Chapter 4

Eliam stared at the name on his phone. Avaline Hart. The message from Eleanor remained open.

I found the name connected to the old investigation.

Nothing else. No explanation. No details. Just a name. And somehow, that made it worse. Because Eliam knew his grandmother, Eleanor Blackwood, did not send incomplete information unless the missing pieces were dangerous.

He looked at Gabriella sleeping peacefully. A child who had no idea that adults were once again fighting over the shadows of her past. His fingers tightened around the phone.

“Who are you, Avaline Hart?”

The next morning, Blackwood Tower woke before the city did. Employees arrived before sunrise. Security teams checked every entrance. Assistants prepared schedules. Executives prepared for meetings. And at the center of it all was Eliam Blackwood. The man who never appeared unprepared. The man who never showed weakness. The man everyone believed had no fear.

But inside his office, he stood alone, staring at a file on his desk.

AVALINE HART

Age: twenty-seven.

Occupation: Kindergarten teacher.

No criminal record.

No financial problems.

No suspicious activity.

At first glance, she was ordinary. Too ordinary. That was what bothered him. People who entered his world were never ordinary. Everyone wanted something. Money. Power. Protection. Revenge. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

His assistant knocked before entering.

“Mr. Blackwood?”

“Come in.”

She placed a folder on his desk.

“The school event schedule you requested.”

Eliam glanced at it.

“Gabriella’s school?”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“Cancel my meetings tomorrow morning.”

His assistant looked surprised.

“You’re attending?”

“Yes.”

She quickly lowered her eyes.

“Of course.”

After she left, Eliam leaned back in his chair. He hated admitting it. But Gabriella had asked him to attend. And he had promised. Promises were the one thing he never broke.

At the same time, across the city, Avaline Hart stood in front of a mirror. She barely recognized herself. Soft beige sweater. Simple skirt. Hair tied back. A gentle smile. The perfect kindergarten teacher. The perfect disguise. But beneath the innocent appearance was a woman trained to read danger before it arrived.

Her eyes moved to the small photo sitting beside the mirror. Her and Noah. Her younger brother. The only person who had ever made her feel human. She picked up the picture.

“I’m going to fix this.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

“I promise.”

A knock sounded. She quickly hid the photo. The door opened. Noah stepped inside. At nineteen, he still had the same kind eyes he had as a child. The kind that made Avaline feel guilty every time she lied to him.

“You’re leaving early?”

She smiled.

“School starts early.”

He studied her face.

“You look tired.”

“I’m fine.”

“You always say that.”

She laughed softly.

“Because I usually am.”

He didn’t believe her. Noah had become quieter over the years. More observant. He knew something was wrong. He didn’t know what.

“You know you can tell me things, right?”

The question hurt. Because she wanted to, she wanted to tell him everything. About Dante. About the threats. About the choices she had made. But truth was dangerous. And danger always found the people you loved.

“I know.”

Noah smiled slightly.

“Good.”

He left. Avaline waited until the door closed. Then she released the breath she had been holding. Her phone buzzed -a message.

Do not forget why you are doing this.

Dante.

She stared at the screen. Then deleted it. Not because she was free. She wasn’t. But because for one second, she wanted to pretend she was.

The school event was louder than Eliam expected. Children running. Parents laughing. Teachers organizing activities. A world opposite to his own. He stood near the entrance in a black suit, surrounded by security. Every person noticed him. Some recognized him. Some whispered. But he ignored them. His attention was only on one person. Gabriella.

She held his hand as they walked through the hallway.

“Eli?”

“Yes?”

“Can you smile today?”

He looked down.

“Why?”

“Because everyone thinks you’re angry.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I am not angry.”

Gabriella tilted her head.

“You look angry.”

A small smile almost appeared. Almost.

“I’ll try.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Good.”

Then she saw someone. Her entire face changed.

“Miss Hart!”

Before Eliam could react, Gabriella ran toward a woman kneeling beside a group of children. Avaline. She turned at the sound of her name. And for a brief moment… everything stopped.

Eliam saw a woman who didn’t look afraid of him. Didn’t look impressed by his wealth. Didn’t look interested in his reputation. She smiled at his sister.

“Gabriella.”

The little girl hugged her.

“I told you my brother would come.”

Avaline looked up. Her eyes met Eliam’s. And something strange happened. She recognized him instantly. Not from newspapers. Not from television. From memory. From a night years ago. A photograph. A name. A family she had helped destroy. But she hid it quickly. Because that was what she was trained to do: hide, lie, survive.

“Mr. Blackwood,” she said politely. Her voice was calm. Too calm.

Eliam studied her.

“Miss Hart.”

A pause.

“Gabriella speaks highly of you.”

“She’s a wonderful child.”

“I know.”

The words came out softer than he intended. Avaline noticed. For one second, she saw something behind the cold billionaire image. A man who loved his sister. A man carrying pain. A man who had no idea she was standing in front of the person connected to his greatest loss.

Gabriella looked between them. Then smiled.

“You both look sad.”

They froze.

“What?” Eliam asked.

She shrugged.

“Your eyes.”

Avaline looked away. Because Gabriella was right, they were both carrying ghosts -the same kind. The kind nobody else could see.

Then Gabriella reached for Avaline’s hand.

“Miss Hart, can you come to my house?”

Eliam immediately looked down.

“Gabriella.”

“What?”

“You can’t invite people home without asking.”

She frowned.

“Why?”

“Because—”

He stopped. He didn’t have an answer.

Avaline smiled gently.

“I think your brother likes being in control.”

Gabriella nodded seriously.

“He does.”

Eliam looked at her.

“That is not something you announce.”

“But it’s true.”

For the first time in days… Eliam almost laughed. Almost.

Then his phone vibrated. A message. Unknown number. He opened it. One sentence.

The woman standing beside your sister knows exactly how your mother died.

Eliam slowly looked up. Across the room, Avaline was smiling at Gabriella. But now he was looking at her differently. Suspicion. Questions. Danger. And neither of them knew their lives had just changed forever.