The Shadows Beneath Blackwood

CHAPTER ONE The LONELY PRINCESS The city sparkled beneath the morning sun. Towering buildings stretched into the clouds while expensive cars moved through the busy streets below. On the top floor of one of the tallest buildings stood the headquarters of Hartwell Enterprises. Inside the executive office, silence reigned. The only sound was the steady tapping of fingers against a keyboard. Jose Hartwell sat behind a large mahogany desk. At twenty-six years old, she had already achieved what many people spent their entire lives chasing. Success. Power. Respect. Fear. Dressed in a fitted black suit, she scanned the documents in front of her without looking up. A nervous employee stood opposite her desk. Sweat glistened on his forehead. "Miss Hartwell," he said carefully, "the figures from the second quarter are almost complete." "Almost?" Jose repeated. The man swallowed. "Y-Yes." Jose finally raised her head. Her sharp eyes met his. The employee immediately regretted speaking. "Do I pay you for 'almost complete' work?" she asked calmly. "N-No, ma'am." "Then why are you standing in my office telling me about work that isn't finished?" The man lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry, Miss Hartwell." "Sorry doesn't increase profits." The room fell silent. After a moment, Jose returned her attention to the documents. "Get out." The employee hurried from the office. As soon as the door closed, Jose leaned back in her chair. Her expression remained cold. Emotionless. Just the way her parents had taught her. "Never let people see weakness." Jose could still remember her father's voice. She had been only ten years old. A servant had accidentally spilled tea on her dress. The frightened woman immediately began apologizing. But Jose's father had stopped her. "Why are you apologizing?" he asked. The servant blinked. "Sir?" "If my daughter learns to forgive every mistake, people will spend their lives taking advantage of her." Then he turned to Jose. "What do we do when people fail us?" Young Jose had answered immediately. "We replace them." Her father smiled proudly. "Good girl." The memory faded. Jose stared through the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city. She had followed her parents' lessons her entire life. She trusted no one. Needed no one. Loved no one. And yet... Why did she feel so empty? A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in." The door opened. Her manager stepped inside. Unlike everyone else, he wasn't intimidated by her. He had worked for the family for years. "Still terrorizing your employees?" he asked. Jose rolled her eyes. "They're paid to work." "They're human." "That's debatable." The older man laughed. "You sound exactly like your parents." Something about the comment annoyed her. "I'll take that as a compliment." "I wasn't giving one." Jose looked away. The manager studied her quietly. For a brief moment, concern flashed across his face. "Jose." "What?" "When was the last time you took a day off?" "I don't need one." "When was the last time you spent time with friends?" She didn't answer. "When was the last time you smiled?" "Are you here to discuss business or interrogate me?" The manager sighed. "You spend every waking hour working." "Because work gets results." "And what happens when you finally have everything?" Jose frowned. "What do you mean?" The manager smiled sadly. "You already have everything." The words lingered in the air. For some reason, they bothered her more than she cared to admit. That evening, Jose returned to her mansion. The enormous house was beautiful. Expensive. Perfect. And completely silent. No laughter. No family. No warmth. Just emptiness. She walked through the grand hallway and paused in front of a large portrait of her parents. They stared back at her from the canvas. Proud. Elegant. Untouchable. Just like they had always been. Jose folded her arms. "You got what you wanted." Her voice echoed softly through the hall. "You made me strong." Silence answered. For the first time in years, she wished it wouldn't. A cold breeze suddenly swept through the hallway. Jose frowned. The windows were closed. Strange. She glanced around. For a brief second... She could have sworn she heard someone whisper her name. "Jose..." Her heart skipped. She turned quickly. Nothing. The hallway was empty. She stared into the darkness for several moments before shaking her head. "Get a grip." It was probably her imagination. Still... As she walked upstairs, an uneasy feeling followed her. The feeling that she wasn't alone. Elsewhere, in another part of the city, a man stood beside a rain-covered window. He held a photograph in his hand. A photograph of Jose. Slowly, a smile spread across his face. Not a warm smile. Not a kind smile. A smile that belonged to someone who had just found exactly what he was looking for. He traced her face with his finger. Then he whispered: "Found you."