The billionaire secrete curse

Chapter 5: the missing pendant

Nia’s POV

The pendant was gone.

I stared at the empty floor.

“No.”

I quickly looked around the room.

“Where is it?”

Lucien was already searching.

He checked under the table.

Then behind the chairs.

Nothing.

“It was right here,” I said.

“I know.”

“You were holding my hand.”

“I know.”

“Then how did it disappear?”

Lucien didn’t answer.

He looked at the door.

“He had help.”

I looked at him.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

I shook my head.

“This is getting worse.”

Lucien looked at me.

“We need to leave.”

“But the pendant—”

“We’ll find it.”

“How?”

He walked toward the door.

“Before whoever took it finds what they’re looking for.”

I followed him.

“What are they looking for?”

He stopped.

“The same thing your father was looking for.”

I frowned.

“And what is that?”

Lucien looked at me.

“My brother.”

My heart skipped.

“You think my father was looking for your brother?”

“I know he was.”

“How?”

“Because I found his records.”

I stared at him.

“What records?”

“Come with me.”

We left the strange room and entered the hallway.

The elevator was still there.

The doors opened by themselves.

Neither of us moved.

Lucien stared at it.

“This wasn’t here before.”

I looked at him.

“Then how are we supposed to get out?”

He stepped inside.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

I followed him.

The doors closed.

This time, the elevator moved.

Down.

The numbers on the screen began changing.

Twenty.

Nineteen.

Eighteen.

Then suddenly—

The screen went blank.

The elevator stopped.

I grabbed the side.

“What now?”

Lucien looked at the doors.

“Stay close to me.”

The doors opened.

We were back in the lobby.

People were walking around like nothing had happened.

I looked behind us.

The elevator was completely normal.

I turned to Lucien.

“Did anyone else see that?”

“No.”

“How?”

He didn’t answer.

We walked outside.

The moment we stepped onto the street, my phone rang.

My mother’s name appeared on the screen.

“Mum!”

I quickly answered.

“Hello?”

There was no answer.

“Mum?”

I heard breathing.

Then a man’s voice.

“Your mother is safe.”

My heart stopped.

“Who are you?”

“You should stop asking questions.”

“Where is my mother?”

A short silence.

“Go home.”

“Let me speak to her.”

The man laughed quietly.

“You’ll see her soon.”

The call ended.

I stared at my phone.

Lucien looked at me.

“Was that them?”

I nodded.

“They have my mother.”

His face became serious.

“We’re going to your house.”

“No.”

I looked at him.

“We’re going to find her.”

Lucien didn’t argue.

He opened the car door.

I got inside.

As he drove away, I kept thinking about the photograph.

My father.

My mother.

Lucien’s brother.

The missing pendant.

Everything was connected.

But I still didn’t know how.

Then I remembered the words written on the photograph.

Ask Celeste what happened that night.

I turned to Lucien.

“Take me somewhere first.”

“Where?”

“My mother’s restaurant.”

He glanced at me.

“Why?”

“Because there’s something I need to check.”

“What?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the restaurant.

It was empty.

The lights were off.

The front door was unlocked.

I slowly stepped inside.

“Mum?”

No answer.

I walked behind the counter.

Everything looked normal.

Then I noticed something.

One of the drawers was open.

I pulled it out.

Inside was an old envelope.

My name was written on it.

Again.

My hands went cold.

Lucien stood beside me.

“Don’t open it.”

I looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because whoever left it wants you to.”

I stared at the envelope.

Then I opened it anyway.

Inside was a single key.

And a note.

I read it aloud.

“Your father left something for you.”

I turned the paper over.

There was one final sentence.

Find the room beneath the restaurant.

I looked at Lucien.

“There is no room beneath the restaurant.”

He stared at the floor.

Then his eyes moved back to me.

“There is now.”

Before I could ask what he meant, we heard a loud sound beneath us.

Bang.

I stepped back.

Another sound followed.

Bang.

Lucien grabbed my arm.

“Stay behind me.”

The floor beneath the counter suddenly moved.

A hidden door slowly opened.

I stared into the darkness below.

My heart was pounding.

Then I saw something at the bottom of the stairs.

A small wooden box.

And carved into the top was the same symbol that had been on my pendant.

Lucien looked at it.

Then he whispered,

“Your father left this here.”

I swallowed.

“What is inside?”

Lucien looked at me.

“Whatever it is…”

He paused.

“…someone has been trying to keep you from finding it.”

I slowly stepped toward the stairs.

And then, from somewhere below us, I heard a man’s voice.

“Finally.”

I froze.

The voice continued.

“Daniel’s daughter has come home.”