His Enemy, His Obsession

The Bloodline Secret

The laughter echoed through the underground chamber.

Serena froze.

Ryder immediately pulled her behind him.

"Grace?"

No answer.

"Grace!"

A gunshot cracked through the darkness.

Ryder fired toward the sound.

"Stay down!"

Serena dropped to the floor.

More shots followed.

Stone chipped from the wall.

Then silence.

Ryder reached for Serena.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"Where's Grace?"

Ryder switched on his flashlight.

Grace was gone.

Only a trail of blood remained on the stone floor.

Serena stared at it.

"She was right there."

"I know."

"She disappeared."

"Someone took her."

Ryder's eyes moved around the room.

The door was still closed.

His expression darkened.

"There has to be another exit."

They searched the walls.

Nothing.

Then Serena noticed something beneath one of the shelves.

A thin line in the stone.

"Ryder."

He crouched beside her.

She pointed.

"There."

He pressed against the wall.

A hidden passage opened.

Cold air rushed into the room.

Ryder looked at Serena.

"Stay behind me."

They entered.

The passage led upward.

After several minutes, they emerged behind the cemetery.

Jace and Mack were waiting beside the vehicles.

Jace immediately approached.

"What happened?"

"Someone attacked us."

"Who?"

"We don't know."

Jace looked at Serena.

"Where's Grace?"

"Taken."

Jace cursed.

"Then we have a bigger problem."

Ryder's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

Jace handed him a phone.

"We intercepted another transmission."

Ryder looked at the screen.

A single message appeared.

THE GIRL KNOWS TOO MUCH.

Serena read it over his shoulder.

Then another message arrived.

BRING HER TO THE OLD HOTEL BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

Ryder's expression hardened.

"Absolutely not."

Serena looked at him.

"They want me."

"Exactly."

"Then maybe I should go."

"No."

"They took Grace because she knows the truth."

"And they'll kill you because you know it too."

Serena stepped closer.

"Ryder, how many people have to die because of me?"

His expression softened.

"This isn't your fault."

"My mother died."

"Not because of you."

"Grace was taken."

"Not because of you."

"And your family—"

"Stop."

His voice cracked.

He stepped closer.

"Don't you dare take responsibility for something you didn't do."

Serena's eyes filled with tears.

Ryder gently touched her face.

"You survived."

She stared at him.

"Apparently, I wasn't supposed to."

His thumb brushed away a tear.

"Then whoever wanted you dead made one mistake."

"What?"

"They left you alive."

Their eyes locked.

For a moment, everything else disappeared.

Then Jace cleared his throat.

"We have a problem."

Ryder looked at him.

"What now?"

Jace pointed toward the cemetery.

"There."

A black SUV sat near the entrance.

Ryder's expression changed.

"That's the same vehicle from the footage."

Serena's heart raced.

"The one that entered my father's estate?"

"Yes."

Ryder drew his weapon.

"Stay here."

He moved toward the SUV.

Jace followed.

The doors were unlocked.

Inside was nothing.

Except an envelope.

Ryder opened it.

A photograph fell out.

He picked it up.

His face went pale.

Serena approached.

"What is it?"

Ryder didn't answer.

She took the photograph.

It showed a young boy.

Standing beside Richard Kane.

The boy looked about ten years old.

Serena stared.

"Who is that?"

Ryder swallowed.

"It's me."

She looked at him.

"But this photograph..."

"Was taken twenty-two years ago."

Serena frowned.

"Then why does it matter?"

Ryder turned the photograph over.

There was a date.

Three days before the fire that supposedly killed my family.

Serena's eyes widened.

"You were there."

"Where?"

"With your father."

Ryder stared at the picture.

"I don't remember this."

Jace looked over his shoulder.

"Maybe you were supposed to forget."

Ryder's expression hardened.

"What happened that night?"

No one answered.

Then Serena noticed another detail.

A woman stood behind Ryder and Richard.

Her face was partially hidden.

Serena's breathing stopped.

"Ryder."

He looked at her.

"That's my mother."

Ryder stared at the photograph.

Sophia Kane.

Alive.

Standing beside them.

Three days before the fire.

His entire world shifted.

"My mother died in that fire."

Serena shook her head.

"Maybe she didn't."

Ryder looked at Jace.

"Find everything."

"About what?"

"My mother's death."

Jace nodded.

"I'll start with the old police records."

"Not enough."

Ryder's voice became colder.

"Find the original report."

Jace hesitated.

"The report was sealed."

"Then break the seal."

That night, Ryder couldn't sleep.

The photograph sat on the table in front of him.

He stared at his mother's face.

He remembered her smile.

Her voice.

The way she used to kiss his forehead before bed.

Then the fire.

His father's final command.

Run.

He had believed his mother died that night.

What if she hadn't?

What if everything he remembered had been manipulated?

The door opened.

Serena walked inside.

"You're still awake."

Ryder looked at her.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

She sat beside him.

For several moments, they said nothing.

Then Serena spoke.

"Do you hate me?"

Ryder frowned.

"Why would I?"

"Because my father lied to you."

"He did."

"My family destroyed yours."

"We don't know that anymore."

She looked at him.

"And if we discover that they did?"

Ryder's eyes met hers.

"Then I'll deal with it."

"Even if it means losing me?"

He didn't answer.

Serena looked away.

"I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Why did you really come after me?"

Ryder went still.

The question he'd been avoiding had finally arrived.

He looked at her.

"I had a reason."

"What reason?"

"I wanted revenge."

Her expression changed.

"Against my father?"

"Yes."

"And I was part of your plan?"

Ryder said nothing.

Serena's eyes filled with tears.

"Tell me."

"I used you."

The words hurt him as much as they hurt her.

"At first."

She stood.

"And now?"

Ryder rose.

"Now I don't know how to live without you."

Serena stared at him.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the truth."

She shook her head.

"You lied to me."

"I know."

"You manipulated me."

"I know."

"And you expect me to trust you?"

"No."

Ryder stepped closer.

"I expect you to hate me."

She looked into his eyes.

"I don't."

His breath caught.

"I should."

"You should."

"Then why don't I?"

He reached for her.

This time, Serena didn't pull away.

She kissed him.

Not softly.

Not carefully.

Desperately.

Like she was trying to forget every lie between them.

Ryder pulled her against him.

Then stopped.

His forehead rested against hers.

"Serena."

"What?"

"I need to tell you something else."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"I don't think you're just Damon's daughter."

Her heart pounded.

"What do you mean?"

Ryder looked at the photograph again.

"I think our families knew who you really were."

"And they hid it."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Ryder's phone suddenly rang.

Jace.

He answered.

"What?"

Jace's voice was urgent.

"We found the original death report."

Ryder's expression changed.

"What does it say?"

"Your mother wasn't in the house when the fire started."

Ryder went completely still.

"Then where was she?"

A pause.

Jace spoke quietly.

"She was seen leaving with a baby."

Ryder looked at Serena.

His blood ran cold.

"A baby?"

"Yes."

Jace continued.

"And Ryder..."

"What?"

"The report identifies the baby."

Silence.

"Who?"

Jace's answer shattered everything.

"The baby was Serena."