Ashes Of The Hidden Heir

The Diary of The Dead

CHAPTER FIVE

The silence of the crypt was thicker than the smoke that still hung in the ruins of the cathedral. Damien Ashcroft's hand was still extended.

"Give me the journal.

Kael looked at the worn leather cover resting against his chest. Years of age had darkened the leather, but the gold inscription was still visible: *Isabella Ashcroft.* His mother's name — the woman he had buried twenty-six years ago.

"Not."

The word came quietly, yet it echoed through the chamber. Victor Romano lowered his eyes. In thirty-five years beside Damien Ashcroft, he had seen presidents negotiate, crime bosses surrender, and billionaires beg. None had refused Damien so calmly.

Lena moved next to Kael, fingers finding his. If the journal is his mother’s,” she said, “then it is his.”

Damien turned his eyes to her. “You were in this world one night.”

"I've spent one night seeing what it has done to him."

Neither looked away. Finally, Damien lowered his hand. "We're leaving."

The convoy returned to Blackthorn Estate beneath a sky that threatened yet another storm. On the drive nobody said a word. The journal sat on the passenger seat between him and Lena, and Kael kept both hands on the steering wheel. It felt heavier than it should, as though every page carried another secret waiting to tear his family apart.

The gates of the estate opened and Lena looked out on the sprawling mansion. "I thought this place used to be beautiful.

Kael stared at the enormous stone building. And now.

“It’s like a prison.”

He could not but agree.

They got to the front doors and opened them. The household staff was arrayed in two neat lines, greeting them in practiced silence. At the head was Margaret, the old housekeeper who had been with the Ashcroft family for years. She made a polite bow.

"Master Kael." Her eyes drifted to Lena. "My dear… we're grateful you're safe."

"Thanks.

Margaret smiled warmly before turning back to Kael. For just a second, emotion softened her face. "You've grown into your mother's smile."

Kael stopped walking. "My mother's… what?"

Margaret seemed to realize what she had said. Before she could answer, Damien's voice echoed from the staircase.

"Margaret."

She straightened immediately. "Yes, sir."

"Prepare the east guest suite."

"At once."

As she passed Kael, she slowed for only a heartbeat. Without lifting her head, she whispered, "Don't let anyone read that journal before you do." Then she disappeared down the corridor.

Kael watched her leave. Lena leaned closer. "What did she say?"

He hesitated. "I think she just warned me."

An hour later, Kael and Lena stood inside the east guest suite. Rain tapped softly against the tall windows. The room was luxurious, yet neither of them felt comfortable.

Lena placed both hands over her stomach. "Our baby deserves better than this."

Kael crossed the room and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll get us out."

"You've been saying that."

"I mean it."

She looked into his eyes. "Can you really walk away from your family?"

The question lingered. He had asked himself the same thing countless times. Before he could answer, his gaze fell on the journal lying on the coffee table. Everything seemed to lead back to it. Perhaps the answers did too.

He picked it up carefully. The leather creaked as he opened the cover. On the first page, written in elegant handwriting, was a single sentence: *If my son is reading this, then I have already lost everything.*

Kael's chest tightened. He turned the page. Another message waited: *Trust no one who asks for this journal. Especially your father.*

A sharp knock interrupted the silence — three slow, deliberate knocks. Kael immediately closed the journal.

Victor's voice came through the door. "Mr. Kael."

No reply.

"Your father requests your presence."

Kael remained still. Victor spoke again, his tone lower this time. "I don't believe this can wait."

Lena frowned. "Should you go?"

Before Kael could answer, another voice echoed from farther down the hallway. It wasn't Victor — it was a servant, his words hurried. "Mr. Romano… Detective Mercer is at the front gate."

Kael and Lena exchanged a look. The police had found them. The words struck the room like a gunshot.

Kael's eyes narrowed. He slipped the journal inside his jacket and buttoned it shut before looking at Lena. "Stay here."

She crossed her arms. "I've already been kidnapped once. I'm done sitting in rooms while everyone else decides my future."

"I need to know why he's here."

"And I need to know what's happening."

