His Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 4: The Visitor

Elena stood in her bedroom for nearly an hour without moving.

The photograph was still in her hand.

Her mother.

Alive.

It shouldn't have been possible.

She had been told her mother died when Elena was twelve. There had been a funeral. There had been photographs. There had been relatives whispering condolences and neighbors bringing food to the house.

Elena remembered the black dress she had worn.

She remembered her father's trembling hands.

She remembered standing beside a coffin.

How could all of that have been a lie?

Her phone vibrated.

She nearly dropped it.

A message appeared on the screen.

Adrian: Don't leave the estate.

Elena stared at it.

She typed back.

Elena: You don't get to order me around.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Adrian: Tonight, I do.

She clenched her jaw.

Elena: I want answers.

His response came a few seconds later.

Adrian: So do I.

That stopped her.

For the first time, Elena wondered whether Adrian truly knew where her mother was.

Or whether he had simply discovered the same impossible truth she had.

She left her room.

The hallway was quiet, but she could feel eyes following her.

Guards.

Adrian had increased security.

She reached the staircase.

"Where are you going?"

Elena froze.

Adrian stood at the bottom.

He had changed into a dark suit. His expression was calm, but there was something different about him today.

Something sharper.

"I'm going downstairs."

"You shouldn't be alone."

"I wasn't aware I needed permission to walk through the house."

"You don't."

"Good."

She started down.

Adrian watched her approach.

When she reached the bottom step, she stopped in front of him.

"Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"My mother."

His face changed.

Only slightly.

But Elena noticed.

"You knew."

"I knew there was a possibility."

"That's not what I asked."

Adrian looked toward the windows.

"Not here."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because this house isn't secure enough for certain conversations."

Elena frowned.

"You said this was your house."

"It is."

"Then why isn't it secure?"

"Because the people coming tonight are very good at getting through doors."

Her stomach tightened.

"Who are they?"

Adrian looked directly at her.

"The people who have been searching for your mother."

Elena's breath caught.

"So she really is alive?"

"I don't know."

"You just said—"

"I said they're searching for her."

"Why would they search for a dead woman?"

Adrian didn't answer.

Elena stepped closer.

"You know something."

"I know enough to tell you that you should stay close to me tonight."

She laughed bitterly.

"That's convenient."

His eyes narrowed.

"You think I'm enjoying this?"

"I don't know what you enjoy."

Something flickered across his face.

"Neither do you."

The words left them in silence.

Then footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Mrs. Hawthorne appeared.

"Mr. Blackwood."

Adrian turned.

"Yes?"

"The first car has arrived."

His expression immediately hardened.

"Already?"

"Yes."

Elena looked between them.

"Who arrived?"

Mrs. Hawthorne didn't answer.

Adrian did.

"My enemy."

The front doors opened.

Two men entered.

Both wore black suits.

One remained near the entrance while the other walked toward Adrian.

He leaned close and whispered something.

Adrian's face became completely still.

"What happened?" Elena asked.

The man looked at her.

Then at Adrian.

"Sir, we found the vehicle."

"Where?"

"At the eastern road."

"Who was inside?"

The man hesitated.

"A woman."

Elena's heart stopped.

Adrian's gaze moved toward her.

"What woman?"

The guard swallowed.

"She gave us a name."

"What name?"

The guard looked directly at Elena.

"Isabel Vale."

Elena couldn't breathe.

Her mother's name.

The name she hadn't heard spoken aloud in fifteen years.

Adrian moved instantly.

He stepped between Elena and the guard.

"Where is she?"

"She disappeared before we could reach the vehicle."

"Any injuries?"

"No."

"Was she alone?"

"We don't know."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

Elena grabbed his arm.

"My mother."

He looked down at her hand.

Then at her face.

"I know."

"She was here."

"Apparently."

"You said you didn't know if she was alive."

"I didn't."

"But now we know."

"No."

His voice was quiet.

"We know someone using her name came here."

Elena stared at him.

"You don't believe it's her?"

"I believe nothing until I have proof."

A sudden crash came from upstairs.

Everyone froze.

