Chapter 11: The Photograph

Ariana returned home that evening with one thought repeating in her mind.

Someone was watching her.

She locked the apartment door behind her and stood there for a moment, listening to the silence.

“Mommy!”

Emma came running toward her.

Ariana immediately dropped her handbag and opened her arms.

“Come here, my baby.”

Emma wrapped her arms around her waist.

“You took too long.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ethan appeared from the living room.

“Mom, can I show you something?”

Ariana smiled.

“Of course.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the table.

There was a chessboard in front of him.

“I finally solved the puzzle you couldn’t solve.”

Ariana laughed.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must be smarter than Mommy.”

“I already knew that.”

She gasped dramatically.

“Excuse me?”

Emma giggled.

For a few precious minutes, Ariana forgot about the office.

Forgot about Victoria.

Forgot about Damien.

Forgot about the photograph.

This was her safe place.

Her children.

The only people in the world she trusted completely.

Later that night, after the children went to bed, Ariana sat alone in the living room.

Her phone buzzed.

She expected it to be Damien.

Instead, it was an unknown number.

A photograph appeared.

Ariana’s heart stopped.

It was her.

Standing outside Damien’s office.

The picture had clearly been taken from inside the building.

Underneath it was one sentence.

You should be more careful about who you trust.

Ariana stared at the screen.

Someone wasn’t just watching her.

They were inside Blackwood Holdings.

Her phone rang.

She answered immediately.

“Who are you?”

There was no answer.

“Why are you doing this?”

A distorted voice finally spoke.

“Because you don’t remember what happened.”

Ariana’s blood ran cold.

“What are you talking about?”

“You left six years ago.”

“I know.”

“But you didn’t leave alone.”

The call ended.

Ariana froze.

Didn’t leave alone?

What did that mean?

She stared at the photograph again.

Her mind raced.

Six years ago.

The night she had left everything behind.

The night she had promised herself she would never look back.

There were things she had never told anyone.

Things even Ryan didn’t know.

She had believed those memories were buried forever.

Apparently, they weren’t.

The next morning, Damien arrived at Blackwood Holdings before everyone else.

The photograph from the previous day was still bothering him.

He had instructed Daniel to find the private investigator responsible for taking it.

There was something deliberate about the entire situation.

Someone wanted him to distrust Ariana.

But why?

His office door opened.

Daniel walked in.

“We found the investigator.”

Damien looked up.

“Who hired him?”

“That’s the problem.”

Daniel placed a file on the desk.

“The investigator was paid in cash.”

“By whom?”

“We’re still tracing the payment.”

Damien opened the file.

The investigator’s name was Marcus Hale.

“Where is he?”

“He disappeared.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed.

“When?”

“Last night.”

Damien closed the file.

“Find him.”

Daniel nodded.

“There is something else.”

“What?”

“The camera in the hallway outside your office.”

Damien looked up.

“What about it?”

“It was installed three days ago.”

“By whom?”

“No record.”

Damien stood.

“Then someone deliberately placed it there.”

“Yes.”

Damien walked toward the window.

Someone had access to his building.

Someone had been watching Ariana.

And now the investigator was missing.

This was no longer simple office gossip.

It was something bigger.

Ariana arrived at work shortly after nine.

The moment she stepped into the lobby, she felt the atmosphere change.

People were whispering again.

She ignored them.

She had barely reached the elevator when Damien appeared.

“Ariana.”

She turned.

“Good morning.”

“Come with me.”

His tone was serious.

She followed him upstairs.

Inside his office, he closed the door.

“What happened?”

He showed her the photograph.

Ariana stared at it.

Her face went pale.

“Where did you get this?”

“It was sent to me anonymously.”

She looked at him.

“Someone sent me one last night.”

Damien’s expression hardened.

“What did it say?”

She showed him the message.

His jaw tightened.

“They’re watching you.”

“I know.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“No.”

“Good.”

Ariana looked confused.

“Why?”

“Because whoever is doing this wants you frightened.”

He stepped closer.

“We’re not going to give them that.”

She looked at him.

“We?”

“Yes.”

Ariana’s heart skipped.

“You don’t have to get involved.”

“I already am.”

He took the phone from her.

“Did the caller mention anything?”

She hesitated.

Then she remembered the words.

You didn’t leave alone.

Ariana’s face changed.

Damien noticed immediately.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Ariana.”

She looked away.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“About what?”

“My past.”

He didn’t press her.

Instead, he nodded.

“Okay.”

She looked surprised.

“You’re not going to ask?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because when you’re ready, you’ll tell me.”

Ariana stared at him.

She had expected questions.

Suspicion.

Pressure.

Instead, he had given her something she wasn’t used to receiving.

Patience.

“Thank you.”

Damien smiled faintly.

“You’re welcome.”

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Ariana’s phone rang.

Ryan.

She rejected the call.

A few seconds later, another message arrived.

We need to talk. It’s about Victoria.

Ariana’s expression changed.

Damien noticed.

“Ryan?”

She nodded.

“What does he want?”

“He says it’s about Victoria.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No.”

“You don’t trust him.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why meet him?”

Ariana stared at the message.

“Because maybe he knows something.”

Damien didn’t like the answer.

But he knew he couldn’t control her.

“Where?”

She looked at him.

“A café near my apartment.”

“I’ll have someone watch the area.”

“Damien.”

“Not to interfere.”

She sighed.

“Fine.”

An hour later, Ariana sat across from Ryan.

He looked exhausted.

“What happened?”

Ryan lowered his voice.

“Victoria is planning something.”

Ariana’s expression hardened.

“What?”

“I don’t know exactly what.”

“Then why did you call me?”

“Because I found something.”

He slid an envelope across the table.

Ariana opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

Her breath caught.

It was an old picture of herself.

Six years ago.

Standing outside the Blackwood Grand.

Ariana’s fingers trembled.

“Where did you get this?”

“I found it among Victoria’s things.”

Her heart pounded.

“Why would she have this?”

“I don’t know.”

Ariana stared at the photograph.

She remembered that night.

The hotel.

The rain.

The man whose face she had tried for years to forget.

Her breathing became shallow.

Ryan noticed.

“You remember something.”

Ariana quickly looked away.

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“I said no.”

Ryan leaned closer.

“Ariana, what happened that night?”

She stood abruptly.

“I have to go.”

“Ariana.”

She grabbed her handbag.

“Don’t follow me.”

She walked out.

Across the street, a black car remained parked.

Inside sat Victoria.

She watched Ariana leave the café.

Then she smiled.

Everything was happening exactly as she had planned.

But Victoria wasn’t the only person watching.

A second car was parked farther away.

Inside it, Damien sat silently.

His eyes followed Ariana.

Then they shifted toward Ryan.

And finally toward the old photograph Ryan had left on the table.

He couldn’t see the details from where he was.

But he could see the hotel logo.

The same logo from the photograph that had been anonymously sent to him.

Damien’s expression changed.

Six years ago.

The Blackwood Grand.

Ariana.

And a secret neither of them was willing to explain.

For the first time, Damien wondered if his forgotten memory and Ariana’s past were connected.

He reached for his phone.

“Daniel.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I need everything you can find about the Blackwood Grand six years ago.”

There was a pause.

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

Damien looked toward the café.

Something told him that the answers he had been searching for were finally beginning to surface.

And somewhere across the street, Victoria watched him.

Her smile slowly disappeared.

Because she had just realized something terrifying.

Damien was getting too close.