Chapter 2: Who Are You?

I couldn't stop shaking; the man who had saved my life lay unconscious on the grass, blood spreading across his white shirt like a dark stain. His face had become pale, and his breathing was weak. "Call the doctor!" I shouted. "Hurry!" Several guards rushed toward him without wasting another second.

Marcus quickly knelt beside the stranger and checked his pulse. His face remained serious, but after a few seconds, he nodded. "He's still alive." The tightness in my chest eased a little. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until that moment. "Get him to the medical wing now," Marcus ordered. Four guards carefully lifted him onto a stretcher.

As they carried him away, his hand slipped over the side. Something shiny dropped onto the grass. I looked around. No one else seemed to notice. Without thinking, I bent down and picked it up. It was an old silver necklace. Unlike the expensive jewelry worn by the guests at my father's party, this necklace was simply scratched and worn, showing it had been carried for many years. A small pendant hung from it.

Curious, I opened it. Inside was a tiny photograph of a smiling teenage girl. She looked about sixteen. Her smile was bright, and her eyes were full of life. I turned the pendant over. Two words were engraved on the back. Sarah Knight. I frowned. Who was Sarah? Why would a man like him carry her picture everywhere?

"Miss Sterling." Marcus's voice made me jump. I quickly closed the pendant and slipped it into my pocket before anyone could see it. "Your father wants you." I looked toward the mansion. My father's study lights were still on. Even after everything that had happened… he wanted to see me immediately.

The study felt colder than usual. My father stood beside the fireplace with a glass of whiskey in his hand. The flames danced behind him, making the shadows on his face seem even darker. He slowly turned when I entered. For the first time that night, I noticed the worry in his eyes. "Are you hurt?" "I'm fine." He walked closer. Without saying another word, he gently touched the bruise on my cheek where the kidnapper had slapped me. For one brief moment, he looked like a father who truly cared. Then his face became expressionless again.

"You will not leave this mansion again." I sighed. "Father…" "No arguments." "Someone tried to kidnap me." "I know." "I deserve to know why." "You don't." His answer made my anger rise immediately. "My life was almost taken!" "And I said I'll handle it." "You always say that." "Because I always do." I shook my head. "You can't control everything." His eyes became cold. "I can control you."

The room fell silent. His words hurt more than the slap I had received outside. I wasn't his daughter—not in that moment. I was something he believed belonged to him. A possession. An investment. Something to protect because it was valuable, not because it was loved. Without saying another word, I turned around and walked out. Behind me, I heard him call my name. I didn't stop.

An hour later, I stood outside the private medical suite. Two armed guards stood outside the door. The moment they saw me, they straightened. "Good evening, Miss Sterling." "I'd like to see the patient." One of them shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss. Mr. Sterling gave strict orders. No visitors." "I only want to thank him." "I'm afraid we can't allow anyone inside," I said, smiling politely. "That's fine." I turned around and walked away. The guards relaxed. Neither of them noticed me disappear into another hallway.

Growing up inside Sterling Mansion had one advantage: I knew secrets even the guards didn't. Hidden passages. Private staircases. Old servant tunnels. When I was younger, I used to hide inside them whenever I wanted to escape my tutors. Today, they helped me again.

Five minutes later, I quietly opened the back door of the medical suite. The room was silent. Machines beeped softly. The smell of medicine filled the air. He was awake. The stranger stood beside the window with one hand resting against the glass. Moonlight covered half of his face. Without turning around, he spoke. "You shouldn't be here." I stopped walking. "You didn't even look at me." "I heard the door." His voice was calm. Cold. Almost emotionless.

I walked farther into the room. "You saved my life." Silence. "I came to thank you." Still nothing. Finally, he answered. "You're welcome." A small smile appeared on my face. "So… you can speak." He slowly turned toward me.

For the first time, I saw his face clearly. He wasn't much older than me, maybe early thirties. Strong jaw. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. But what caught my attention wasn't his appearance; it was his eyes. They looked tired. Not the kind of tired that sleep could fix. The kind that came from carrying pain for too many years.

"You should leave." "Not until you answer one question." "I don't answer questions." "You knew my name." His face didn't change. "Your guards called you Miss Sterling." I shook my head. "No. You said my name before they arrived. " For the first time, he hesitated. It lasted only a second. Then he looked away. "You imagined it." "I know what I heard." He didn't reply. Instead, he closed his eyes. The conversation was over. Or at least… he thought it was.

I reached into my pocket. "Then maybe you can explain this." I held up the silver necklace. His eyes flew open instantly. Every bit of calm disappeared from his face. He stared at the necklace as if he had seen a ghost. His breathing became uneven. "Where…" His voice almost failed him. "Where did you get that?" "I found it where you collapsed." Slowly, he reached toward it. His hand was shaking not from the bullet wound, but from fear. "Give it back." "Who's Sarah?" His breathing became faster. His jaw tightened. His eyes filled with emotions he was desperately trying to hide. "Give." He took another step. "It." Another step. "Back."

Before either of us could move again, the door suddenly burst open. Marcus rushed inside. The moment he saw the necklace, the color disappeared from his face. "Oh no…" His eyes moved from me to Ethan, then back to the necklace. He looked terrified. Before either of us could ask what was wrong, Marcus spoke in a quiet voice. Five simple words that made the entire room fall silent. "Mr. Sterling must never see that."

My heart began pounding. I looked at Marcus, then at Ethan. Neither man spoke. Whatever secret was hidden behind that old silver necklace… It was powerful enough to make two fearless men afraid. And somehow… I knew my father was connected to it.