It's Miss Hart Now
1575 Words
Isabella didn't sleep.
The photograph lay on the table in front of her.
She had stared at it for hours.
Her mother.
Alive.
Standing beside Adrian's father.
And those six words written on the back kept repeating in her mind.
Ask Adrian why they killed me.
Killed me.
Not left me.
Not betrayed me.
Killed.
Isabella picked up the photograph again.
Her mother's face looked exactly as she remembered.
The same gentle smile.
The same dark eyes.
The same silver necklace hanging around her neck.
Isabella touched the photograph.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
The room remained silent.
She turned the photograph over.
There was something else she hadn't noticed.
A tiny symbol had been drawn beneath the message.
A crescent moon.
Three stars.
The same symbol as her necklace.
Her pulse quickened.
She grabbed the necklace from the table.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the pendant became warm.
Isabella immediately dropped it.
The room went cold.
Her wolf stirred.
For the first time in five years, she heard it clearly.
Not a whisper.
Not a feeling.
A voice.
Don't trust him.
Isabella froze.
“Who?”
Her wolf didn't answer.
Then another sensation hit her.
A memory.
A forest.
Her mother running.
Someone shouting.
A man in a black coat.
Then—
Fire.
Isabella gasped and fell against the table.
The vision disappeared.
She stared at the photograph.
“Dad…”
She had never known her father.
Her mother had always refused to talk about him.
Could he have been involved?
Before she could think further, her phone rang.
Daniel.
She answered immediately.
“What happened?”
“Miss Hart, I found something.”
“What?”
“Lunar Holdings.”
Isabella straightened.
“What about it?”
“I traced one of their old payments.”
“To where?”
There was silence.
“Blackthorn territory.”
Her heart tightened.
“Where exactly?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“An old research facility.”
Isabella's eyes narrowed.
“Research facility?”
“Yes.”
“Is it still operating?”
“No.”
“When did it close?”
“Five years ago.”
Isabella's fingers tightened around the phone.
Five years.
The same year she had been rejected.
The same year her mother supposedly died.
The same year everything changed.
“Send me the location.”
“Already did.”
Her phone vibrated.
Isabella looked at the map.
A red marker appeared deep inside Blackthorn territory.
She knew the place.
Everyone did.
The old Silverpine facility.
It had been abandoned for years.
At least...
that's what everyone believed.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Don't tell anyone about this.”
“Not even Adrian?”
Especially not Adrian.
“Not him.”
The next morning, Isabella returned to Blackthorn Tower.
She wore a black suit.
Her hair was tied back.
Her expression was calm.
Nobody looking at her would have guessed that she had spent the entire night discovering that her dead mother might actually be alive.
The receptionist stood.
“Good morning, Miss Hart.”
“Good morning.”
“Alpha Blackthorn is waiting.”
Isabella nodded.
“Of course he is.”
The elevator carried her to the top floor.
The doors opened.
Adrian stood beside the window.
He turned when he heard her footsteps.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
His eyes moved over her face.
“You look tired.”
Isabella walked past him.
“I'm here for business.”
Adrian frowned.
“You were here yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“You didn't answer my question.”
She placed a folder on the table.
“Your company.”
Adrian didn't move.
“What about it?”
“I've revised my offer.”
He looked at the folder.
“How much?”
Isabella told him.
Adrian stared at her.
“You're offering twice what the company is worth.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because I want it.”
“You're hiding something.”
Isabella smiled.
“Everyone hides something.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Not you.”
Her smile disappeared.
“You don't know me.”
“I knew you once.”
“No.”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“You knew a girl who loved you.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“That girl is gone.”
Isabella walked around the table.
“And you're the reason.”
He looked away.
She expected anger.
Instead, she saw pain.
For a fraction of a second.
Then it disappeared.
“Why did you come back?” Adrian asked.
“I told you.”
“Business isn't the reason.”
