Chapter 2 - THE MAN AT THE GATEThe black sedan disappeared before Adrian noticed it.
By the time the police car carried Vivian through the gates, the mysterious vehicle had already turned onto the main road.
Adrian stood in the foyer for a long time.
The mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
Only hours earlier, Vivian had been planning their wedding.
Now she was facing criminal charges.
Adrian looked at the engagement photograph hanging above the fireplace.
Vivian was smiling.
He remembered that day.
She had worn a white dress.
He had taken her to the coast.
She had cried when he proposed.
Or at least, he had thought she was crying because she loved him.
Now every memory felt uncertain.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
He turned.
Grace stood at the bottom of the staircase.
Baby Leo was asleep against her shoulder.
Adrian immediately looked at his son.
“Is he okay?”
“Dr. Martin checked him.”
“And?”
“He said Leo is fine.”
Adrian exhaled.
It was the first full breath he had taken all day.
Grace adjusted the baby blanket.
“He’ll probably be frightened for a while.”
Adrian nodded.
“I should have been there.”
Grace looked at him.
“You couldn’t have known.”
“I should have known Vivian.”
Grace remained silent.
Adrian almost laughed bitterly.
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
He had shared a house with Vivian.
Shared a bed with her.
Planned a future with her.
And still, he hadn’t known what she was capable of.
Grace carefully sat on the staircase.
Leo slept peacefully in her arms.
Adrian stood several feet away.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Grace looked up.
“Tell you what?”
“That Vivian hated you.”
Grace gave a tired smile.
“Because I didn’t want to cause trouble.”
“She accused you of things before?”
Grace hesitated.
That hesitation told him everything.
Adrian’s expression changed.
“Grace.”
“She made comments.”
“What kind of comments?”
“Nothing important.”
“Grace.”
She looked away.
“She said I should remember my place.”
Adrian felt his jaw tighten.
“What else?”
Grace sighed.
“Mr. Blackwood—”
“Adrian.”
She looked surprised.
He rarely asked employees to use his first name.
“What else?”
“She said you were only being kind to me because you felt sorry for me.”
Adrian stared.
“She said that?”
Grace nodded.
“And?”
Grace hesitated again.
Adrian knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“She told me I should be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“She said people like me sometimes forget that rich families don’t keep women like me around forever.”
Adrian felt something dark move through him.
Grace looked embarrassed.
“It didn’t matter.”
“It mattered.”
Grace’s eyes met his.
For a second, neither looked away.
Then Leo stirred.
The moment broke.
Grace stood.
“I should put him to bed.”
Adrian nodded.
She walked upstairs.
He watched her disappear.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Adrian answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
“Who is this?”
A man laughed softly.
Adrian froze.
The sound was familiar.
Impossible.
“Adrian.”
His blood went cold.
“Who is this?”
“You don’t recognize your own brother?”
The phone nearly slipped from Adrian’s hand.
“No.”
The voice laughed again.
“You always were a terrible liar.”
Adrian turned toward the windows.
Outside, darkness had covered the estate.
“Marcus.”
“Hello, little brother.”
Marcus Blackwood had been gone for twelve years.
Officially, he was dead.
Adrian’s father had buried him.
The newspapers had printed his obituary.
The family had mourned.
Adrian had attended the funeral.
But now Marcus was alive.
Adrian gripped the phone.
“You’re dead.”
“That’s what Father wanted everyone to believe.”
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“Where are you?”
“Not far.”
Adrian moved toward the front door.
“What do you want?”
Marcus laughed.
“Straight to business. I see Father raised you well.”
“My father is dead.”
“Yes.”
The voice became colder.
“And you inherited everything.”
Adrian stopped.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Everything.”
The line went silent.
Then Marcus said something Adrian never expected.
“Did Vivian tell you about me?”
Adrian’s face changed.
“What?”
“Ah.”
Marcus laughed.
“So she didn’t.”
Adrian felt his stomach tighten.
“What are you talking about?”
“She was supposed to.”
“Marcus.”
“Ask her.”
Adrian’s eyes moved toward the police station in his mind.
“Why would Vivian know you?”
“You really don’t know anything, do you?”
The call ended.
Adrian stood frozen.
Grace came downstairs.
“Is everything okay?”
Adrian looked at her.
He almost told her.
Instead, he said, “I need to go out.”
Grace frowned.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“After today?”
“I’ll be careful.”
Grace looked uncertain.
Adrian turned toward the door.
Then he stopped.
“Lock everything.”
Grace nodded.
“Don’t open the door for anyone.”
Her expression changed.
“Adrian, what’s happening?”
He looked at her.
For some reason, he didn’t want to frighten her.
“I don’t know yet.”
But someone else did.
At the police station, Vivian sat in an interrogation room.
Her makeup was smeared.
Her hair was messy.
For the first time in years, she looked completely ordinary.
A detective entered.
“Ms. Carter.”
Vivian said nothing.
“We need to ask you about what happened today.”
“I want a lawyer.”
“You’ll have one.”
The detective placed photographs on the table.
Security images.
Grace.
Leo.
The pool.
Vivian.
Vivian stared at them.
Then she whispered, “I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
The detective sat.
“Who else was involved?”
Vivian’s head lifted.
“What?”
“Someone called your phone three times this morning.”
Vivian said nothing.
The detective continued.
“The number isn’t registered.”
“I don’t know.”
“Vivian.”
She looked at him.
“We know you spoke to someone.”
Vivian’s eyes moved toward the door.
Fear appeared again.
Not fear of prison.
Fear of someone else.
The detective noticed.
“Who is Marcus Blackwood?”
Vivian went pale.
The room became silent.
Then she whispered, “You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“He said Adrian had to lose everything.”
The detective leaned forward.
“Who said that?”
Vivian began crying.
“Marcus.”
Back at the mansion, Grace put Leo into his crib.
She checked the window locks.
Then the doors.
Adrian’s warning had frightened her.
She tried to tell herself she was being paranoid.
But something felt wrong.
She walked toward the kitchen.
The lights suddenly went out.
Grace stopped.
The entire house became dark.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
Then—
A sound.
Glass breaking.
Grace froze.
Leo.
She turned and ran upstairs.
Her heart pounded violently.
“Leo!”
The nursery door was closed.
She pushed it open.
The baby was still there.
Sleeping.
Grace almost collapsed with relief.
Then she saw something on the floor.
A white envelope.
She stared at it.
Slowly, she picked it up.
Her name was written across the front.
GRACE.
Her hands trembled.
She opened it.
Inside was one sentence.
LEAVE THE BLACKWOOD FAMILY BEFORE YOU BECOME THE NEXT PROBLEM.
Grace stared at the words.
Then another sound came from downstairs.
A door closing.
May you like
Someone was inside.
===
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