DEADLY INVITATION

Chapter four : the journey

The next three days passed in a blur.

For Amaya, every hour felt like a year.

She spent the entire time preparing for her departure.

Designer dresses.

Expensive shoes.

Luxury handbags.

Makeup kits.

Perfumes.

Face creams.

Hair products.

Jewelry.

By the morning of October 25th, her bedroom looked as though a fashion store had exploded inside it.

Suitcases covered the floor.

Clothes covered the bed.

Even Catherine was struggling to keep up.

“Amaya, you’re only going for months .”

Amaya rolled her eyes.

“Mom, this isn’t a normal trip.”

She carefully placed another bottle of skincare products into her luggage.

“What if there’s a gala dinner?”

“What if Damian invites us somewhere special?”

“What if cameras are there?”

Catherine laughed.

“Fine. Take whatever you want.”

By afternoon, Amaya had packed nearly everything she owned.

She stood before the mirror, admiring herself.

Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

Tonight could change her entire life.

As she zipped up her final suitcase, she turned toward Catherine.

“Oh, and don’t tell Dad.”

Catherine frowned.

“What?”

“If he comes home while I’m gone.”

Amaya adjusted her hair.

“Just tell him I went on a trip with my friends.”

Catherine nodded.

“Fine.”

“I don’t want him asking questions.”

“Understood.”

Amaya smiled.

Satisfied.

Meanwhile, several miles away, Elena was already gone.

Unlike Amaya, she had left the day before.

The last thing she wanted was unnecessary attention.

She had simply informed Catherine that she would be spending a few days with friends.

To her surprise, Catherine barely reacted.

The woman hardly looked up from her phone.

Before leaving, Elena had sent a simple message to her father.

Hi Dad. I’ll be away for a few days with some friends. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.

A few minutes later, he replied.

Take care of yourself, sweetheart.

The message made Elena smile.

Her father wasn’t home often because of work, but he was the only person in the family who treated her with genuine kindness.

After leaving the house, Elena spent the night at a friend’s apartment.

It was safer.

Simpler.

And it prevented Amaya from discovering that they were both heading to the same competition.

By seven o’clock that evening, participants began arriving at their designated pickup locations.

Luxury hotels across the city welcomed elegantly dressed women carrying suitcases and dreams.

Some arrived alone.

Others arrived with parents.

Some looked nervous.

Others looked overly confident.

Everyone wanted the same thing.

A chance to become Mrs. Damian Blackthorne.

At the Blackthorne Grand Hotel, Amaya stood proudly among dozens of contestants.

She wore one a simple dress but yet beautiful

A little bit touch of make up .

Her smile practically glowed.

Around her, beautiful women chatted excitedly.

Some discussed Damian’s wealth.

Others discussed the prize money.

A few openly admitted they were already imagining life as his wife.

Exactly at eight o’clock, a large black luxury bus pulled into the hotel’s entrance.

The windows were heavily tinted.

The Blackthorne crest was displayed on the side.

Gasps immediately spread through the crowd.

“It’s here.”

The journey had officially begun.

At the Blackthorne Royal Hotel, Elena boarded a similar bus.

She quietly took a seat near the back.

Unlike many of the other women, she wasn’t interested in showing off.

Instead, she observed.

Listened.

Watched.

The bus slowly filled.

Then the doors closed.

The journey began.

Hours passed.

The city lights gradually disappeared.

Buildings became scarce.

Roads became quieter.

The deeper they traveled, the more isolated the surroundings became.

Eventually, no one seemed to recognize where they were anymore.

Even the most talkative contestants grew silent.

Then finally

The buses slowed.

A collective gasp swept through the passengers.

Beyond the tinted windows stood enormous black gates.

Towering walls stretched into the darkness.

Security lights illuminated the area.

Armed guards stood at various checkpoints.

And beyond it all…

A massive estate emerged from the night.

The mansion was unlike anything they had ever seen.

Grand.

Elegant.

Intimidating.

Beautiful enough to belong in a dream.

Yet somehow unsettling.

The gates slowly opened.

The buses drove forward.

No one knew the exact address.

No one knew what truly awaited them inside.

But one thing was certain.

Once they passed through those gates—

Their lives would never be the same again.

The moment the buses came to a stop, excitement exploded among the contestants.

The doors opened.

One by one, the women stepped outside.

Almost immediately, gasps filled the air.

“Oh my God…”

“Look at this place.”

“Is this really a house?”

“It’s bigger than a palace.”

Many of the women stood frozen, their eyes darting around the enormous estate.

The mansion looked even more breathtaking in person.

Golden lights illuminated the massive structure against the night sky.

Elegant fountains sparkled in front of the entrance.

Rows of perfectly trimmed hedges lined the pathways.

Tall marble pillars supported the grand balconies above.

Luxury cars were parked near the side of the estate.

Every detail screamed wealth.

Power.

Perfection.

Several contestants quickly pulled out their phones before remembering they had been instructed to surrender them upon arrival.

Others excitedly whispered among themselves.

Amaya was no different.

Her mouth had practically fallen open.

“This is insane.”

