CHAPTER 2: THE MAN BEHIND THE DOOR

Amelia had always believed that money could solve almost every problem, until a billionaire decided that her life belonged in his hands.

The black SUV followed her for six streets.

She knew because she had checked.

Every time she turned, it turned. Every time she slowed down, it slowed down.

Rain soaked her hair and ran down the back of her neck. Her shoes were wet, and her legs ached from walking too fast. She wanted to call Daniel, but she was afraid that the people following her might be listening.

When she finally reached her apartment building, the SUV disappeared around the corner.

She stood outside for several seconds, staring into the darkness.

Then she hurried upstairs.

"Amelia?"

Daniel appeared from the living room as soon as she opened the door.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you."

"My phone was on silent."

He frowned.

"You're soaked."

"Got caught in the rain."

She forced a smile and placed her bag on the table.

"Go to bed, Danny. You have school tomorrow."

He didn't move.

"Are you okay?"

Amelia looked at her younger brother. His worried eyes reminded her why she couldn't afford to panic.

"I'm fine."

It was a lie, but it was one she had become very good at telling.

After making sure Daniel had gone to his room, she locked the front door and checked the windows.

Then she took out the flash drive.

She stared at it for a long time.

Whatever it contained had made someone kill a man.

She considered throwing it away.

But before she could make a decision, her phone rang.

Unknown number.

Her fingers trembled as she answered.

"Hello?"

"Amelia Carter?"

A man's voice.

Deep. Calm. Unfamiliar.

"Who is this?"

"Someone who suggests you stop making this situation more difficult."

Her stomach tightened.

"What do you want?"

A short pause followed.

"Mr. Blackwood wants to see you."

Her blood ran cold.

"Tell him I don't know anything."

"That isn't what he believes."

The call ended.

Amelia stared at her phone.

A moment later, a message appeared.

A car will collect you at seven tomorrow morning. Don't make us come inside.

She slowly lowered herself onto the sofa.

They knew where she lived.

They knew about Daniel.

And now Alexander Blackwood wanted to see her.

At exactly seven the following morning, a black Mercedes waited outside Amelia's apartment.

She hadn't slept.

She had spent most of the night thinking about the dead man, the flash drive, and the terrifying possibility that her family might become involved.

She had hidden the device inside the lining of an old handbag.

She wasn't stupid enough to carry it with her.

When she stepped outside, a tall man in a dark suit opened the back door.

"Miss Carter?"

"Yes."

"Please come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Mr. Blackwood's office."

Amelia looked at the car.

"I wasn't told I had a choice."

The man didn't answer.

She got inside.

The journey took almost forty minutes. The city slowly changed from crowded streets and small shops to wide roads lined with expensive buildings.

Eventually, the car stopped in front of a towering glass structure.

A silver sign stood near the entrance.

BLACKWOOD INTERNATIONAL.

Amelia swallowed.

This was where Alexander Blackwood ruled his empire.

The building was even more intimidating inside.

The marble floor shone beneath the bright lights. Receptionists wore elegant suits, and security guards stood near the elevators.

Nobody laughed loudly.

Nobody appeared relaxed.

People moved quickly, as if even a few wasted seconds could cost them their jobs.

The man escorted Amelia to a private elevator.

When the doors opened on the forty-second floor, she stepped into a quiet hallway decorated with expensive paintings and dark wooden furniture.

A woman with neatly tied blonde hair approached them.

"Mr. Blackwood is expecting her."

She looked Amelia up and down.

"Come with me."

Amelia followed her through a set of double doors.

The office was enormous.

One entire wall was made of glass, offering a breathtaking view of the city. A large black desk stood in the centre, surrounded by leather chairs. Behind it were shelves filled with books, awards, and carefully arranged decorations.

Everything looked expensive.

Everything looked perfect.

Except the man standing beside the window.

Alexander Blackwood wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark trousers. His expensive watch caught the morning light.

He was taller than Amelia had expected.

His dark hair was slightly untidy, and a faint shadow covered his jaw. His face was handsome, but there was nothing welcoming about it.

He held a glass of water in one hand.

He didn't turn when she entered.

"Leave us, Victoria."

The blonde woman nodded and closed the doors.

Silence filled the room.

Amelia stood near the entrance, refusing to sit without being asked.

Finally, Alexander turned.

His eyes settled on her.

They were a cold shade of grey.

"So," he said quietly. "You're Amelia Carter."

She folded her arms.

"And you're Alexander Blackwood. I suppose we both know who the other person is."

One eyebrow lifted slightly.

"You're either very brave or very foolish."

"Maybe I'm just tired."

He placed his glass on the desk.

"Sit."

"I'd rather stand."

His expression didn't change.

"Suit yourself."

He walked towards his desk and opened a file.

"Twenty-four years old. Receptionist at a dental clinic. Evening waitress. One younger brother, Daniel. Your mother is receiving treatment at St. Mary's Hospital."

Amelia felt the blood drain from her face.

"Why are you looking into my family?"

"Because you have become a problem."

"I'm not a problem. I was working at your hotel."