Before Kael could answer, another knock sounded. This time, Victor opened the door just enough to meet his eyes. "The detective insists on speaking with you."

"I didn't invite him."

"I don't think he came because he was invited."

Kael glanced at Lena. "Lock the door if I don't return in fifteen minutes."

She nodded reluctantly. "I'll be waiting."

The grand entrance hall was unusually quiet. Most of the household staff had disappeared, leaving only Damien, Victor, and two security guards standing beneath the crystal chandelier. The massive front doors swung open, and Detective Elias Mercer stepped inside, rainwater dripping from his coat. He removed his hat, calmly surveying the mansion before his eyes settled on Damien.

"Mr. Ashcroft."

Damien's expression remained unreadable. "Detective."

"I apologize for arriving unannounced."

"You've already done that."

Mercer ignored the remark. "I have questions."

Damien gestured toward the study. "I prefer privacy."

"I prefer honesty."

A faint smile crossed Damien's face. "Then one of us is going to be disappointed."

Victor almost sighed. Kael stepped into the room, and Mercer's eyes immediately shifted to him.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I wasn't expecting visitors."

"I imagine you've had a difficult night."

"You could say that."

Mercer reached into his briefcase and removed a transparent evidence bag. Inside was the brass button engraved with the silver serpent wrapped around a dagger. Kael recognized it instantly.

"The Serpent Circle."

Mercer's expression changed. "So you do know what it is."

Silence filled the hall. Damien slowly turned toward his son. Kael realized he had answered too quickly, and Mercer noticed it too. “Interesting.

They moved into Damien's study. Rain beat steadily against the windows while the detective placed the evidence bag on the desk.

"This symbol was recovered from Miss Lena Okoye's apartment." No one spoke. "I've also confirmed that one of the abandoned vehicles near the crime scene was purchased through a company connected to Ashcroft Global Logistics."

Victor remained perfectly still. Damien folded his hands. "Coincidences happen."

"Not this many." Mercer opened another file. "Twenty-six years ago, an investigation known as Operation Raven was abruptly closed."

Damien's eyes hardened. "I fail to see the connection."

"I didn't." Mercer removed a faded photograph — a younger Damien stood among several men outside a warehouse. One face had been deliberately burned away. "I believe someone wanted this man erased from history." He slid the photograph across the desk. "Do you know who he is?"

Damien barely glanced at it. "Not."

Kael wasn't convinced. His father had answered too quickly.

Mercer studied Damien for several seconds before closing the file. "I'll ask again another day." He stood. "But understand this…" His gaze moved from Damien to Kael. "…whoever kidnapped Miss Okoye wasn't after money."

"We know."

"They were sending a message."

Damien nodded once. "I know that too."

Mercer placed his hat back on. "Then perhaps you know something that could prevent another attack." Without waiting for an answer, he walked toward the door. Just before leaving, he stopped beside Kael. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"If you ever decide to stop protecting your family…" He slipped a business card into Kael's hand. "…call me before it's too late."

Then he left.

An hour later, the mansion had settled into silence again. Kael returned to the guest suite. Lena was sitting beside the fireplace exactly where he had left her.

"You kept your promise."

"I said fifteen minutes."

"It was twenty-three."

He smiled for the first time that day. "You're counting."

"I was worried." She noticed the thoughtful expression on his face. “What was it?”

"The detective knows more than he's admitting."

And your father?

"He knows even more."

Kael removed the journal from inside his jacket and placed it on the table. "This ends tonight."

Lena looked at him. "What do you mean?

"I'm reading every page."

He opened the journal once more, and several loose pages slipped onto the floor. One yellowed envelope landed at his feet — unlike the others, it wasn't addressed to Kael. Across the front, in Isabella's unmistakable handwriting, were four chilling words: *For Damien. Never Open.*

Neither of them spoke. If Isabella had written a letter she never wanted Damien to read, what could possibly be inside?

Kael reached for the envelope. At that exact moment, every light in Blackthorn Estate went out. Darkness swallowed the room. A heartbeat later, the mansion's security alarm erupted through the halls. Then came a single gunshot, followed by a woman's scream.

Lena's face turned pale. "That was Margaret."

Kael was already running for the door.