THE WOMAN IN THE MANSION
1598 Words
Chapter 8:
The words on the paper seemed to burn into Amelia's mind.
YOUR SISTER IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.
SHE'S ALREADY INSIDE THE MANSION.
Amelia read the message twice.
Then a third time.
Her heart was pounding.
"Adrian..."
"I know."
He took the paper from her hand and examined it carefully.
The room remained completely dark.
Somewhere downstairs, a door slammed.
Amelia flinched.
"Someone is inside."
Adrian immediately moved in front of her.
"Stay behind me."
"But—"
"Amelia."
The warning in his voice made her stop.
He reached for his phone and switched on the flashlight.
"Security."
His call went unanswered.
He tried again.
Nothing.
His expression hardened.
"The communication system has been disabled."
Amelia's stomach tightened.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"Could it be the person who broke into my room?"
"Possibly."
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
This time, they were getting closer.
Adrian reached for Amelia's hand.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"Somewhere secure."
He pulled her toward a hidden door beside the bookshelf.
Amelia stared.
"I didn't know that was there."
"You weren't supposed to."
He opened it.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
Amelia hesitated.
"Go."
She entered.
Adrian followed and closed the door behind them.
The darkness became almost complete.
Amelia could hear his breathing beside her.
"Where does this lead?"
"To the underground security room."
"You have an underground security room?"
"This house has several things you don't know about."
She sighed.
"Of course it does."
They continued walking.
Then Amelia stopped.
"What?"
"I heard something."
Adrian turned.
"What did you hear?"
"Someone."
They listened.
Nothing.
Then—
A woman's voice whispered from somewhere behind them.
"Amelia."
She froze.
Adrian immediately raised his gun.
"Who are you?"
Silence.
Then the voice came again.
"Don't let him take you."
Amelia's heart raced.
"Victoria?"
No answer.
Adrian pulled her closer.
"Don't respond."
"But—"
"Don't."
They continued moving.
The voice followed them.
"Amelia..."
"Amelia..."
"Amelia..."
Then suddenly—
The emergency lights came on.
The hallway was empty.
Adrian looked around.
Nothing.
Amelia's breathing was unsteady.
"Who was that?"
"I don't know."
"You heard her."
"Yes."
"She sounded like a woman."
"Yes."
"Could it be my sister?"
Adrian looked at her.
"Maybe."
Amelia's eyes widened.
"If Elena is here—"
"We'll find her."
---
They reached the security room.
Adrian entered a code.
The heavy steel door opened.
Inside were dozens of monitors.
Security cameras covered every part of the mansion.
Adrian immediately went to the main console.
He switched on the screens.
One by one, the cameras came back online.
"Someone disabled the system from inside."
Amelia stared at the monitors.
"Can you see who?"
Adrian rewound the footage.
The cameras showed empty hallways.
Then one screen flickered.
A woman appeared.
She was walking through the mansion.
Amelia leaned closer.
"Who is that?"
Adrian froze.
The woman had long dark hair.
She was wearing a black dress.
Her face was partly hidden.
Amelia stared.
"I've never seen her."
Adrian enlarged the image.
The woman turned slightly.
Her face became visible.
Amelia's breath caught.
She looked exactly like her.
Not similar.
Exactly.
The same eyes.
The same lips.
The same shape of her face.
Amelia whispered:
"Elena."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"She's here."
---
They rushed out of the security room.
Adrian called his men.
"Search every floor."
"Yes, sir."
Amelia followed.
"Wait."
He turned.
"What?"
"Don't hurt her."
His expression softened slightly.
"I won't."
"Promise."
"I promise."
They searched the mansion.
The library.
The dining room.
The ballroom.
The guest rooms.
Nothing.
Then Amelia heard a noise.
"Wait."
She turned toward the east wing.
"What?"
"I heard something."
Adrian followed her.
They walked down the hallway.
At the end was a door Amelia had never seen open.
She reached for the handle.
Adrian stopped her.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"This room has been locked for years."
"Then why?"
"Because it belonged to Victoria."
Amelia stared at the door.
Her heart began racing.
"Open it."
Adrian hesitated.
"Amelia—"
"Open it."
He entered a code.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Dust filled the air.
The room looked untouched.
Photographs covered the walls.
Victoria.
Adrian.
Victoria's family.
And—
Amelia stopped.
There was a photograph of two babies.
The same photograph they had found earlier.
But this one had something written beneath it.
AMELIA AND ELENA.
She stepped closer.
"Why would Victoria have this?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Amelia looked around.
There were boxes everywhere.
She opened one.
Inside were old documents.
Birth certificates.
Hospital records.
Letters.
And photographs.
She picked up one letter.
It was addressed to Victoria.
Victoria,
If anything happens to me, you must protect the girls.
Amelia's heart stopped.