“Then perhaps you should stop asking questions you don't want answered.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
Isabella opened her folder.
A photograph slid across the table.
Adrian looked down.
His entire body froze.
His father's face.
Beside him...
Isabella's mother.
He knew the photograph.
He had seen it before.
Years ago.
Before his father ordered him to reject Isabella.
Adrian slowly looked up.
“Where did you get this?”
“So you recognize them.”
His jaw tightened.
“Isabella—”
“Don't.”
She placed another photograph on the table.
Then another.
Documents followed.
Payments.
Research records.
Lunar Holdings.
Adrian's expression grew darker with every page.
“Where did you get these?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because some of these documents are dangerous.”
She leaned forward.
“Dangerous to whom?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Isabella's voice became colder.
“My mother.”
Silence.
“Tell me what happened to her.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I can't.”
Her heart sank.
But she didn't let him see it.
“You can't?”
“I shouldn't.”
“That's different.”
He looked away.
“Isabella, there are things you don't understand.”
“Then explain them.”
“I can't.”
She laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“Five years ago, you told me I wasn't worthy of you.”
Adrian flinched.
“Today, you're telling me I'm not worthy of the truth.”
“That's not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?”
He stepped toward her.
“I was trying to protect you.”
Isabella stared at him.
“From what?”
Adrian opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
She nodded slowly.
“That's what I thought.”
She gathered the documents.
Adrian grabbed her wrist.
Isabella immediately froze.
The moment his fingers touched her skin—
The room changed.
A pulse of silver energy exploded between them.
The windows shook.
The lights flickered.
Both of them stepped backward.
Adrian stared at his hand.
Isabella stared at hers.
A faint silver mark had appeared on her wrist.
A crescent moon.
Three stars.
Adrian's face went pale.
“No…”
Isabella noticed.
“You know what this is.”
Adrian didn't answer.
“Adrian.”
His wolf roared inside his mind.
Moonborn.
Adrian stepped backward.
“Leave.”
Isabella's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“Leave this building.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Why?”
“Because you're in danger.”
“I've been in danger for five years.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
Adrian looked toward the door.
His expression was suddenly terrified.
“Someone knows you're here.”
The doors burst open.
Marcus rushed inside.
“Alpha!”
Adrian turned.
“What happened?”
Marcus was breathing heavily.
“We found three dead guards outside.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“Who killed them?”
Marcus shook his head.
“We don't know.”
Then his eyes moved to Isabella.
His expression changed.
“It's her.”
Adrian stepped in front of Isabella.
“What?”
Marcus swallowed.
“The attack wasn't random.”
He looked at Isabella.
“They were looking for her.”
The room fell silent.
Isabella's phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a distorted voice whispered:
“Your mother was the first.”
Isabella's blood ran cold.
The voice continued.
“You're next.”
The call ended.
Adrian stared at her.
Isabella slowly lowered the phone.
For the first time since returning to Blackthorn territory...
she saw something in Adrian's eyes that she had never seen before.
Not anger.
Not regret.
Fear.
Real fear.
He looked at Marcus.
“Lock down the entire territory.”
Marcus nodded.
Adrian turned toward Isabella.
“You're staying here.”
She laughed.
“Absolutely not.”
“Isabella—”
“You don't get to order me around anymore.”
She walked toward the door.
Adrian followed.
“Where are you going?”
“To find my mother.”
He grabbed her arm again.
“You won't survive alone.”
She turned toward him.
“Five years ago, you rejected me in front of everyone.”
Her eyes hardened.
“I survived that.”
She pulled her arm free.
“I'll survive you too.”
She walked away.
Adrian watched her disappear down the hallway.
His wolf growled.
Stop her.
Adrian clenched his fists.
“I can't.”
Why?
He stared at the closed elevator doors.
Because if he told Isabella the truth now...
she might never forgive him.
And worse—
the Alpha Council would know that the Moonborn had awakened.
The war they had spent decades preventing...
had already begun.
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