The Truth He Never Told
399 Words
Chapter 11
Amara stared at her father in disbelief.
"You lied to me?"
Tears rolled down his face.
"I'm sorry."
"No!"
Her voice echoed through the sitting room.
"You made me believe we were losing our home."
"I'm ashamed of what I did."
"You sold my future!"
Her father lowered his head.
"I thought I was protecting you."
Amara laughed bitterly.
"Protecting me?"
"You sold me to a stranger!"
Silence filled the room.
Damien remained still, watching them.
Finally, he spoke.
"Tell her everything."
Amara's father took a deep breath.
"Three months ago... a man came to me."
"He knew everything about our family."
"He knew where I worked."
"He knew your school."
"He even knew your birthday."
Amara felt a chill run through her body.
"He offered me a huge amount of money."
"In exchange for what?" she asked.
"For making sure you married Damien Black."
Damien frowned.
"Did he tell you why?"
Her father shook his head.
"No."
"He only said..." his voice trembled,
"...'The future depends on this marriage.'"
The room fell silent.
Damien exchanged a serious look with Mrs. Evelyn.
It was clear those words meant something to him.
"What did the man look like?" Damien asked.
"I never saw his face."
"He always wore black gloves and a mask."
Amara's eyes widened.
"The same black gloves..."
She remembered the photograph of Isabella.
The kidnapper had been wearing black gloves.
Damien noticed the fear in her eyes.
"It's the same person."
Before anyone could speak again—
The mansion lights suddenly went out.
Everything went dark.
Mrs. Evelyn gasped.
"The power!"
"No," Damien said calmly.
"This isn't a power failure."
Outside, thunder rumbled.
Then came the sound of shattering glass.
A window had been broken.
"Stay behind me," Damien ordered.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a powerful flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
One by one, security guards rushed into the room.
"Sir!"
"The alarm system has been disabled!"
"Search every floor," Damien commanded.
"No one leaves this house."
As the guards spread out, Amara heard a faint sound upstairs.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Someone was walking through the mansion.
And they weren't supposed to be there.
Damien looked toward the staircase.
He tightened his grip on the flashlight.
"Whoever came into my house..."
His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with determination.
"...made a very big mistake."
- Writer
