Chapter 3 - THE NAME ON THE SECRET FILE
Blackwood Estate had never felt so alive.
Men moved through the halls carrying weapons.
Security monitors covered the walls.
Phones rang continuously.
Cars came and went through the gates.
And in the center of it all stood Lucas Blackwood.
He watched Dr. Miller examine Sarah in the guest bedroom.
Emma sat outside the door.
She refused to leave.
Lucas understood why.
She had spent too long being afraid.
When Dr. Miller finally emerged, Lucas immediately stepped forward.
“How bad?”
“She has a severe infection and she's dangerously weak.”
“Will she survive?”
Dr. Miller hesitated.
“If she had waited another few days, I wouldn't be confident.”
Lucas nodded.
“Treat her here.”
“She needs a hospital.”
“She stays here.”
“Lucas—”
“She stays.”
Dr. Miller sighed.
“Then I'll arrange everything.”
Lucas walked away.
Emma was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees.
He sat beside her.
She looked at him.
“Is Mommy going to die?”
Lucas paused.
He had lied to thousands of people.
But never to a child.
“No.”
Emma's eyes searched his face.
“You promise?”
“I promise we'll do everything we can.”
She leaned against his arm.
Lucas went rigid.
Then slowly relaxed.
“You're safe here.”
“Are you really a bad man?”
Lucas looked at her.
“Who told you that?”
“Mommy.”
He almost smiled.
“Your mother has good reasons.”
Emma frowned.
“Do you hurt people?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
“Because some people hurt others.”
Emma thought about that.
“Do you hurt children?”
Lucas's expression hardened.
“Never.”
“Why?”
“Because children don't choose the world they're born into.”
Emma nodded.
Then she said something that made Lucas's heart stop.
“My daddy used to say that.”
Lucas looked at her.
“Your father?”
Emma nodded.
“He said people like him shouldn't have children.”
Lucas's voice became quieter.
“What was his name?”
Emma looked down.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know your father's name?”
“Mommy never tells me.”
“Did you ever see him?”
Emma nodded.
“Once.”
“When?”
“Before he disappeared.”
Lucas leaned closer.
“What did he look like?”
Emma closed her eyes.
“He had black hair.”
Lucas waited.
“He wore a silver ring.”
Lucas's breathing stopped.
“A silver ring with what?”
“A bird.”
Lucas stood abruptly.
Emma looked up.
“What?”
Lucas said nothing.
He walked into his study and shut the door.
Then he called Harold.
“Bring me my father's old photographs.”
Minutes later, Harold entered carrying a box.
Lucas opened it.
Photographs.
Letters.
Documents.
Old family records.
He searched through them.
Then stopped.
One photograph showed Richard Blackwood standing beside three men.
Lucas knew all three.
One was his uncle.
One was his father's attorney.
And the third—
Lucas's blood turned cold.
The man wore a silver ring with a black bird engraved into it.
His name was Vincent Blackwood.
Lucas's uncle.
The man who had raised him after his father's death.
The man who had taught him to hate the O'Sullivans.
The man who had helped him build the Blackwood empire.
Lucas stared at the photograph.
“No.”
Harold looked over his shoulder.
“Sir?”
“Find Vincent.”
“He's at the country club.”
“Bring him here.”
Harold hesitated.
“Do you want him brought peacefully?”
Lucas closed the box.
“For now.”
Meanwhile, downstairs, Emma was drawing at the kitchen table.
One of the maids smiled.
“What are you drawing?”
“My family.”
The maid looked at the paper.
There were three figures.
Emma.
Sarah.
And a tall man.
“Is that your father?”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
“Who is he?”
Emma smiled.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
The maid looked confused.
“Why?”
“Because Mommy says he is the only man who can keep us alive.”
The maid's smile disappeared.
She quietly walked away.
Emma continued drawing.
She added something to Lucas's hand.
A silver ring.
Then she stopped.
Her pencil fell.
Someone was standing behind her.
She turned.
A tall man smiled.
“Hello, Emma.”
She stared at him.
She had never seen him before.
But she recognized his ring.
A black bird.
The stranger crouched beside her.
“Your mother told you never to talk to strangers, didn't she?”
Emma nodded slowly.
“Good girl.”
He smiled.
“Then don't tell Mr. Blackwood I was here.”
Emma's eyes widened.
“You're the bad man.”
The stranger's smile disappeared.
Before he could respond, a voice thundered across the room.
“Step away from her.”
The man turned.
Lucas stood at the doorway.
His gun was already drawn.
The stranger raised his hands.
“Lucas.”
“Vincent.”
The uncle smiled.
“You've become paranoid.”
Lucas's eyes were ice.
“You entered my house without permission.”
“I've been entering this house for thirty years.”
“Not anymore.”
Vincent looked at Emma.
Then back at Lucas.
“So you've met her.”
Lucas said nothing.
Vincent's expression changed.
“Did Sarah tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“That girl isn't who you think she is.”
Lucas stepped closer.
“Then tell me who she is.”
Vincent smiled.
“You really don't know?”
Lucas raised his weapon.
“Talk.”
Vincent glanced at Emma.
Then said six words that changed everything.
“She's Richard Blackwood's granddaughter.”
Lucas froze.
Emma stared at him.
And somewhere upstairs, Sarah woke screaming.
“DON'T LET VINCENT TAKE HER!”
Lucas turned toward the stairs.
Vincent smiled.
Because he knew something Lucas didn't.
Sarah had not been hiding Emma from the Blackwood family.
May you like
She had been hiding Emma from him.
And now the secret was finally out.
