The Truth That Could Destroy Them
2152 Words
“Now, Adrian…”
Jonathan's voice was calm.
Almost amused.
“Choose.”
The gun remained pressed against Daniel Rose's head.
“Save the woman you love—”
His eyes shifted toward Elena.
“Or discover who killed Victor Blackwood.”
The world seemed to stop.
Elena stared at Jonathan.
The woman you love.
The words echoed in her mind.
She glanced at Adrian.
His expression was unreadable, but something in his eyes had changed.
“Don't listen to him,” Adrian said.
Jonathan smiled.
“Why?”
He looked at Elena.
“Because he hasn't told you everything?”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Let Daniel go.”
“You're still giving orders.”
Jonathan laughed softly.
“Twenty years, Adrian. Twenty years since your father died, and you're still exactly like him.”
“Don't mention my father.”
“Why? Because you don't want Elena to know what kind of man he really was?”
Elena's heart tightened.
“Tell me.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“Elena—”
“I want the truth.”
Jonathan smiled.
“There it is.”
He stepped closer, keeping Daniel in front of him.
“The truth is the only thing your family has spent twenty-five years trying to bury.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
“Was my mother afraid of Victor?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Jonathan answered for him.
“She was afraid of what Victor would do when he discovered Elena wasn't his only secret.”
Elena's breathing became uneven.
“What does that mean?”
Jonathan's smile disappeared.
“It means your mother wasn't the innocent woman you were raised to believe she was.”
Elena shook her head.
“You don't know my mother.”
“I knew her better than anyone.”
“You're lying.”
“Am I?”
Jonathan pulled another photograph from his coat.
He tossed it onto the floor.
Elena slowly picked it up.
Her hands trembled.
It showed Margaret standing beside Jonathan.
They were much younger.
And they were holding hands.
Elena stared at it.
Adrian looked at the photograph.
His face hardened.
“That's impossible.”
Jonathan laughed.
“You thought your father and Margaret were the only ones involved?”
Elena looked at him.
“Were you with my mother?”
Jonathan's silence was answer enough.
Elena felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her.
“No.”
Jonathan's eyes softened.
“Your mother loved me.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Jonathan looked at him.
“You're angry because I'm telling her what you refuse to.”
“I said enough.”
“Or perhaps you're afraid of what she'll ask next.”
Elena turned to Adrian.
“Did my mother love him?”
Adrian looked at her.
“I don't know.”
“You know everything about your family.”
“I don't know everything.”
“But you knew she was involved with your father.”
“Yes.”
“And Jonathan?”
“I suspected.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“How many secrets are there?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Jonathan smiled.
“More than you can imagine.”
Then Daniel suddenly groaned.
Elena immediately moved toward him.
“Dad!”
Jonathan grabbed him harder.
“Don't.”
Elena stopped.
“Please.”
Jonathan looked at her.
“Give me the key.”
Elena instinctively closed her hand around the silver key.
“No.”
“Then Daniel dies.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Take me instead.”
Jonathan looked amused.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“I don't want you.”
Jonathan's eyes moved toward Elena.
“I want what she has.”
Elena looked at the key.
“This?”
“Yes.”
“What does it open?”
Jonathan smiled.
“The truth.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Don't give it to him.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
“He'll kill my father.”
“I'll get him out.”
“How?”
Adrian had no answer.
Jonathan slowly pulled Daniel backward.
“Ten seconds.”
Elena's heart raced.
“Wait.”
“Nine.”
“Stop!”
“Eight.”
She looked at Adrian.
He shook his head.
“Seven.”
Elena held the key tightly.
“Six.”
She took one step forward.
“Five.”
“Take it.”
She threw the key toward Jonathan.
He caught it.
At the same moment, Adrian moved.
Everything happened at once.
Nathan rushed from the side.
Adrian lunged toward Daniel.
Jonathan fired.
The gunshot exploded through the corridor.
Elena screamed.
Adrian grabbed her and pulled her behind him.
Jonathan disappeared through a hidden doorway.
Nathan ran after him.
“Go!”
Adrian turned toward Daniel.
Daniel was on the floor.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Elena dropped beside him.
“Dad!”
Adrian crouched down.
“Where were you hit?”
Daniel struggled to breathe.
“Not... me.”
Elena froze.
“What?”
Daniel lifted a trembling hand.
He pointed toward Adrian.
Adrian looked down.
Blood was spreading across his shirt.
He had been shot.
“Adrian!”
Elena's voice broke.
He looked at the wound.
“It's fine.”
“It's not fine!”
She pressed her hands against his chest.
“You've been shot!”
Adrian grabbed her wrist.
“Look at me.”
She did.
“I'm okay.”
“You're bleeding.”
“I've had worse.”
“That doesn't make it okay.”
For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
Everything else disappeared.
The secrets.
The danger.
The mansion.
The blood.
Only the two of them remained.
Adrian lifted his hand and touched her cheek.
“Are you hurt?”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“You were shot protecting me.”
“I'd do it again.”
Her breath caught.
“Why?”
Adrian stared at her.
“Because I can't lose you.”
Elena's heart broke open.
Before she could respond, Nathan returned.
“Jonathan escaped.”
Adrian's expression immediately hardened.
“Where?”
“Through the underground passage.”
Adrian stood.
The movement made him wince.
Elena caught his arm.
“You're not going anywhere.”
“I need to find him.”
“You need a doctor.”
“Later.”
