“Speak.”
His expression changed.
“Are you sure?”
A pause.
“Send me the image.”
A few seconds later, his phone received a photograph.
Ethan stared at it.
Ava noticed the color drain from his face.
“What is it?”
He turned the screen toward her.
It was a security photograph.
A man stood outside the Blackwood residence.
His face was partially hidden.
But Ava recognized the jacket.
She had seen the same man earlier that morning.
Outside her apartment.
Ava's blood ran cold.
“He followed me.”
Ethan looked at her.
“No.”
He zoomed in on the photograph.
“He wasn't following you.”
Ava stared.
“Then what was he doing?”
Ethan's voice became very quiet.
“He was waiting.”
“For who?”
Ethan looked at the blue box.
Then at Ava.
“For you.”
At that exact moment, the lights in the building went out.
The entire office fell into darkness.
Ava gasped.
Ethan immediately moved in front of her.
“Don't move.”
Somewhere beyond the office door, footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Slow.
Measured.
Getting closer.
Then a man's voice came through the darkness.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
The voice continued.
“You should have left the letter buried.”
Ava's heart pounded.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Then came three quiet knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Ethan looked at Ava.
And for the first time, she realized the contract he'd offered her might not have been about his family at all.
It might have been the only thing keeping her alive.
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