BOUND BY BLOOD AND BETRAYAL

Prologue

THE NIGHT EVERYTHING DIED

The first time I saw my father’s murderer, I didn’t know he was a murderer.

I thought he was a stranger.

A man standing beneath the rain.

Watching me.

Waiting.

It was almost midnight when I found my father’s body.

I remember everything.

The sound of rain against the windows.

The smell of wet earth.

The grandfather clock ticking somewhere downstairs.

And the strange silence that seemed to swallow the entire house.

I had only been home for three hours.

Three hours after six years away.

Six years since I had walked out of Marlowe Estate and promised myself I’d never return.

Then my father died.

Funny how death has a way of breaking promises.

I stood outside his study, my hand trembling against the doorknob.

“Father?”

No answer.

I frowned.

He always answered.

Even when he was angry.

Especially when he was angry.

I slowly opened the door.

The room was dark.

“Father?”

Lightning flashed through the windows.

For half a second, the entire room turned white.

And I saw him.

My father was lying behind his desk.

Motionless.

Blood covered his white shirt.

A glass of whiskey had shattered beside him.

I couldn’t breathe.

“No.”

I stumbled backward.

“No, no, no…”

My hands began shaking.

I pulled out my phone.

I was about to call the police when something caught my attention.

A piece of paper sat on the desk.

My name was written across it.

ELENA.

My heart stopped.

I walked closer.

“Why would you…”

I picked it up.

There were only six words.

Trust no one in this family.

I stared at the sentence.

Then I heard something behind me.

A floorboard creaked.

I turned.

Someone was standing at the end of the hallway.

A tall man.

Black coat.

Dark hair.

Gray eyes.

He looked directly at me.

I didn’t recognize him.

But somehow…

he knew my name.

“Elena.”

My blood ran cold.

“Who the hell are you?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked past me toward my father’s body.

Then he whispered:

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

His eyes returned to mine.

“For what you’re about to discover.”

The hallway lights suddenly went out.

I screamed.

When they came back on seconds later…

the man was gone.

But something else had changed.

The note was no longer in my hand.

It was gone.

And on my father’s desk was another message.

Three words.

HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.

That was the night my family died.

Not because my father was dead.

But because I finally learned the truth.

My family had been lying to me for twenty-four years.

And the worst part?

I had no idea which one of them wanted me dead.