Bound By His Revenge

INTO THE LIONS DEN

Damien stared at the white card in his hand.

A marriage completed. The bride now belongs to me.

His fingers tightened around it.

For the first time in years, Damien felt completely powerless.

His wife had disappeared from a room filled with people.

And someone had planned every second of it.

He slowly lifted his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the reception is over."

The guests exchanged nervous looks.

Damien's voice remained calm.

"My staff will escort everyone out."

No one argued.

Within minutes, the ballroom began to empty.

Damien turned to the head of security.

"Lock down the estate."

"Yes, sir."

"Check every entrance, every camera, every vehicle that came onto this property."

The security chief nodded and immediately left.

Sarah approached Damien.

"This wasn't random."

"I know."

"That woman was a distraction."

Damien looked toward the empty doorway.

"Exactly."

His eyes hardened.

"Victor Hale planned this."

---

Meanwhile...

Lina slowly opened her eyes.

A sharp pain throbbed at the back of her head.

She blinked several times.

The room around her was unfamiliar.

Dark wooden walls surrounded a large bed. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, while expensive paintings decorated the walls.

It looked like a luxurious bedroom.

Not a prison.

Lina slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.

Then the memories returned.

The wedding.

The woman in white.

The chaos.

Damien.

Her breathing became faster.

She threw the blanket aside and carefully stood.

Her legs felt weak, so she held onto the bed until she regained her balance.

She looked around.

A large window stood across the room.

Lina walked toward it and pulled the curtains open.

Her heart sank.

A beautiful garden stretched beyond the glass.

But the garden was surrounded by enormous stone walls.

Security cameras covered the corners.

Several armed guards walked around the property.

There was no easy way out.

Lina stepped away from the window.

"I need to think."

She turned toward the door.

Maybe someone could help her.

She walked over and reached for the handle.

Before her fingers touched it...

The door opened.

A middle-aged woman entered carrying a silver tray.

She wore a black uniform.

Her expression was calm.

"I see you're awake."

Lina stepped backward.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Martha."

"Where am I?"

The woman hesitated.

"Hale Estate."

Lina's face went pale.

"Hale Estate?"

Martha nodded.

"You're safe here."

"Safe?"

Lina almost laughed.

"You kidn*pped me!"

"I didn't."

"Then who did?"

Martha looked away.

"I only follow orders."

"Whose orders?"

A long silence followed.

"Mr. Victor Hale's."

Lina's stomach tightened.

"Why am I here?"

Martha placed the tray on the table.

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

She turned toward the door.

"Eat something."

"I don't want food."

"You may need your strength."

Martha left.

The door locked behind her.

Lina stared at it.

Then she looked around the room again.

Something was wrong.

She could feel it.

Victor hadn't brought her here simply to frighten Damien.

There had to be another reason.

---

Back at Blackwood Mansion...

Damien stood in the library with Edward.

His grandfather looked exhausted.

"You knew something like this could happen," Damien said.

Edward lowered his eyes.

"I suspected Victor would make a move."

"You should have told me."

"I was trying to protect you."

"By keeping me ignorant?"

Edward sighed.

"Victor Hale wasn't always our enemy."

Damien frowned.

"Then what happened?"

Edward stared into the fireplace.

"Twenty years ago, Victor was one of the most trusted people in this family."

"And my father trusted him?"

"More than anyone."

Damien's expression changed.

"What did he do?"

Edward didn't answer.

"Grandfather."

"There are things about your parents' deaths that you were never told."

Damien's heart began pounding.

Before he could ask another question, the security chief rushed into the library.

"Sir."

Damien turned.

"We found something."

The man placed a tablet on the table.

The security footage began playing.

Lina appeared on the screen.

She was walking through a side corridor.

A woman wearing a Blackwood staff uniform approached her.

The woman said something.

Lina followed her.

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Who is that?"

"We don't know."

"She's not one of our employees."

The footage continued.

The woman led Lina toward a rear entrance.

A black SUV was waiting outside.

Lina stopped.

She seemed suspicious.

She turned around.

A man suddenly appeared behind her.

He grabbed her.

Another man joined him.

Together, they forced Lina into the vehicle.

Damien's jaw tightened.

"Find the car."

"We're trying."

"Try faster."

The security chief nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Damien looked at the footage again.

Victor had used their own security system against them.

He had known exactly where the cameras were.

Exactly where the guards would be.

Exactly when everyone would be distracted.

Damien's phone suddenly rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

"Where is my wife?"

Victor's voice came through calmly.

"Congratulations, Damien."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Victor."

"You finally said my name."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to understand something."

Victor paused.

"This was never about the wedding."

Damien's grip tightened around the phone.

"Then what is it about?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"I want to speak to Lina."

"You will."

"Put her on the phone."

A quiet laugh came from the other end.

"Not yet."

Damien's patience snapped.

"If you hurt her, I swear—"

"You'll do what?"

Silence.

Victor continued.

"Bring your grandfather to the old Hale warehouse at midnight."

Edward suddenly looked up.

His face lost all color.

Damien noticed.

"What warehouse?"

Victor laughed softly.

"Ask Edward."

The call ended.

Damien slowly lowered his phone.

He turned toward his grandfather.

"You know that place."

Edward said nothing.

"Grandfather."

Still nothing.

"What happened there?"

Edward's hands trembled.

Damien stepped closer.

"What happened in that warehouse?"

Edward finally looked at him.

His eyes were filled with fear.

"The night your parents died..."

He stopped.

Damien's heart pounded.

"What about it?"

Edward swallowed.

"It began in that warehouse."

---

At Hale Estate, Lina stood before the bedroom mirror.

She had searched the room but found nothing that could help her escape.

Then she noticed something unusual.

One of the paintings was slightly crooked.

She walked toward it.

When she straightened the frame, something fell behind it.

A photograph.

Lina picked it up.

Her breath caught.

The photograph showed four people standing together.

Edward Blackwood.

A younger Victor Hale.

A man Lina recognized from an old photograph of Damien's father.

And...

Her mother.

Grace Brooks.

Lina stared at the image in disbelief.

"No..."

She turned the photograph over.

Four names were written on the back.

Edward Blackwood.

Richard Blackwood.

Victor Hale.

Grace Brooks.

Below them was a date from more than twenty years ago.

Lina's hands began shaking.

Her mother had known them.

All of them.

Why had she never said anything?

The bedroom door suddenly opened.

Martha stood there.

"Mr. Hale wants to see you."

Lina quickly hid the photograph behind her back.

"Why?"

Martha's expression changed.

"Because..."

She hesitated.

"He says it's time you learned why you're really here."

Lina's heart pounded.

She followed Martha out of the room.

At the end of the hallway stood a large wooden door.

Martha opened it.

Victor Hale was waiting inside.

He turned toward Lina.

For several seconds, he simply stared at her.

Then his eyes moved to the photograph in her hand.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"You found it."

Lina froze.

Victor stepped closer.

"Now you're finally ready to hear the truth."