chapter 3 :The Warning

Elena had not realized that she could not breathe.

She just glared at Damien for several seconds.

Somebody was aware of their marriage.

Someone had found her father.

He was left behind in Blackwood Cemetery with a warning.

Don't let your daughter marry the Blackwood heir.

Her stomach twisted.

"Take me to him."

Damien's face had no expression.

"Elena—"

"Now."

He stopped and listened to her because there was something in her voice.

My father has gone missing since yesterday and someone got him before I did, and now you're standing here telling me that whoever it is knows about us.

She took out her purse.

"I'm going."

Damien approached the elevator.

When he says, “Then stay by me.”

It's not like I need a babysitter.

It takes knowledge on what you are getting yourself into.

The elevator doors opened up.

Damien stepped inside.

Elena followed.

The doors closed.

Damien was truly enraged for the first time since he met her.

Not at her.

Whatever was going on.

They were wondering how they got my father's name?

(We are still not sure.)

You said there was security here," he said.

"We do."

How did anyone get to him then?

Damien's jaw tightened.

I'm going to find out that's what I am.

Elena looked into his mirror in the mirrored wall of the elevator.

"Are you scared?"

His gaze was trained on her.

"No."

"Liar."

His eyebrow lifted.

"Excuse me?"

I have never seen you so calm, but now you are angry.

"There's a difference."

"What's the difference?"

When you're angry, it's a line that has been crossed.

Elena's heart skipped.

"What line?"

Damien was gazing at her.

"You."

The one word left her in a strange state of tongue-tied.

Before she could respond, the elevator doors opened.

Lucas Bennett was waiting.

"Mr. Blackwood."

Damien nodded.

Where is my dad?

"Blackwood Cemetery."

"Is he conscious?"

Yes, he has some bruising, but it is not life-threatening.

Elena let out a puff that she hadn't been aware of.

"Thank God."

He turned to look at her.

Miss Hart, there's something else...

"What?"

The police have arrived.

"Then let's go."

Lucas hesitated.

Damien noticed.

"What?"

“Whoever abandoned your father was not done.”

Elena's stomach tightened.

What is this?

Lucas took his cell phone out.

This is a message that was sent to our security team.

He provided them with a photo of a scene.He gave them a picture of a scene.

Elena's blood ran cold.

It was her father.

He was seated on a stone bench at the cemetery, his face as white as a sheet of paper and his shirt rumpled.

That wasn't what scared her, though.

A message was written on the photo.

ONE WARNING - ONE CHANCE.

Elena studied Damien.

Why send this to YOU?

“So I can see it.”

"And me?"

Damien's gaze hardened.

“They want to see it, too.”

---

When they arrived there were police vehicles around the cemetery.

Elena hastily opened the door to the SUV before it came to a halt.

"Elena!"

He took hold of her wrist.

She spun around.

"What?"

"Stay close."

There, my father is.

“But perhaps he has left someone to watch him while he's here.”

"I don't care."

"I do."

Their eyes locked.

Her voice was stilled by something in his voice.

Not an order.

Not exactly.

Concern.

Damien let go of her wrist.

"Stay with me."

Elena nodded reluctantly.

Together they strolled through the cemetery.

The afternoon wind was in the trees, bringing forth the scent of wet ground and freshly mown grass.

Elena's eyes darted to and fro through the ranks of graves.

Then she saw him.

"Dad."

Her father lifted his eyes.

The old old face that he would not look him in the face.

More tired.

But alive.

Elena ran.

She went down to him and put her arms around him.

Her father's mouth went still.

Then his arms encircled her.

"Elena..."

His voice broke.

She pulled back.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm fine, sweetheart."

She brushed the bruise near his temple.

"Who did this?"

His expression changed.

Fear.

Elena had never seen such a look on her father's face.

Not even when he was arrested by the police 25 years ago.

"Dad?"

He was gazing at something beyond her.

His eyes landed on Damien.

But his face turned as white as a sheet of paper.

Elena turned.

Damien was a couple feet out and to the side.

Her father gaped at him.

"Blackwood."

Damien's face went blank.

"Mr. Hart."

Between them Elena glanced.

You are acquainted with each other.

Neither answered.

"Dad."

Her father slowly stood.

I have known your father.

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"My father?"

"Yes."

