Chapter 4 - THE TRAP INSIDE THE BLACKWOOD ESTATE
The door opened.
Slowly.
Too slowly.
Elena’s heart pounded against her chest.
Behind her, Margaret Blackwood sat frozen in her chair, her hands trembling.
The woman who had once controlled one of Boston’s largest fortunes now looked terrified inside her own home.
And Elena finally understood something.
Victoria Sinclair wasn’t just trying to steal money.
She had taken control of this entire mansion.
The people inside it.
The secrets.
The fear.
Everything.
The door opened wider.
But it wasn’t Victoria.
It was one of the security guards.
“Mrs. Blackwood?”
Margaret exhaled.
“Yes?”
“Mr. Blackwood is looking for Elena.”
Elena looked confused.
“Ethan?”
The guard nodded.
“He asked for you personally.”
A wave of panic hit Elena.
Why would Ethan want to see her?
Did Victoria tell him?
Did she know about the flash drive?
The guard stepped aside.
“Please come with me.”
Elena looked at Margaret.
The older woman’s eyes warned her.
Be careful.
Very careful.
Ethan Blackwood was standing in his office.
Unlike the rest of the mansion, his office was simple.
Dark wood shelves.
Family photographs.
A desk covered with business papers.
When Elena entered, Ethan immediately stood.
“Elena.”
She lowered her head.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
He looked worried.
“Is something wrong?”
The question surprised her.
He didn’t sound angry.
He sounded concerned.
“I was told you needed to speak with me.”
“I do.”
Ethan closed the office door.
“What happened?”
Elena looked at him.
This was her chance.
She could tell him everything.
The pillow.
The medication.
The note.
Victoria.
But then she remembered Sofia’s picture.
She remembered Victoria’s warning.
One wrong move.
And her daughter could suffer.
“I…”
Her voice stopped.
Ethan noticed.
“Elena, whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She looked into his eyes.
For a moment, she saw the man everyone described.
Kind.
Fair.
Different from the others.
But kindness didn’t protect people from powerful enemies.
“I found something strange upstairs.”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
Before she could answer, the office door opened.
Victoria entered.
“Ethan?”
Her eyes immediately found Elena.
A smile appeared.
“What’s going on?”
Ethan turned.
“Elena wanted to talk.”
Victoria walked closer.
“About?”
Elena felt her entire body tense.
Victoria’s expression was perfect.
Concerned.
Curious.
A performance.
“I was just leaving,” Elena said.
Ethan looked confused.
“Elena—”
“I remembered I have work.”
She walked away before she lost control.
Behind her, she heard Victoria say:
“She seemed nervous.”
Then Ethan asked:
“Do you know why?”
And Victoria answered:
“No idea.”
But Elena knew.
She was lying.
That night, Elena returned home later than usual.
Sofia was asleep on the couch.
Her school backpack was beside her.
Elena carefully carried her to bed.
Then she noticed something.
The front door lock was damaged.
Someone had tried to enter.
Her breathing stopped.
She checked every room.
Nothing.
No missing items.
No broken windows.
Only one thing was different.
A photograph of Sofia on the table had been moved.
Someone had touched it.
Someone had been inside.
Elena grabbed her phone.
Her hands shook as she called the police.
But before the call connected…
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
She opened it.
One sentence.
Stop digging, or next time we won’t just move a picture.
Elena stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
A photo.
Sofia sleeping in her room.
Taken minutes earlier.
Elena dropped the phone.
Someone had been watching her house.
May you like
Someone was close.
Too close.
