DUKE'S UNWANTED BRIDE

Chapter 5 — The First Battle

"Run."

The word barely registered.

The lights went out.

Someone screamed.

Elena wasn't sure whether it was her.

Blackwood Manor disappeared into complete darkness, and for one terrifying second she couldn't see Alexander, Richard, the staircase—anything.

Then a hand closed around her wrist.

"Don't move."

Alexander.

She tried to pull away.

"Let go."

"Not now."

"You're hurting me."

His grip loosened immediately, but he didn't release her.

Somewhere upstairs, a door slammed.

Elena's heart pounded.

"Where is Richard?"

No answer.

"Alexander?"

"I'm here."

His voice was close.

Too close.

Then something crashed in the hallway.

Elena flinched.

"What was that?"

"Stay behind me."

"You keep saying that."

"Because you keep ignoring me."

A faint emergency light flickered on.

The hallway appeared in fragments.

The staircase.

The portraits.

The overturned table.

But Richard was gone.

Elena looked around.

"Where did he go?"

Alexander released her wrist.

"I don't know."

"How did he get inside?"

"I don't know."

"How did he know about my father?"

"I don't know."

She stared at him.

"Do you know anything?"

His expression hardened.

"Enough."

"That's not an answer."

"It'll have to be."

Elena's anger returned.

"No. It won't."

Alexander turned toward the corridor.

"Stay here."

She followed.

"Absolutely not."

He stopped.

"Elena."

"Don't."

"You don't understand."

"No, I understand perfectly."

She stepped in front of him.

"You brought me here because you wanted information about my father."

"Yes."

"You knew my family was connected to yours."

"Yes."

"You knew someone might come looking for me."

"I suspected."

"And you still brought me here."

His silence was enough.

Elena's eyes burned.

"You used me."

Alexander's face remained unreadable.

"I needed answers."

"And apparently you didn't care what happened to me."

"That's not true."

"Then what is true?"

He looked at her.

For a moment, something almost human crossed his face.

Then it disappeared.

"I don't know you well enough to care."

Elena stared at him.

The words hurt.

She hated that they did.

"Fine."

She stepped backward.

"Then don't."

She turned.

"Where are you going?"

"London."

"It's midnight."

"I don't care."

"You can't leave."

"Watch me."

She grabbed her handbag from the table.

Alexander caught the strap.

"Let go."

"No."

"You're unbelievable."

"You're not walking into the countryside alone in the dark."

"I'd rather walk into the countryside than stay here with you."

His jaw tightened.

"Stop behaving like a child."

Elena yanked the bag from his hand.

"Stop treating me like one."

She turned toward the entrance.

Alexander followed.

"Elena."

She ignored him.

"Elena, stop."

She reached for the door.

Alexander stepped in front of it.

"Move."

"No."

"Get out of my way."

"You aren't leaving."

"You're not my keeper."

"No."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"I'm the reason you're still standing here."

She froze.

"What?"

"Richard wasn't here for me."

Elena's anger disappeared.

Alexander continued quietly.

"He came here for you."

A chill moved through her.

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"How?"

"Because he said your name before he said mine."

Elena swallowed.

"He could have been trying to scare us."

"He wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know Richard."

"You said he disappeared."

"He did."

"Then how do you know him?"

Alexander didn't answer.

Elena stared at him.

"How long have you known he was alive?"

Silence.

"Alexander."

"Three months."

Her face changed.

"Three months?"

"I received the first message in July."

"And you said nothing?"

"I didn't know whether it was real."

"You could have told me."

"I didn't know you."

"You knew my name."

"That's not the same thing."

"You knew my father."

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you."

Elena shook her head.

"I hate you."

"I know."

"No."

She stepped closer.

"You don't."

Her voice trembled.

"I don't just dislike you. I don't just think you're arrogant."

She pointed at his chest.

"I hate what you've done."

Alexander didn't move.

"I hate that you brought me here without telling me the truth."

"I know."

"I hate that you look at me like I'm part of some investigation."

"I know."

"I hate that you think you can control everything."

His eyes darkened.

"And I hate that you think you can walk away from this."

"Why?"

"Because you're already involved."

"I didn't ask to be."

"Neither did I."

They stared at each other.

Neither moved.

Then—

A sharp sound came from the library.

Both turned.

Alexander immediately reached for the door.

Elena followed.

The library was enormous.

Books lined every wall.

The fireplace was cold.

A desk stood near the windows.

And on the desk was a single envelope.

Elena approached.

Her name was written across it.

ELENA HART

Her stomach tightened.

Alexander grabbed it first.

"Don't."

"Give it to me."

"No."

"It's mine."

"It could be a trap."

"Everything in this house is a trap."

He looked at her.

"Exactly."

She reached for it.

He pulled it away.

"Alexander."

"No."

"Give it to me."

"No."

She snatched at the envelope.

He moved back.

She followed.

"Stop."

"You stop."

"Elena."

"Give it!"

She grabbed his sleeve.

He caught her wrist.

They both froze.

They were suddenly too close.

Elena could hear his breathing.

Alexander looked down at her hand around his sleeve.

Then at her face.

For one strange second, neither spoke.

Then Elena pulled away.

"Don't touch me."

His expression became cold again.

"Then stop attacking me."

"I'm trying to get my property."

"You're trying to get yourself killed."

"Maybe I'd have a better chance if you stopped hiding everything."

Alexander stared at her.

Then he held out the envelope.

"Fine."

Elena snatched it.

She tore it open.

A single sheet of paper fell out.

Her eyes moved across the first line.

She stopped breathing.

Elena,

If you're reading this, Alexander Blackwood has already brought you to the manor.

She looked up.

Alexander was watching her.

"Who wrote it?"

She continued reading.

Do not trust him.

Her fingers began to shake.

The next line was worse.

He knows what happened to your father.

Elena slowly looked at Alexander.

"Is this true?"

He said nothing.

"Answer me."

Still nothing.

Her voice broke.

"Do you know what happened to my father?"

Alexander's eyes remained fixed on hers.

"Yes."

The room went silent.

Elena felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her.

"You knew?"

"Not everything."

"But you knew something."

"Yes."

"How long?"

Alexander looked away.

"Since the night he died."

Elena stared at him.

"You were there?"

He didn't answer.

"You were there."

His silence confirmed it.

Elena's eyes filled with disbelief.

"My father died twelve years ago."

"I know."

"You were there."

"I was seventeen."

She stepped toward him.

"What happened?"

Alexander's face hardened.

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because if I tell you, you become a target."

"I already am."

"Not like this."

"Tell me!"

Her voice echoed through the library.

Alexander finally looked at her.

And for the first time, Elena saw something in his eyes that frightened her more than his anger.

Guilt.

"I watched your father die."

Elena went completely still.

Alexander's voice dropped.

"And I did nothing."

Outside, thunder shook the windows.

Elena stared at the man standing before her.

The man she had hated since the moment she met him.

The man who had known the truth.

The man who had brought her into his home.

And suddenly she understood that whatever had happened twelve years ago wasn't merely a family scandal.

Alexander Blackwood was part of it.

And he had been hiding the truth from her all along.