"The girls."
She looked at Adrian.
"Who wrote this?"
He took the letter.
His face changed.
"Your father."
Amelia's breathing became shallow.
"Why would my father write to Victoria?"
"I don't know."
She opened another envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a young woman.
Amelia stared.
It was her mother.
Beside her was a younger Daniel.
And beside them—
Adrian's father.
All three were smiling.
Amelia looked at Adrian.
"They knew each other."
"Yes."
"But you said my father betrayed your family."
"He did."
"Then why were they friends?"
Adrian had no answer.
Suddenly, something crashed behind them.
They turned.
A figure ran through the doorway.
"Stop!"
Adrian chased after her.
Amelia followed.
The woman ran down the corridor.
She was fast.
She turned toward the staircase.
Adrian caught up.
He grabbed her wrist.
The woman spun around.
Amelia froze.
Their eyes met.
The woman looked exactly like her.
It was like looking into a mirror.
"Elena?"
The woman stared at her.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Amelia."
Amelia couldn't move.
"You're my sister."
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
Amelia stepped forward.
"Where have you been?"
Elena looked at Adrian.
Fear appeared in her eyes.
"Don't trust him."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Elena."
She stepped backward.
"You don't understand."
Amelia reached for her.
"Then explain."
Elena looked at her.
"They will kill you."
"Who?"
"Everyone connected to Blackwood."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Who are you talking about?"
Elena shook her head.
"I can't."
"You have to."
"I can't!"
She turned and ran.
Adrian immediately moved after her.
Amelia grabbed his arm.
"Don't!"
He stopped.
"She's scared."
"She's also hiding something."
"She's my sister."
"I know."
"Then let her go."
Adrian looked at her.
"You don't know what she's involved in."
"Neither do you."
He sighed.
"Fine."
But his eyes remained fixed on the hallway where Elena had disappeared.
---
Hours later, the mansion was quiet again.
Elena was gone.
The security team couldn't find her.
Amelia sat in the library surrounded by the old documents.
Adrian sat across from her.
"You should sleep."
"I can't."
"You're exhausted."
"I need answers."
"I know."
She picked up one of the letters.
"Why was my father protecting us?"
"I don't know."
"Why did he trust Victoria?"
"I don't know."
"Why did Elena tell me not to trust you?"
Adrian was silent.
Amelia looked at him.
"Do you know?"
"No."
"Then why did she look so afraid of you?"
He leaned back.
"Because my family has enemies."
"That isn't an answer."
"It is the only one I have."
Amelia looked down.
Then she noticed something.
A tiny symbol was drawn on the bottom corner of one of the letters.
A black rose.
She touched it.
"What's this?"
Adrian immediately took the letter from her.
His face changed.
"You shouldn't have seen this."
"Why?"
He stood.
"Because that symbol belongs to a group of people who have been trying to destroy my family for years."
"Who?"
Adrian looked at her.
"The Black Rose."
Amelia frowned.
"Who are they?"
"I don't know."
"But you recognize the symbol."
"Yes."
"Then you know something."
"I know they don't stop until they get what they want."
"What do they want?"
Adrian's expression became dark.
"The Blackwood fortune."
Amelia looked around.
"Then why are they interested in me?"
He didn't answer.
She stood.
"Adrian."
His eyes met hers.
"Tell me."
He walked toward her.
"I don't think they're after the fortune anymore."
"Then what?"
His voice was low.
"You."
Amelia's heart pounded.
"Why me?"
Adrian reached for the letter.
"Because this symbol was found on the documents surrounding your birth."
Silence.
Amelia stared at him.
"You're saying the people who want to destroy your family were involved in my birth?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Before Amelia could respond, the mansion lights flickered.
Then every security monitor in the library turned on at once.
A video appeared.
A woman was sitting in a dark room.
Amelia recognized her immediately.
Victoria.
She looked thinner than the photographs.
Her face was pale.
But she was alive.
She stared directly into the camera.
"Amelia..."
Amelia stepped closer.
Victoria's voice trembled.
"If you're watching this, then you've already found Elena."
Adrian's expression became tense.
Victoria continued.
"Don't trust anyone."
The screen flickered.
Then she said the words that froze Amelia's blood.
"Especially Adrian."
The video went black.
Amelia slowly turned toward him.
Adrian's face was unreadable.
But before either of them could speak, another message appeared on the screen.
THE WEDDING WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
Then the screen went dark.
Amelia looked at Adrian.
For the first time, she saw something she had never seen in his eyes before.
Fear.
And somewhere outside the mansion, hidden in the darkness, someone watched the house.
A phone was lifted.
A message was typed.
She's found her sister.
A reply came immediately.
Good.
Then another message appeared.
Now bring Elena to me.
The sender smiled.
Because the game had only just begun.
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