A blonde contestant standing beside her nodded.

“I knew he was rich, but this…”

She looked at the mansion again.

“This is another level.”

Meanwhile, Elena stepped off the bus and quietly adjusted her coat.

Unlike everyone else, she wasn’t staring at the mansion in complete shock.

Of course, she was impressed.

Anyone would be.

But instead of excitement, she felt something else.

Curiosity.

The estate was beautiful.

Yet beneath all the luxury, something about it felt strangely controlled.

Every movement.

Every entrance.

Every security checkpoint.

Everything seemed carefully monitored.

As though the mansion itself was constantly watching.

A faint smile crossed her lips.

Interesting.

Before she could think further, movement near the entrance caught everyone’s attention.

Five guards emerged from the mansion.

They were dressed entirely in black.

Their expressions were unreadable.

Each one carried themselves with the discipline of trained professionals.

The excited chatter immediately died down.

One of the guards stepped forward.

“Welcome to Blackthorne Estate.”

His voice was calm but firm.

His voice was calm but firm.

“Please gather your belongings and follow us.”

Several contestants exchanged excited looks.

Another woman immediately raised her hand.

“Will we be meeting Mr. Blackthorne tonight?”

No answer.

The guard simply turned around.

A second contestant spoke up.

“Is he already inside?”

Still no answer.

“What happens now?”

“How long are we staying?”

“Will we get a tour first?”

“Where are our rooms?”

The questions began pouring in from every direction.

The guards ignored every single one.

Not even a glance.

Not even a reaction.

It was as if they hadn’t heard anything.

The contestants slowly fell silent.

The atmosphere suddenly felt different.

Less welcoming.

More intimidating.

One guard finally spoke.

“The remaining participants arrived earlier.”

The women immediately looked at one another.

Earlier?

“We are taking you to join them.”

That was all he said.

No further explanation.

No answers.

No details.

The guards simply began walking toward the mansion.

Before the contestants were allowed to enter the sitting room, one of the guards raised a hand.

“Everyone stop.”

The women immediately froze.

The guard’s expression remained unreadable.

“There is one final procedure before entry.”

A few contestants exchanged confused looks.

Another guard stepped forward holding a black storage case.

“All phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, and electronic devices must be surrendered.”

The room erupted into murmurs.

“What?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“For how long?”

A woman near the front frowned.

“That’s ridiculous.”

The guard didn’t react.

“All belongings will also undergo security inspection.”

The complaints grew louder.

“I need my phone.”

“What if there’s an emergency?”

“Nobody mentioned this.”

One contestant folded her arms.

“I’m not handing over my phone.”

The guard finally looked at her.

His gaze was calm.

Cold.

“If you choose not to cooperate, transportation will be arranged immediately.”

The woman blinked.

“What?”

“You will be returned home.”

The murmurs stopped.

A heavy silence settled over the group.

The guard continued.

“Participation in this competition is voluntary.”

His voice remained firm.

“Anyone unwilling to comply may leave now.”

Nobody moved.

Of course they didn’t.

They had traveled too far.

Given up too much.

Most importantly, none of them wanted to lose their chance.

One by one, the contestants reluctantly stepped forward.

Phones.

Tablets.

Smartwatches.

Power banks.

Everything was collected.

Even Amaya looked unhappy as she handed over her expensive phone.

“At least tell us when we’ll get them back.”

No answer.

The guards simply continued their work.

Soon came the luggage inspection.

Every suitcase was opened.

Every bag examined.

Every pocket checked.

Some contestants looked offended.

Others looked nervous.

One woman complained throughout the entire process.

Another demanded to speak to management.

The guards ignored them all.

Meanwhile, Elena remained silent.

She simply handed over her belongings and waited.

The thoroughness of the inspection didn’t surprise her.

In fact, considering Damian Blackthorne’s status, it almost made sense.

A man that powerful would naturally be careful about who entered his home.

Nearly an hour later, the inspection process was finally complete.

The guards gathered the contestants together.

“Follow us.”

This time, nobody complained.

Nobody asked questions.

The earlier excitement had faded.

The reality of where they were had begun to settle in.

They followed the guards through a series of elegant hallways until they finally reached the enormous sitting room.

The massive doors opened.

And for the second time that night, the women were left speechless.

The interior was magnificent.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

Marble floors reflected the golden light.

Elegant artwork decorated the walls.

Every corner looked expensive enough to belong in a museum.

Some contestants openly stared.

Others whispered excitedly.

Even Amaya seemed overwhelmed.

As they continued through the mansion, Elena quietly observed everything.

The layout.

The security cameras.

The guards positioned at various points.

The restricted hallways.

Nothing escaped her notice.

Eventually, they reached a pair of large double doors.

One of the guards pushed them open.

Instantly, dozens of heads turned.

The room beyond was enormous.

Luxurious sofas surrounded a grand sitting area.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the estate grounds.

And already gathered inside were the other contestants who had arrived earlier.

Beautiful women from different cities and backgrounds filled the room.

Some were chatting.

Some were sitting quietly.

Others looked just as nervous as the newcomers.