CHAPTER NINE - Nothing Worth Stealing
1179 Words
The apartment door slammed against the wall as Serena rushed inside.
“Nina, don’t touch anything!”
“I’m not!” Nina called after her.
Damien and James followed at a measured pace, their eyes sweeping across the apartment with the quiet precision of men accustomed to assessing danger.
An uneasy silence hung over the apartment.
It looked as though a tornado had swept through it.
Couch cushions had been ripped apart, their stuffing scattered across the floor like dirty snow.
Books lay everywhere, many with their pages torn out.
Kitchen cabinets hung open.
Every drawer had been emptied.
Glass from shattered picture frames glittered beneath overturned chairs.
Someone hadn’t merely searched the apartment.
They had dismantled it.
Serena’s breathing became uneven.
“No…”
She hurried toward her bedroom.
The destruction there was even worse.
Her mattress had been sliced open.
Clothes littered the floor.
The wardrobe doors hung crooked on broken hinges.
Even the curtains had been torn from the windows.
She dropped to her knees beside the bed and reached underneath it.
Her fingers brushed rough wood.
For one hopeful second…
She smiled.
Then she pulled the little wooden box into the light.
The smile vanished.
The brass lock had been smashed clean off.
The lid hung loosely from a single hinge.
“No…”
Her fingers trembled as she lifted it.
Empty.
Her pulse hammered against her ribs.
“No… no…”
She searched inside frantically.
Nothing.
Then something caught her eye.
Caught between two splinters in the corner lay a tiny strip of faded pink ribbon.
She picked it up carefully.
It was barely an inch long.
Her vision blurred.
Her hands began to shake.
Behind her, Damien had stopped in the doorway.
“What was taken?”
She swallowed hard.
“…Nothing important.”
Even to her own ears, the lie sounded hollow.
Damien didn’t answer immediately.
His eyes moved from the broken box…
…to the ribbon…
…then to her face.
“You’re lying.”
She looked away. “I said it wasn’t important.”
He held her gaze for another second.
Then, unexpectedly…
He let it go.
“Very well.”
But Serena could feel his suspicion lingering.
She suddenly remembered something else.
The safe.
Her stomach dropped.
She hurried toward the framed painting mounted on the bedroom wall.
It had already been pushed aside.
Deep scratches scarred the steel door behind it.
Someone had tried to force it open.
She quickly punched in the code.
The lock clicked.
The heavy door swung open.
Her father’s old flip phone.
Still there.
The newspaper clippings.
Still there.
The worn family photograph.
Still there.
Everything remained exactly where she’d left it.
A shaky breath escaped her.
“Thank God…”
She closed the safe almost immediately.
When she turned around, Damien was watching her quietly.
“Are you alright?”
She forced herself to nod.
“I’m fine.”
A pause.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Another pause.
“But I can handle myself.”
He studied her for a moment before inclining his head.
“Understood.”
Without another word, he turned toward James.
“What do you make of it?”
James slowly walked through the bedroom.
His eyes lingered on every detail.
“Her valuables are still here.”
He pointed toward the living room.
“The laptop hasn’t been touched.”
His gaze shifted again.
“The jewelry is untouched.”
Another pause.
“So is the cash.”
Finally, his eyes settled on the broken wooden box resting in Serena’s lap.
“This wasn’t a burglary.”
Damien folded his arms.
“What was it?”
James answered without hesitation. “A search.”
He walked toward the damaged safe.
“They were looking for information.”
His fingers brushed across the fresh pry marks.
“They knew there was something hidden.”
He looked back at Serena.
“And judging by these scratches…”
“…they didn’t find it.”
Serena remained silent.
James continued.
“Which means there’s every possibility they’ll come back.”
The room grew still.
Damien broke the silence.
“Can she stay here tonight?”
James didn’t even have to think. “No. Whoever did this now knows where she lives. They’ve already crossed one line. I wouldn’t wait to find out what they’ll do next.”
“I agree,” Nina said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself.
Serena sighed.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just be extra vigilant—“
“No,” Nina said sharply.
Serena looked at her.
Nina stepped closer.
“Hell no, Serena Carter.” Her voice cracked with frustration.
“For once in your goddamn life…”
“…let people help you.”
The apartment fell silent.
Serena looked from Nina…
…to James…
…to Damien.
“So…”
She sighed in defeat.
“Where exactly am I supposed to go?”
“Blackwood Manor,” Damien answered.
She blinked.
“I thought I wasn’t moving in for another three days.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“Your mother…”
“You won’t see her. I don’t live with my parents.”
His tone remained calm.
“You’ll be staying in my residence.”
Nina cleared her throat.
“With all due respect, Mr. Blackwood…”
Everyone looked at her.
“…she’s my best friend.”
A small smile crossed Serena’s face.
“She’s coming home with me.”
A faint smile tugged at Serena’s lips. “Thank you, bestie—”
“My wife,” Damien interrupted evenly, “will be staying with me until I’m certain she’s safe.”
The room fell silent.
Even James looked briefly at Damien before hiding his reaction.
Nina stared at Serena.
“Wife?”
Serena winced.
Nina slapped a hand against her forehead.
“Why am I even surprised?”
She looked between them.
“You actually said yes?”
James frowned.
“You haven’t checked your phone today, have you?”
Nina blinked.
“What?”
Damien shot James a single look.
James immediately cleared his throat and looked away.
Serena rubbed her temples.
“…It’s a long story.”
Then she turned to Damien. “…Fine.”
“But give me half an hour. I want to clean up.”
“I’ll send professionals.” His tone left little room for debate.
“I’d rather do it myself.” She glanced at Nina. “With her.”
Damien studied her for a moment before nodding.
“Thirty minutes.”
He turned toward James.
“We’ll wait outside.”
The two men walked out of the apartment.
Outside, James quietly closed the apartment door.
Damien remained where he was for a moment, his gaze lingering on the damaged lock.
“James.”
“Sir?”
“Double the security around this building tonight.”
James nodded. “Already arranging it.”
Damien cast one last glance at the apartment before following James.
Inside, Serena waited three full seconds.
Then—
Nina grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Have you completely lost your mind?”
- Writer
