Chapter 7 - The Enemy Inside The Mansion
Adrian stared at the photograph on his phone.
His fingers tightened around the device.
The image showed Sadie sleeping in her room.
Unaware.
Unprotected.
Someone had been inside his mansion.
Someone had watched her.
Someone had waited for the perfect moment to send him proof.
The message beneath the photograph remained on the screen.
"Your first daughter was easy to find."
Then the second message.
"Your second one next."
Adrian's expression became unreadable.
But everyone in the room felt the change.
The temperature seemed to drop.
Daniel took one look at Adrian and knew.
"This isn't a warning."
Adrian slowly looked at him.
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"It's a declaration."
Sadie stood beside the doctor, her face pale.
"Adrian..."
He immediately looked at her.
And for a second, the anger disappeared.
Because she was afraid.
Not of him.
Of what was coming.
He walked toward her.
"You are not leaving my sight."
Sadie blinked.
"What?"
"From now on, you are never alone."
Her eyes lowered.
"I don't need a guard."
Adrian looked at her injured arm.
"You needed someone months ago."
The words made her silent.
Because she knew he was right.
For years, she had convinced herself she didn't need anyone.
Needing someone meant trusting them.
And trusting people had always cost her something.
"My entire life, people have protected me by making choices for me," Sadie whispered.
Adrian watched her.
"I won't do that."
She looked up.
"I will protect you."
A pause.
"But I will tell you the truth."
Something in his voice made her believe him.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But enough.
Clara watched the two of them silently.
Then she spoke.
"The person who sent that message wants you angry."
Adrian looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because anger makes you careless."
Daniel nodded.
"She is right."
Adrian turned.
"You know who it is."
Daniel didn't answer.
That was enough.
Adrian stepped closer.
"You have known everything since the beginning."
Daniel looked down.
"I knew pieces."
"You knew Elena had children."
"Yes."
"You knew Sadie was here."
"Yes."
"You knew someone inside this mansion hurt her."
Daniel's silence confirmed it.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Then you are going to tell me everything."
Daniel looked at Sadie.
Then at Clara.
Then finally at Adrian.
"Fifteen years ago, after Elena disappeared, Marcus Blackwood created a plan."
"What plan?"
"To erase every trace of Elena's children."
Sadie felt cold.
"Why?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Because your existence was dangerous."
Adrian frowned.
"My children weren't dangerous."
Daniel's expression was painful.
"Not because of who you were."
A pause.
"Because of what you could become."
Adrian didn't understand.
Daniel continued.
"Marcus believed bloodlines were power."
The words sounded like something from another century.
But Adrian knew his father.
He believed family was an empire.
Not a relationship.
"Your father believed one child would inherit his legacy."
Daniel looked at Clara.
"And the other would destroy it."
Clara looked away.
Sadie frowned.
"Why me?"
Nobody answered.
And that silence hurt.
Because she already knew.
She had always been the one people overlooked.
The one nobody searched for.
The one nobody protected.
Adrian noticed her expression.
"Sadie."
She looked at him.
"You were not less important."
She smiled sadly.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"No."
Her voice became softer.
"I was the child they hid."
The sentence stayed in the room.
Adrian didn't know what to say.
Because for the first time, he understood.
Sadie's pain wasn't only physical.
She had spent her whole life wondering why she was the one left behind.
Why her sister had been chosen.
Why she was the secret.
And he hated that he had no answer.
Clara stepped forward.
"She wasn't hidden because she was unwanted."
Sadie looked at her.
"Then why?"
"Because you were the one Elena trusted to survive."
Sadie's eyes filled.
"How would she know?"
Clara looked at her.
"Because she knew you were stronger than anyone."
Sadie looked away.
She didn't believe that.
Not yet.
But Adrian did.
He had seen powerful people break under pressure.
He had seen wealthy people beg.
He had seen criminals betray everyone to save themselves.
But Sadie?
She had a broken arm and still came to work.
She had been afraid and still protected others.
She had every reason to hate the world.
And she didn't.
That was strength.
A sound suddenly interrupted them.
A security alarm.
Everyone turned.
Adrian immediately looked toward the hallway.
"Again?"
The guards rushed in.
"Mr. Blackwood."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
The guard hesitated.
"Someone accessed the private archive."
The room went silent.
Adrian's private archive.
The place where he stored information about his family.
About his father.
About Elena.
"Impossible."
The guard swallowed.
"The system shows your personal access code was used."
Adrian stared.
"My code?"
Nobody spoke.
Because only one person could use that code.
Him.
Or someone who knew him very well.
Sadie looked at him.
"Someone inside your family."
Adrian didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
He walked quickly toward the archive room.
Everyone followed.
The security cameras showed nothing.
No forced entry.
No broken locks.
The door opened normally.
Adrian entered.
The files were untouched.
Except one.
A single folder placed in the center of the desk.
His name was written on it.
Not Adrian Blackwood.
Something else.
Something only three people in the world knew.
His childhood nickname.
A name Elena used.
A name his father hated.
Adrian slowly opened the folder.
Inside was an old document.
A birth certificate.
His hands stopped moving.
Because the name printed on the paper was not Sadie's.
It was another child.
A child registered fifteen years ago.
A child with Elena's name.
A child with his blood.
And underneath the name was one sentence written in red ink.
"The daughter you saved was never the daughter you lost."
Adrian stared at the words.
Then the archive lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The emergency system activated.
A hidden compartment beneath the desk slowly opened.
Inside was a small black box.
Adrian reached toward it.
And before he touched it, his phone received one final message.
A message from inside the mansion.
May you like
The sender name appeared.
And Adrian forgot how to breathe.
