Chapter 3 - BLOOD DOESN’T MEAN LOYALTY
Daniel Blackwood had spent his entire life standing six inches behind Victor.
At family dinners.
At funerals.
At business meetings.
He was the younger brother who smiled more easily.
The uncle who brought Ethan ridiculous toys.
The man Victor had trusted with the keys to nearly everything he owned.
Lily couldn’t understand.
“Daniel loves Ethan.”
Victor’s expression turned cold.
“Apparently Daniel loves something else more.”
Marcus closed the hospital room door.
“Daniel’s been handling the Montigue acquisition.”
Victor looked at him.
“And?”
“Serena’s father’s company is drowning.”
“How badly?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Bad enough that marrying you saves it.”
Victor gave a humorless laugh.
“So I wasn’t getting a wife.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at the phone.
“You were getting a merger.”
Lily sat beside Ethan’s bed.
She didn’t understand half of Victor’s world.
But she understood Serena.
And something still didn’t make sense.
“If she only wanted money, why hurt Ethan?”
Victor looked toward his sleeping son.
“Because Ethan inherits everything that belonged to his mother.”
Lily frowned.
Victor’s late wife, Anna, had died in a car crash when Ethan was four months old.
Victor rarely spoke about her.
“Anna’s family trust controls thirty-one percent of Blackwood Holdings.”
Marcus explained.
“If Victor dies, Ethan eventually inherits those shares.”
“And if Ethan dies?”
Silence.
Victor answered.
“The trust reverts to the Blackwood family.”
Lily’s stomach turned.
“To Daniel?”
“Partly.”
Victor’s phone rang.
Daniel.
Everyone stared at the screen.
Victor answered.
“Where are you?”
Daniel sounded cheerful.
“Home.”
“Whose?”
A pause.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Another pause.
“Vic, what’s wrong?”
Victor glanced at Ethan.
“My son has a broken arm.”
Daniel became silent.
Then,
“Jesus.”
Victor watched Lily.
“Interesting.”
“What is?”
“I didn’t tell you which arm.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Victor continued.
“But you already knew it was broken.”
“Victor—”
The call ended.
Marcus was moving before Victor spoke.
“Bring him in.”
“Alive?”
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“Yes.”
“I want answers.”
Twenty minutes later, Marcus received another call.
He stepped into the hallway.
When he returned, his face told Victor everything.
“He’s gone.”
“Gone where?”
“Private airfield.”
Victor stood.
“Stop the plane.”
“Already tried.”
Marcus hesitated.
“It never took off.”
Victor narrowed his eyes.
“What happened?”
“We found Daniel’s car.”
“And Daniel?”
“Missing.”
Victor stared at him.
“Blood?”
“No.”
“Signs of a fight?”
“No.”
“Then somebody helped him.”
Lily looked at the sleeping child.
Serena had known Victor was coming home late.
Daniel had known exactly what happened in the foyer despite not being there.
And somebody inside the mansion had taken Lily’s phone before Rosa recovered it.
This wasn’t two people improvising.
It was organized.
The hospital door opened.
A police detective entered.
“Victor Blackwood?”
Victor turned.
Detective Naomi Reed displayed her badge.
“We need to talk about your son.”
Victor’s expression hardened.
“You can talk here.”
Reed glanced toward Lily.
“Actually, I’m here because somebody reported that Miss Carter assaulted Ethan Blackwood.”
Lily went pale.
“Who?”
Reed held up an official statement.
“The report was filed forty minutes before Victor arrived home.”
Lily stared at the timestamp.
That meant Serena had accused her before the confrontation even happened.
May you like
Reed looked directly at Lily.
“And according to the report, there’s security footage proving it.”
