His Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 7: The Memory

Elena stared at Adrian.

He was alive.

Barely.

Blood stained the side of his shirt, but his eyes were open.

The relief lasted only a second.

Because Adrian's uncle was still standing in front of her.

And he was holding her father's music box.

The melody continued.

Soft.

Familiar.

Almost painfully so.

Elena knew that tune.

She had heard it when she was a child.

Her father used to hum it whenever he thought she was asleep.

"Where did you get that?" she whispered.

Her uncle smiled.

"Your father gave it to me."

"You're lying."

"Am I?"

He turned the music box toward her.

"Ask yourself why you remember this melody."

Elena frowned.

"I don't."

"You do."

"No."

"You simply don't know that you do."

He closed the lid.

The music stopped.

The sudden silence felt worse.

"Where's my mother?"

"Safe."

"Take me to her."

"You'll come willingly?"

"If she's alive."

"She is."

Elena looked toward Adrian.

He was trying to stand.

His uncle noticed.

"So stubborn."

Adrian pushed himself upright.

"Let her go."

His uncle laughed.

"You still think you can protect her?"

"I don't have to think."

Adrian wiped blood from his mouth.

"I know."

The man's smile faded.

"Still arrogant."

"Still alive."

Adrian raised his weapon.

His uncle immediately pointed his own gun at Elena.

"Put it down."

Adrian froze.

Elena shook her head.

"Don't."

Adrian's eyes remained on her.

"Elena."

"I'm fine."

"You don't know what he's capable of."

"Neither do you."

His expression changed.

She realized then that Adrian was afraid.

Not for himself.

For her.

His uncle stepped backward.

"Walk."

Elena followed.

"Adrian!"

She looked back.

He was still standing.

Barely.

Their eyes met.

"Go," he said.

She shook her head.

"I'll come back."

His jaw tightened.

"You'd better."

Then his uncle pulled her into another vehicle.

The door slammed shut.

The car sped away.

Elena sat rigidly in the back seat.

Her mother's necklace was still in her hand.

She looked at the man beside her.

"What's your name?"

He looked amused.

"You've spent your whole life hearing it."

"I haven't."

"My name is Gabriel Blackwood."

The name meant nothing to her.

But the way he said it made Elena realize he expected it to.

"Why did my father trust you?"

"He didn't."

"Then why did he give you the music box?"

"He didn't."

Elena frowned.

"You just said—"

"I said your father gave it to me."

Gabriel looked out the window.

"He didn't give it willingly."

Her stomach tightened.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying."

"Perhaps."

He turned toward her.

"But if you want your mother alive, you'll stop asking questions until we arrive."

Elena looked away.

She wasn't going to stop.

She simply wasn't going to ask him.

Instead, she examined the music box.

There was something strange about it.

A tiny symbol was carved beneath the bird.

The same circle divided by a vertical line.

The Black Rose.

Her father had been connected to them.

She slowly turned the music box over.

There was a tiny metal latch.

She pressed it.

Nothing happened.

She pressed again.

A small compartment opened.

Inside was a thin strip of paper.

Elena's pulse quickened.

She pulled it out.

Only four words were written on it.

Remember the red door.

Her mind went blank.

Then—

A flash.

A hallway.

Red paint.

Her father's hand around hers.

Someone screaming.

Elena gasped.

The image disappeared.

Gabriel looked at her.

"What did you see?"

She quickly folded the paper.

"Nothing."

He smiled.

"Good."

Elena stared at him.

He knew.

He knew exactly what was happening.

"What did my father do to my memories?"

"Your father didn't do anything."

"Then why can't I remember?"

"Because someone else made sure you couldn't."

"Who?"

Gabriel didn't answer.

The car slowed.

They turned through a large iron gate.

Elena looked outside.

An old estate appeared beyond the trees.

It was smaller than Adrian's mansion but older.

Much older.

The car stopped.

Gabriel opened the door.

"Come."

