CHAPTER 3: THE TRUTH IN THE DARKNESS
696 Words
Evelyn sat frozen on the wet pavement long after Adrian had disappeared. His words echoed in her mind.
"You destroyed me first."
She clutched her chest as if that would stop the unbearable ache spreading inside her. What did he mean? What had she done?
She tried to recall any moment—any mistake—that could have turned him into the cold, merciless man he was now.
Nothing came.
Her fingers trembled as she wiped the rain from her face, though she wasn’t sure if it was just the rain anymore. Was she crying? She couldn’t even tell.
The night felt suffocating, but she forced herself to move. Her legs were weak as she stumbled to her feet. She had to find out the truth.
And there was only one person who might know.
Evelyn stood outside the gates of an enormous mansion, her heart hammering against her ribs.
The Blackwood Estate.
It was Adrian’s childhood home—where he had been raised. She had been here before, years ago, when they were still together. When she still thought she meant something to him.
The iron gates loomed in front of her, intimidating as ever, but she didn’t hesitate. She pushed them open and stepped inside.
The butler nearly gasped when he saw her standing at the entrance, dripping wet and shivering.
“Miss Evelyn?” His voice wavered. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Please, Henry.” Her voice was hoarse, desperate. “I need to know what happened to him.”
The older man hesitated, looking around nervously. “If Master Adrian finds out—”
“I don’t care,” she cut him off. “Please. He said I destroyed him. But I don’t remember doing anything.”
Henry’s face darkened.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then—he sighed.
“Come in.”
The study was dimly lit, the fireplace casting flickering shadows on the bookshelves. Evelyn sat stiffly on the couch as Henry poured her a cup of tea, but she didn’t touch it.
She just stared at him, waiting.
Finally, the butler spoke.
“There was an accident,” he said. “Years ago. One that changed everything.”
Her brows furrowed. “An accident?”
Henry nodded, his expression heavy. “It was the night of the fire.”
Evelyn’s breath caught in her throat.
She remembered that fire.
It had been all over the news—The Blackwood Manor Burns Down in Tragic Blaze. But at the time, she hadn’t known Adrian.
Or so she thought.
Henry continued, his voice grave. “Master Adrian lost everything that night. His family. His childhood home.” He looked at her carefully. “But he didn’t just lose them in the fire.”
Evelyn frowned. “What do you mean?”
Henry hesitated before he whispered, “He believes someone set it on purpose.”
Her blood ran cold.
“No,” she breathed. “No, that can’t be.”
Henry’s jaw tightened. “The Blackwood family had many enemies, but Adrian was convinced that it wasn’t just an outsider.”
Her stomach twisted. “Who?”
The butler lowered his voice even further.
“He believes it was you.”
Evelyn’s entire world tilted.
Her lungs felt too tight, her vision blurring as her hands trembled. “No… That’s impossible. I—I didn’t even know him back then.”
Henry gave her a solemn look.
“Didn’t you?”
Her pulse thundered in her ears. Flashes of memories surfaced—memories she had buried deep, memories that didn’t make sense.
A dark hallway. Smoke in the air. A locked door.
A name whispered in the darkness.
Adrian.
Her heart pounded violently. Had she been there? Was she—?
No. It couldn’t be.
She shot to her feet, panic gripping her. “This is a mistake. I would never hurt him. I would never…”
Henry sighed. “Then perhaps you should ask yourself why he thinks you did.”
Evelyn’s breath hitched.
A horrifying thought struck her.
What if Adrian was right? What if she had done something—without even remembering it?
- Writer