“Now.”
Adrian looked at her.
There was a softness in his eyes.
“You're becoming very difficult.”
She glared at him.
“You hired me.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“I remember.”
It lasted only a second.
Then the smile disappeared.
Because Daniel suddenly spoke.
“Adrian.”
Adrian turned.
Daniel's face was pale.
“Your father didn't die because of Jonathan.”
Adrian went still.
“What?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Jonathan didn't kill Victor.”
Elena looked at him.
“Then who did?”
Daniel stared at Adrian.
“The person who killed Victor is still alive.”
Adrian's eyes darkened.
“Who?”
Daniel tried to speak.
Nothing came out.
“Dad?”
Daniel's eyes moved toward Elena.
“Your mother...”
Then he lost consciousness.
---
An hour later, Daniel was taken to the private hospital under heavy security.
Adrian refused treatment until he knew Daniel was stable.
Elena finally forced him into the hospital's private treatment room.
“You're impossible.”
Adrian sat on the examination table while the doctor examined his wound.
“I'm alive.”
“You could have died.”
“But I didn't.”
Elena folded her arms.
“That isn't the point.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Then what is?”
“You.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You?”
She realized what she had said.
“I mean your injury.”
His lips almost curved.
“You worry about me.”
“I worry about everyone.”
“Not like this.”
Elena looked away.
She hated how easily he could unsettle her.
The doctor removed the bullet fragment and dressed the wound.
“Fortunately, it passed through cleanly. He'll need rest.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Rest.”
“No.”
She sighed.
“Of course.”
The doctor left.
Silence settled between them.
Adrian looked at her.
“Are you afraid?”
Elena thought about lying.
“Yes.”
“Of what?”
She stared at him.
“Everything.”
He reached for her hand.
She hesitated.
Then let him take it.
His fingers closed around hers.
“You're not alone.”
Elena looked at him.
“Am I?”
“No.”
“Even if the truth about my father destroys everything?”
“I'll be there.”
“Even if my mother lied to me?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I'm actually part of the Blackwood family?”
Adrian's eyes remained fixed on hers.
“Especially then.”
Her heart skipped.
“Why?”
He leaned slightly closer.
“Because you're Elena.”
She swallowed.
“And what does that mean to you?”
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Then he said quietly,
“More than it should.”
Her pulse quickened.
Before either of them could say anything else, Nathan entered.
“Sorry.”
Adrian released Elena's hand.
“What happened?”
Nathan placed a folder on the table.
“We searched the old Blackwood archives.”
“And?”
“We found something about Project Raven.”
Adrian opened the folder.
Inside was an old document.
Nathan pointed to a paragraph.
“Project Raven wasn't a business project.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“What was it?”
“A private family investigation.”
Elena leaned closer.
“Investigation into what?”
Nathan looked at her.
“Victor Blackwood believed someone inside the family was stealing money and confidential information.”
Adrian continued reading.
“Who?”
Nathan shook his head.
“The name was removed.”
Elena's heart sank.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
Adrian turned another page.
There was a handwritten note.
If anything happens to me, the person responsible is closer than anyone suspects.
Adrian stared at it.
Then he saw a second line.
Trust no one—not even Sophia.
His mother's name.
Adrian's face went completely cold.
“My mother.”
Elena looked at him.
“Do you think Sophia knows who killed Victor?”
“I don't know.”
Nathan's phone suddenly rang.
He answered.
Then his expression changed.
“Mr. Blackwood…”
“What?”
“Daniel is awake.”
Elena stood immediately.
“Let's go.”
Nathan didn't move.
“There is something else.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Nathan looked at Elena.
“Daniel is asking for her.”
“Take us there.”
They entered Daniel's hospital room.
He was awake.
Weak.
Pale.
But conscious.
The moment he saw Elena, his eyes filled with tears.
“Dad.”
She took his hand.
“Tell me the truth.”
Daniel looked at Adrian.
Then at Elena.
“I tried to protect you.”
“From what?”
Daniel's breathing became uneven.
“From Victor.”
Elena's heart stopped.
“You said Victor was my father.”
“Yes.”
“Then why were you protecting me from him?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Because Victor wasn't the man everyone believed he was.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“What did my father do?”
Daniel looked at him.
“He discovered Elena existed.”
Adrian's expression tightened.
“And?”
“He wanted to take her away from Margaret.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“Why?”
Daniel whispered,
“Because Elena was the only person who could inherit everything.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked directly at Elena.
“Victor left a secret inheritance.”
“To you.”
Elena stared at him.
“What inheritance?”
Daniel's voice dropped to a whisper.
“Blackwood Corporation.”
Silence.
Adrian's eyes widened.
“That makes no sense.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Your father knew someone would try to destroy the company after his death.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked terrified.
“I don't know.”
“You know something.”
Daniel's eyes moved toward the hospital door.
Then he whispered,
“The killer is not after Adrian.”
Elena frowned.
“Then who?”
Daniel looked at her.
“They're after you.”
The heart monitor suddenly began to beep faster.
Adrian turned toward the door.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the room went dark.
A phone on the table lit up.
One message appeared.
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL.
A second message followed.
OR ELENA WILL LEARN WHY HER MOTHER REALLY DIED.
Elena stared at the screen.
Her face went pale.
“My mother isn't dead.”
Adrian looked at her.
Neither of them moved.
Then a third message appeared.
SHE IS.
AND I KNOW WHO KILLED HER.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD