THE ENEMY WITHIN
1327 Words
Chapter 12
The mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Amelia stood beside Adrian in the darkness, her hand still trapped inside his.
The message on the monitor had disappeared, but the words remained burned into her mind.
THE BLACK ROSE HAS RETURNED.
She looked at Adrian.
"What happens now?"
His expression was hard.
"We find the traitor."
"And if you don't?"
"We will."
"You sound certain."
"I have to be."
Elena stood a few feet away, watching them.
"There's something else."
Adrian turned.
"What?"
"The person who contacted you."
"My uncle."
"Yes."
"You said he was dead."
"He wanted everyone to believe that."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Why?"
"Because disappearing was the only way he could operate without being detected."
Adrian looked at his security team.
"Seal the mansion."
One of the guards nodded.
"Nobody enters. Nobody leaves."
Amelia frowned.
"What about my mother?"
"We'll bring her here."
"No."
Adrian looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want her in the middle of this."
"She's already involved."
"I know."
Amelia's voice softened.
"That's why I want her somewhere safe."
Adrian nodded.
"I'll arrange it."
Elena suddenly stepped forward.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
"Your mother can't come here."
"Why?"
"Because that's what they want."
Amelia frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Elena looked at Adrian.
"They know where she is."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"How?"
"Someone has been following her."
"Since when?"
"Since before the kidnapping."
Amelia's heart dropped.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know who to trust."
"You could have trusted me."
Elena looked at her sadly.
"I didn't know if you were already working for them."
Amelia stared.
"Me?"
"You were married to Adrian."
Elena's voice trembled.
"I didn't know if the marriage was real."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"It is."
Elena looked at him.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
---
An hour later, Adrian's private security team brought Amelia's mother to the mansion.
The moment Amelia saw her, she ran to her.
"Mum!"
Her mother hugged her tightly.
"My baby."
"I thought I'd lost you."
"I'm here."
Amelia pulled away.
"Who took you?"
Her mother looked at Adrian.
Then Elena.
Her face became pale.
"You found her."
Amelia frowned.
"You knew Elena was alive?"
Her mother closed her eyes.
"I knew she was somewhere."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of the people who separated you."
Amelia shook her head.
"Who were they?"
Her mother looked at Adrian.
"I don't know all of them."
"Who do you know?"
She hesitated.
"Your grandmother."
Amelia froze.
"My grandmother?"
"She was the one who ordered the separation."
"Why?"
"Because she believed one of you would be used against the family."
Elena interrupted.
"She was right."
Amelia looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Elena walked toward the window.
"After we were separated, I was taken to another family."
"Victoria's family."
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"They raised me."
Amelia stared.
"Did they treat you well?"
Elena looked away.
"They did."
"Then why did you leave?"
"Because I discovered the truth."
"What truth?"
Elena turned.
"Victoria wasn't my sister."
Amelia frowned.
"What?"
"She was protecting me."
"From what?"
Elena swallowed.
"From her own father."
---
The room fell silent.
Adrian's expression changed.
"Marcus."
Elena nodded.
"Marcus was Victoria's father."
Amelia's eyes widened.
"Then why was he helping the Black Rose?"
"He wasn't always."
"What happened?"
Elena shook her head.
"Money."
"Of course."
"He became obsessed with the research."
Amelia looked at her mother.
"And my grandmother?"
Her mother answered softly.
"She wanted to destroy it."
"Why?"
"Because she realized what it could become."
Adrian crossed his arms.
"What exactly did your grandmother discover?"
Elena looked at him.
"A way to identify certain inherited genetic traits before they appeared."
Adrian frowned.
"That's all?"
"No."
Elena's voice dropped.
"She discovered a pattern that could be passed through generations."
Amelia touched her wrist.
"The birthmark."
Elena nodded.
"That's the marker."
Amelia stared.
"So that's why they want me."
"Yes."
"And you?"
Elena shook her head.
"I don't have it."
Amelia's heart tightened.
"Then why did they separate us?"
"To protect you."
"Why not protect both of us?"
Elena looked down.
"Because they couldn't."
---
Later that evening, Adrian found Amelia alone in the library.
She was staring at the old family documents.
He stood in the doorway.
"You're still awake."
"I can't sleep."
He walked inside.
"You've had a long day."
"So have you."
He sat across from her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Amelia said:
"Did you know about my birthmark?"
Adrian looked at her wrist.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because it feels like everyone knows something about me except me."
He nodded.
"I understand."
"No, you don't."
Her voice broke.
"My father disappeared."
"My mother lied."
"I found a sister I didn't know existed."
"And now I'm being hunted because of something inside my blood."
She wiped away a tear.
"I don't even know who I am anymore."
Adrian stood.
He walked toward her.
"You are Amelia."
She looked up.
"That's not enough."
"It is to me."
She stared at him.
He knelt in front of her.
"You don't have to figure everything out tonight."
"How can you be so calm?"
"I'm not."
She looked surprised.
He took her hand.
"I'm terrified."
"Of what?"
"Losing you."
Her heart skipped.
"You hardly know me."
"I know enough."
"Adrian..."
He gently touched her cheek.
"I don't care about the trust."
"You should."
"I don't care about your father's secrets."
"You should."
"I don't care what your blood can do."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"I care about you."
Amelia's eyes filled with tears.
"Then why did you lie?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Of me?"
"Of what would happen if you knew the truth."
She whispered:
"You should have trusted me."
"I know."
A long silence passed.
Then Amelia slowly leaned forward.
Their foreheads touched.
For the first time, neither of them spoke.
The moment felt fragile.
Almost peaceful.
Then—
A gunshot shattered the window.
Adrian immediately pushed Amelia to the floor.
Glass exploded across the room.
"Stay down!"
Security rushed inside.
"Sir!"
"Find the shooter!"
Amelia's heart raced.
Adrian pulled her behind a heavy table.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Good."
He looked toward the broken window.
A small object had landed on the floor.
A black rose.
Adrian's expression became deadly.
He picked it up.
There was a note attached.
He read it.
His face changed.
"What does it say?" Amelia asked.
He didn't answer.
"Adrian."
He handed it to her.
She read the message.
ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE IS WORKING FOR US.
Beneath it:
YOU'VE ALREADY SHARED YOUR BED WITH THE ENEMY.
Amelia's blood ran cold.
She looked at Adrian.
"Who?"
He stared at the note.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, a scream came from upstairs.
Everyone turned.
It was Elena.
Amelia jumped up.
"Elena!"
Adrian grabbed her hand.
They ran upstairs.
Elena's bedroom door was open.
The room was empty.
The window was shattered.
And on the bed was another black rose.
Beside it lay a photograph.
Amelia picked it up.
It showed Elena standing beside a man.
The man was smiling.
Amelia recognized him.
It was Adrian's uncle.
But that wasn't what frightened her.
Written across the photograph were five words:
SHE WAS NEVER YOUR SISTER.
Amelia stared.
"What?"
Adrian took the photograph.
His expression changed.
Elena had disappeared.
Again.
But this time, the message suggested something even more terrifying.
What if Elena wasn't Amelia's twin at all?
What if the entire story of their birth had been fabricated?
And somewhere in the city, Elena opened her eyes inside a moving car.
The man beside her smiled.
"You've done well."
Elena stared out the window.
"I want my sister."
"You'll see her soon."
"Promise?"
The man smiled.
"I never break promises."
Elena looked at him.
"Who are you?"
The man turned toward her.
She froze.
It was the same man whose voice had called Adrian earlier.
Adrian's uncle.
He smiled.
"Your real father."
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