Chapter 3 The Night Everything Changed
1687 Words
Elena could not sleep.
She lay on the guest room bed in Adrian's mansion, staring at the ceiling while the events of the day replayed in her mind.
She had expected anger when Adrian discovered Noah.
She had expected him to hate her.
She had even prepared herself for him to demand that she leave.
What she had not expected was the way he had looked at Noah.
There had been something in his eyes that Elena could not explain.
Love.
A father's love.
It had appeared instantly, as though the five years Adrian had missed could not stop the connection between him and his son.
Elena turned onto her side.
She should have been happy.
Instead, she was terrified.
The mysterious phone call kept returning to her mind.
If you want to keep your son alive, stop investigating the Blackwood accounts.
Who was that man?
How did he know about Noah?
And why had he mentioned her father?
Elena sat up.
She reached for her phone and checked the time.
It was almost two in the morning.
She quietly got out of bed.
She needed water.
When she opened the bedroom door, she saw a light coming from the end of the hallway.
Adrian's office.
She hesitated.
Then she walked toward it.
The door was slightly open.
She could hear his voice.
"I don't care how much it costs. Find the account holder."
Elena stopped.
Adrian was speaking on the phone.
"That account was opened five years ago. I want the original records, not copies."
There was a pause.
"Then find someone who can get them."
His voice became colder.
"I want everything before morning."
Elena stepped backward.
The door opened suddenly.
Adrian stood there.
He looked at her.
"What are you doing awake?"
"I couldn't sleep."
He ended the call.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
"Who were you talking to?"
"My investigator."
"About the account?"
"Yes."
Elena looked away.
"You shouldn't."
Adrian frowned.
"Why?"
"Because they threatened Noah."
"That is exactly why I have to investigate."
She stepped closer.
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
Elena remained silent.
Adrian walked toward her.
"Five years ago, you left without telling me why. Tonight, someone threatened our son. I think I deserve the truth."
She looked at him.
"I was scared."
"I know."
"No, Adrian. You don't."
His expression softened.
"Then tell me."
Elena swallowed.
"Five years ago, I discovered that someone was using your father's company to move money through secret accounts."
Adrian listened carefully.
"I found documents proving that millions had been transferred without your father's knowledge."
"How did you find them?"
"Your father gave me access to some old files."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"Why would he give them to you?"
"Because he trusted me."
Adrian looked surprised.
"My father barely trusted anyone."
"He trusted me."
"Then what happened?"
Elena looked down.
"I found something else."
"What?"
"A list of names."
"Whose names?"
"People connected to the company."
"Was Victor on it?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Adrian's face hardened.
"What was beside his name?"
"I don't remember everything."
"Elena."
"I remember the amount."
"How much?"
"Twenty million dollars."
Adrian went silent.
Elena continued.
"I thought Victor had stolen the money."
"Did you confront him?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I saw someone else."
"Who?"
She hesitated.
"Your father."
Adrian frowned.
"What about him?"
"He was meeting Victor privately."
Adrian's expression changed.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"The night before I left."
Adrian stared at her.
"You saw them together?"
"Through the office window."
"What were they doing?"
"I couldn't hear them."
"Then why did you leave?"
"Because after Victor left, your father looked terrified."
Adrian slowly sat down.
"I had never seen him like that."
Elena looked at him.
"I wanted to tell you."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because that same night, someone followed me."
Adrian looked up.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Did they hurt you?"
"No."
"Then what happened?"
"They followed me home."
Elena's voice trembled.
"I found a note on my door."
"What did it say?"
"Leave Adrian, or you will regret it."
Adrian's face darkened.
"Why didn't you show me?"
"Because I thought they would hurt you."
"You should have told me."
"I was afraid."
"I could have protected you."
"You were part of the family they were threatening me about."
Adrian stood.
"I would never have allowed anyone to hurt you."
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"I know that now."
"Then why did you leave?"
"Because I was pregnant."
Adrian stared at her.
"I had just discovered I was carrying your child."
She wiped her tears.
"I thought if I disappeared, they would stop looking for me."
"Did they?"
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"They followed you?"
"Not at first."
"Then when?"
"After Noah was born."
Adrian stared at her.
"Why didn't you come to me then?"
"Because I received another warning."
"What did it say?"
"They knew about Noah."
Adrian's expression changed.
"What exactly did they say?"
"They said that if I contacted you, Noah would disappear."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"Who sent it?"
"I never found out."
"Do you still have it?"
Elena shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"I burned it."
Adrian looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because I was terrified someone would find it."
He stepped closer.
"You should have trusted me."
"I didn't know who to trust."
He stopped in front of her.
"You could have trusted me."
