Chapter 18

Amelia's POV

The sun cast a warm glow across the room as I sat at the desk, poring over the financial statements that lay before me. The weight of our circumstances pressed heavily on my shoulders, the uncertainty of our future threatening to engulf us. Ethan paced anxiously nearby, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and worry.

"We can't keep going on like this, Amelia," he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. "We need a miracle, a way to turn things around."

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the numbers that seemed to mock our efforts. It felt as though we were drowning in a sea of debt and despair, with no lifeline in sight. But just as hope began to waver, a knock at the door startled us both.

Ethan hurriedly crossed the room and swung it open, revealing a figure shrouded in the shadows of the hallway. The stranger's face was hidden beneath the brim of a hat, and their voice carried a hint of mystery.

"Mr. Blackwood, Mrs. Blackwood," they said, their tone measured and