Adrian immediately drew his gun.

"Stay behind me."

Elena didn't argue.

Another crash.

Then silence.

Adrian gestured to his guards.

They moved toward the staircase.

He kept Elena behind him.

"Adrian."

"Quiet."

The guards disappeared around the corner.

Seconds passed.

Then one of them called out.

"Sir!"

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"We found something."

They reached the upper hallway.

A bedroom door stood open.

Elena recognized it immediately.

Her mother's old room.

The room had been locked since Elena was a child.

She had never been allowed inside.

Adrian walked toward it.

Elena followed.

Inside, everything was covered in dust.

Except for one thing.

A small wooden box sat on the bed.

Elena stared at it.

"I've seen that before."

Adrian looked at her.

"Where?"

"In my mother's room."

He approached the box.

There was no lock.

He opened it.

Inside was a single envelope.

Elena's name was written across the front.

Her hands began to shake.

"That's my mother's handwriting."

Adrian didn't touch it.

"Open it."

Elena stared at him.

"You don't want to?"

"I want you to."

She slowly picked up the envelope.

Her fingers struggled with the seal.

Finally, it opened.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

Elena unfolded it.

There were only three lines.

Elena,

If you're reading this, Adrian has finally told you enough to make you afraid.

Don't trust his father.

Elena's blood ran cold.

She looked at Adrian.

He was staring at the letter.

"There's more," she whispered.

At the bottom of the page was another sentence.

And whatever Adrian tells you about my death, don't believe him.

Silence filled the room.

Elena looked at Adrian.

His face had gone completely pale.

"You knew," she whispered.

He didn't answer.

"You knew my mother."

"Yes."

"She spoke to you."

"Yes."

"When?"

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"Three days ago."

Elena's eyes widened.

"Three days?"

He nodded.

"She contacted me."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because she made me promise."

"Promise what?"

His eyes met hers.

"That I wouldn't tell you she was alive."

Elena stared at him.

"Why would she ask that?"

Before Adrian could answer, the lights went out.

The entire mansion plunged into darkness.

A gunshot exploded downstairs.

Elena screamed.

Adrian grabbed her and pulled her against him.

"Don't move."

More gunshots followed.

Guards shouted.

Footsteps thundered through the halls.

Adrian's arm tightened around Elena's waist.

"Stay behind me."

"I'm scared."

"I know."

Then a woman's voice echoed from the darkness.

"Elena."

She froze.

She knew that voice.

She had heard it in dreams for fifteen years.

Adrian went completely still.

The voice came again.

"Elena, darling."

Tears filled Elena's eyes.

"Mom?"

A figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

A woman stepped into the faint emergency light.

Older.

Paler.

But unmistakably her.

Elena's knees nearly gave out.

Her mother looked at her.

Then at Adrian.

And whispered:

"You should never have brought her here."

Adrian raised his gun.

"Isabel."

Her mother's expression hardened.

"You promised me."

"I had no choice."

"You always have a choice, Adrian."

Then Isabel looked at Elena.

And Elena saw something she had never seen in her mother's eyes before.

Fear.

Not fear for herself.

Fear of Adrian.

"Elena," her mother said softly.

"Come with me."

Adrian's voice was cold.

"No."

Elena looked between them.

Her mother took one step forward.

Adrian raised his gun higher.

"Don't come any closer."

Isabel stopped.

"You don't understand what he is."

Elena's heart pounded.

She looked at Adrian.

"What does she mean?"

He said nothing.

Her mother shook her head.

"Ask him what happened to your father."

Elena turned toward Adrian.

"What happened to my father?"

His expression changed.

For the first time since she had met him, Adrian looked genuinely afraid.

And then someone behind them whispered:

"Sir..."

Adrian turned.

A guard stood at the far end of the hallway.

His face was pale.

"We found another body."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Whose?"

The guard swallowed.

"Your father's."

Elena stared at Adrian.

Isabel closed her eyes.

And Adrian slowly lowered his gun.

Because suddenly, the rules had changed.

And this time, the person hunting them wasn't outside the mansion.

It was already inside.