Elena stepped out.

The air was cold.

She looked around.

"Where is my mother?"

"Inside."

They entered the house.

A long hallway stretched ahead.

Elena stopped.

Her heart began beating faster.

Something about the place felt familiar.

The wallpaper.

The chandelier.

The wooden staircase.

She had seen this place before.

Not in a dream.

In memory.

She touched the wall.

A flash struck her mind.

A little girl running down the hallway.

Her mother shouting.

Her father carrying a suitcase.

A teenage boy standing near the staircase.

Adrian.

Elena pulled her hand away.

"Adrian was here."

Gabriel stopped.

"What?"

"I remember."

His expression changed.

"You shouldn't."

"Why?"

He grabbed her wrist.

"Because remembering too much will get you killed."

Elena pulled away.

"You know what happened."

"Yes."

"Tell me."

Gabriel looked toward the staircase.

"Your mother will."

He opened a door.

Elena stepped inside.

And stopped.

Her mother sat beside a fireplace.

Alive.

Older.

Tired.

But alive.

"Mom."

Isabel stood.

"Elena."

They ran toward each other.

Elena threw her arms around her mother.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Elena pulled away.

"You lied to me."

Isabel closed her eyes.

"I know."

"You let me believe you were dead."

"I had to."

"You knew Adrian."

"Yes."

"You knew his father."

"Yes."

"You knew Gabriel."

Isabel looked toward the doorway.

"Yes."

Elena's voice shook.

"What happened sixteen years ago?"

Her mother sat down.

"Your father discovered the Black Rose had infiltrated the government."

Elena listened.

"He gathered evidence."

"Then why was he killed?"

"Because he refused to give them what they wanted."

"What?"

Isabel looked directly at her.

"Your memories."

Elena frowned.

"My memories?"

"Your father discovered that the Black Rose had developed a way to hide information inside a person's memory."

Elena stared at her.

"That's impossible."

"It sounds impossible."

Isabel reached for her hand.

"But it was real."

"Why me?"

"Because you were the only person your father trusted completely."

Elena's breath caught.

"What did he hide?"

Isabel hesitated.

"The location of the Black Rose's records."

Elena went still.

"Where?"

"Inside a memory."

"Which memory?"

Isabel's eyes filled with tears.

"The night your father died."

Elena's heart pounded.

"I don't remember it."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because Adrian's father erased it."

Elena stared at her.

"Why would he protect me?"

"Because he wasn't trying to protect you."

Her mother looked toward the window.

"He was trying to protect his son."

Elena froze.

"Adrian?"

"Adrian saw what happened that night."

"How?"

"He was there."

Elena remembered the flash.

The red door.

Her father's hand.

Adrian.

"Then why doesn't he remember?"

"He does."

Elena's eyes widened.

"He remembers?"

"Yes."

"Then why hasn't he told me?"

Isabel looked at her sadly.

"Because he made your father a promise."

"What promise?"

"That he would never tell you what you saw."

Elena's heart sank.

"What did I see?"

Before Isabel could answer, the lights went out.

The room went dark.

Gabriel immediately drew his weapon.

"Stay here."

A gunshot came from the hallway.

Gabriel moved toward the door.

Another shot.

Then silence.

Elena grabbed her mother's hand.

"Mom."

"Don't move."

Footsteps approached.

Slow.

Heavy.

A shadow appeared beneath the door.

Then a familiar voice spoke.

"Elena."

Her heart stopped.

Adrian.

She rushed toward the door.

Isabel grabbed her.

"No."

"But that's Adrian."

Her mother shook her head.

"Listen to me."

The voice came again.

"Elena, it's me."

Isabel whispered:

"That's not Adrian."

Elena froze.

Then the door opened.

A man stood in the doorway.

He looked exactly like Adrian.

Same black hair.

Same eyes.

Same cold expression.

But something was wrong.

He smiled.

And Elena knew immediately.

It wasn't Adrian.

It was his father.