"And you witnessed something that was never meant to be seen."

She stared at him.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then she asked the question that had kept her awake all night.

"Is that man dead?"

Alexander's expression hardened.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I saw him being dragged across the floor. He wasn't moving."

He studied her face.

"Did you see anything else?"

Amelia hesitated.

She remembered the blood on his shirt. The two men. The flash drive.

"No."

Alexander slowly closed the file.

"You're lying."

Her heart began to race.

"You don't know that."

"I know what fear looks like. I also know what people look like when they're hiding something."

"Then perhaps you should stop staring at me."

Something shifted in his expression.

It was small, but she noticed it.

He wasn't used to being spoken to like that.

Most people probably lowered their heads when he entered a room. His employees likely agreed with everything he said.

Amelia had no intention of making his life comfortable.

He walked around the desk and stopped a few feet away from her.

"Let's make this simple. What did you take from that hallway?"

Her fingers curled against her palms.

"Nothing."

"Think carefully before you answer."

"I've already answered."

He leaned slightly closer.

"Someone died last night, Miss Carter. Two of my security men are missing, and an important piece of evidence has disappeared."

Amelia looked directly into his eyes.

"Then perhaps you should ask your security men where it went."

His jaw tightened.

"You have no idea what you're involved in."

"You're right. I don't. And I'd like to keep it that way."

She turned towards the door.

"Am I free to leave?"

"Not yet."

She stopped.

"What does that mean?"

Alexander pressed a button on his desk.

The office door opened, and two security men appeared.

Amelia looked from them to him.

"You cannot keep me here."

"Actually, I can."

"Is that supposed to frighten me?"

"No." He returned to his chair. "It's supposed to make you understand the situation."

She hated the calmness in his voice.

He wasn't shouting. He wasn't threatening to hurt her.

He didn't need to.

His power was obvious in the way everyone around him obeyed without question.

Amelia swallowed.

"I have a family. My brother is at home. My mother is in the hospital. I cannot disappear because you have a problem."

For the first time, Alexander's expression changed.

His eyes remained on her face.

"Your family has nothing to do with this."

"Then leave them out of it."

A long silence followed.

He looked towards the window.

For a brief moment, his expression became distant, as if something in her words had touched an old wound.

Then the coldness returned.

"Do you know who the man you saw last night was?"

"No."

"His name was Richard Hale. He was one of my most trusted financial advisers."

"Was?"

"He's dead."

Amelia's stomach twisted.

"So you admit it?"

Alexander's eyes returned to hers.

"I admit that a dead man was found in a room inside my hotel. I did not say I killed him."

She searched his face.

There was something strange about the way he said it.

Not guilt.

Not innocence either.

Something more complicated.

"Why would your own employee turn against you?" she asked.

"That's a question I intend to answer."

He opened another file and removed a photograph.

It showed Richard Hale standing beside Alexander at what looked like a charity event.

"Before he died, Richard was investigating something inside my company. Something that could destroy everything I've built."

Amelia stared at the photograph.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"That's what I want to know."

He pushed the photograph towards her.

"Someone believes you took evidence from that room. And whoever sent you those messages last night knows exactly where you live."

Her breath caught.

Alexander noticed.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I know about the messages."

"How?"

"Because I received one too."

He turned his laptop towards her.

A photograph appeared on the screen.

It showed Amelia standing outside her apartment building the previous night.

Daniel was visible behind her, opening the front door.

Beneath the photograph was a short message.

SHE HAS SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO US. MAKE SURE SHE DOESN'T TALK.

Amelia stepped closer.

Her hands began to shake.

"Who sent that?"

Alexander closed the laptop.

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"Then call the police."

His expression turned unreadable.

"If only it were that simple."

"Why?"

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at her as though he were trying to decide whether she was worth trusting.

Then he spoke.

"Richard Hale wasn't the only person working against me. Someone inside my company is helping the people who killed him."

Amelia felt a chill move down her spine.

She finally understood why he looked so angry.

This wasn't just about a missing flash drive.

Someone had betrayed him.

And somehow, she had become part of it.

Alexander stood and walked towards her.

"Listen carefully, Amelia. Until I know what you saw and what you took, you are not leaving this building without protection."

"I don't need your protection."

"That's unfortunate, because you need it more than you realize."

She lifted her chin.

"I won't be your prisoner."

He stopped in front of her.

His grey eyes held hers without warmth.

"Then don't make me treat you like one."

Amelia's lips parted, but no words came out.

Alexander returned to his desk and opened the file again.

Then he delivered the words that made her understand just how dangerous her position had become.

"Your silence is now more valuable than you realize, Miss Carter. And there are people willing to pay a fortune to make sure you never speak."

He paused.

"Unfortunately for them, I intend to find out what you know before they get the chance."

Amelia stared at him.

For the first time, she wondered whether being taken by Alexander Blackwood was safer than being hunted by his enemies.

And that thought frightened her more than anything else.

Because she had a terrible feeling that the man behind the door was hiding something far worse than a murder.

And he had just decided that she was going to help him uncover it.