The Signature
702 Words
Aria’s hands trembled as she stared at the signature.
It couldn’t be real.
Her father would never…
Never.
She snatched the contract from the table, flipping to the last page again.
The elegant signature was unmistakable.
Richard Vale.
Her father’s name.
“No…” she whispered.
“This is fake.”
Xavier remained silent.
She looked up, anger blazing in her eyes.
“You forged his signature.”
“I don’t forge documents.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“You can ask your father.”
The confidence in his voice unsettled her.
Without another word, Aria grabbed her phone and dialed.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
No answer.
She called again.
Still nothing.
Her heart raced.
“He always answers my calls.”
Xavier slipped both hands into his pockets.
“He’s in the hospital.”
Her head snapped up.
“What did you just say?”
“He collapsed an hour ago.”
The phone slipped from her fingers and hit the marble floor.
“…What?”
“The stress was too much.”
“No…”
She rushed toward the door.
“I have to see him.”
Before she could reach it, Xavier’s voice stopped her.
“My driver is waiting downstairs.”
She froze.
“You already knew I’d leave.”
“I know how you think.”
She hated that.
Without looking back, she ran.
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and fear.
Aria sprinted through the corridors until she reached the intensive care unit.
Her mother sat outside the room, crying quietly.
The moment she saw Aria, she stood.
“You came…”
“Mum!”
Aria threw her arms around her.
“Is Dad okay?”
“The doctors said the next twenty-four hours are critical.”
Aria’s chest tightened.
She looked through the glass window.
Her father lay unconscious, surrounded by machines.
He looked older.
Smaller.
Broken.
A doctor approached.
“Miss Vale?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve stabilized him for now, but he must avoid any more stress.”
“Will he wake up?”
“We hope so.”
Hope.
That was all they had left.
As the doctor walked away, Aria noticed an envelope on the chair beside her mother.
“What’s this?”
Her mother hesitated.
“It arrived this morning.”
Aria opened it.
Inside was another document.
A legal notice.
The bank was officially seizing every property owned by the Vale family.
Their home.
Their offices.
Everything.
At the bottom was a handwritten note.
You still have one option.
No name.
No signature.
But she knew exactly who had sent it.
That evening, Aria returned to the nearly empty Vale mansion.
Boxes filled the hallway.
Employees quietly packed priceless paintings and antiques.
The family lawyer stood in the living room.
“Miss Vale…”
She nodded weakly.
“Tell me.”
He sighed.
“I’ve checked everything.”
“And?”
“The signature on Mr. Blackwood’s contract…”
She held her breath.
“…is authentic.”
The room spun.
“No…”
“It was signed three weeks ago.”
Three weeks?
That was impossible.
Her father hadn’t even mentioned Xavier.
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know.”
The lawyer lowered his voice.
“But your father left something for you.”
He handed her a small velvet box.
Confused, Aria opened it.
Inside was an old silver key.
Nothing else.
“No letter?”
He shook his head.
“Only one message.”
“What message?”
The lawyer looked directly into her eyes.
“He said…”
“If Xavier Blackwood asks you to marry him… don’t refuse until you know the truth.”
Aria’s breath caught.
What truth?
Before she could ask another question…
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
She answered immediately.
“Hello?”
A distorted male voice spoke.
“If you marry Xavier…”
A pause.
“…you’ll be dead before your honeymoon.”
The call disconnected.
Aria slowly lowered the phone.
Then she noticed something outside the living room window.
A black car.
Parked across the street.
Watching the house.
Its headlights suddenly turned on.
And someone stepped out.
Wearing a black mask.
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