Elena looked into his eyes.
"I loved you."
Adrian's breathing became unsteady.
"Past tense?"
She looked away.
"Don't."
He gently lifted her chin.
"Look at me."
She did.
"You loved me?"
"Yes."
"Do you still?"
She swallowed.
"I don't know."
He smiled sadly.
"You always say that when you're afraid."
She pulled away.
"Adrian, this isn't about us."
"It is always about us."
"No."
He shook his head.
"You came back into my life with our son. You expect me to pretend that I don't still feel anything?"
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't expect anything from you."
"That's the problem."
He stepped back.
"You never ask me for anything."
Before she could answer, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Daniel appeared.
"Adrian."
Adrian immediately became serious.
"What happened?"
"I traced the call."
Elena turned toward him.
"Did you find the person?"
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"The call came through a temporary number."
Adrian frowned.
"But?"
"There was something strange."
"What?"
"The signal originated from a private network connected to Blackwood Holdings."
Silence filled the hallway.
Elena looked at Adrian.
"Someone inside your company."
Daniel nodded.
"That's what it looks like."
Adrian's eyes became cold.
"Who has access to that network?"
"Senior executives."
"Names."
Daniel handed him a list.
Adrian read it.
Then stopped.
Elena noticed.
"Who?"
Adrian didn't answer.
She took the paper from him.
Her eyes landed on one name.
Victor Blackwood.
Her heart sank.
"Your uncle."
Adrian nodded.
Daniel spoke quietly.
"There's more."
"What?"
"Victor accessed an old account yesterday."
Adrian looked at him.
"Which account?"
"The one connected to Michael Hart."
Elena's heart began pounding.
"My father."
Daniel nodded.
"Exactly."
Adrian took the document.
"When did he access it?"
"Yesterday morning."
"Before Elena came here."
Adrian looked at Elena.
"So someone knew you were coming."
She nodded slowly.
"That means they were watching me."
"Yes."
Noah suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway.
"Mommy?"
Elena immediately moved toward him.
"What are you doing awake?"
"I had a bad dream."
She picked him up.
"What happened?"
"I dreamed someone took you away."
Elena hugged him tightly.
"You are safe."
Noah looked over her shoulder at Adrian.
"Daddy."
Adrian walked closer.
"Come here."
Noah reached for him.
Adrian took him into his arms.
The little boy rested his head against his chest.
Adrian looked at Elena.
"We need to leave."
"Where?"
"Somewhere Victor cannot reach us."
"Where?"
"My private estate."
Elena hesitated.
"Will we be safe?"
"I'll make sure of it."
Daniel nodded.
"I'll arrange security."
Adrian carried Noah toward the stairs.
Elena followed.
But before they reached the bottom, the lights suddenly went out.
Noah gasped.
"Mommy."
Elena froze.
Adrian tightened his arms around the boy.
"Stay behind me."
Daniel pulled out his phone.
The mansion fell completely silent.
Then Elena heard something.
A sound from the front door.
Someone was inside.
Adrian whispered to Daniel.
"Get Elena and Noah upstairs."
Daniel nodded.
Elena grabbed Noah's hand.
"Come with me."
But before they could move, a loud crash came from downstairs.
Someone had broken the front window.
Security guards shouted outside.
Adrian immediately moved toward the sound.
"Stay here."
Elena grabbed his arm.
"No."
He looked at her.
"You promised you would protect us."
"I will."
"Then don't leave me."
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then Adrian nodded.
"Stay close."
They moved down the stairs together.
The lights suddenly returned.
The front door was open.
A security guard lay unconscious on the floor.
Daniel rushed toward him.
"He is alive."
Adrian looked around.
"Where is the intruder?"
Another guard ran inside.
"Sir, the person escaped through the back."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Find him."
The guard left.
Elena noticed something on the floor.
A small black envelope.
She picked it up.
Adrian immediately stopped her.
"Don't touch that."
But she had already opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Elena stared.
It showed her and Noah leaving their old apartment three weeks earlier.
Someone had been watching them.
There was a message written across the photograph.
You should have stayed away from Adrian.
Elena's hands began trembling.
Adrian took the photograph.
His face became expressionless.
Daniel looked at him.
"What are you going to do?"
Adrian folded the photograph.
"I'm going to find whoever sent this."
Elena looked at him.
"And then?"
Adrian's eyes were cold.
"Then they will learn one thing."
"What?"
"They chose the wrong family to threaten."
Noah clung to Elena.
She looked at Adrian and realized something.
The danger she had spent five years running from had finally found them again.
But this time, she was not alone.
Adrian was standing beside her.
And he was ready to fight for his son.
For her.
And for the truth.
Chapter 3 End
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