Elena's confusion deepened.

I never heard you say that before.

“People don't know what you don't know.”

There are "apparently a lot of things I don't know.

Her father looked at Damien again.

"Why is he here?"

Elena stared at him.

His love for you was born from this: "Because he found you.

Her father's eyes grew wide.

If so, "You must go away,"

"What?"

"Elena, go home."

"No."

"Listen to me."

"No!"

She stepped back.

All my life I have been observing you carry a crime that you never committed and yesterday Damien told me that you were innocent but yesterday you were kidnapped and you are left here with a warning that I am getting married.

Her father went pale.Her father turned white.

"Marriage?"

Elena froze.

Damien's eyes narrowed.

Her father gazed upon him.

"You told her?"

"She knows enough."

"She knows nothing!"

Elena was startled by his tone of voice.

"Dad..."

He lowered his voice.

I'm trying to save you.

So tell me the truth," he said.

Her father's eyes were full of grief.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because if you know, they'll come after you."

Elena's eyes looked at him.

"Who?"

Silence.

"Who, Dad?"

He shook his head.

Don't think about the Blackwoods.

Damien stepped forward.

"Too late."

Her father gazed at him.

You should not have been around my daughter.

Damien's expression hardened.

"I tried."

Elena's heart skipped.

She gazed at Damien.

What do you think it means?

He didn't answer.

Her father did.

“For years I have been researching this,” said “Damien.”

"I know."

If that's the case, then you don't understand what you are doing.

Her father grabbed Elena's arm.

“Do not listen to him; back away from whatever he is saying.”

Elena saw his hand and was impressed.

"Why?"

“It's a family that wipes out anything and everything that touches them, the Blackwoods.”

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Careful."

Her father let her go.

“Do you think that I betrayed your family?”

I know that the evidence is there.

Also “the evidence was fabricated.”

Damien went silent.

Elena glared at him.

There it was again.

That sad reality no family could accept.

Her daddy staring at Damien.

“It's not my fault my parents died.”

So, who did kill them?

Her father opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

"Who?"

Elena demanded.

Her father gazed upward at the trees.

Then his eyes opened up.

"Get down!"

There was a loud crack that split the air.

Elena screamed.

Damien grabbed her around the waist and dragged her behind a stone monument.

Then another loud noise rang out.

Police officers shouted.

"Everyone down!"

Elena's heart pounded in her ribcage.

"What's happening?"

Damien continued to hold her in his arm.

"Stay here."

Where are you heading to?

"Don't move."

"Damien—"

He was already on the move.

He gave a signal to his security men and then he went behind the graves.

Elena turned to her father.

"Dad!"

Two cops arrived at him.

"I'm fine!"

"Stay down, sir."

Elena pressed her body against the stone.

Her lungs were not working properly.She was struggling to breathe.

She heard some footprints.

Shouting.

Then silence.

A few minutes later, Damien came back.

Terribly placid his face was.

Elena immediately stood.

"What happened?"

All that remains of those who were here are gone.

"Did you see them?"

"No."

"Then what did you find?"

Damien pulled out his coat.

He extracted an object from within his body.

A silver cufflink.

Elena frowned.

"What's that?"

It was discovered close to the trees.

She stared at it.

The front had an engraving.

A single letter.

**R.**

Her father's face went into a cloud of sorrow.

Elena noticed.

"Dad?"

He looked away.

Where did you see this?

Her father didn't answer.

"Dad!"

He closed his eyes.

"Richard."

Elena stared at him.

"Richard Blackwood?"

Her father's stillness meant there was no doubt.

Damien's expression hardened.

"Why would my uncle be here?"

"I don't know."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Thank you for the reminder of the cufflink.

I knew the first two letters".

Damien stepped closer.

My uncle hasn't worn those for years.

Her father gazed at him.

If he does, then you should ask him why one was at your parents' grave 25 years ago.

Silence.

Elena's heart stopped.

Damien looked at his dad.

"What did you say?"

Her father swallowed.

Richard was present when your parents passed away.

Damien's face changed.

Elena caught a glimpse of something breaking through the carefully guarded mask for the first time.

Shock.

"That's impossible."

"He was there."

“It was because my uncle was away.”

It was what everybody was instructed to do.

Elena's mind raced.

The photo that Damien had taken her yesterday.

Richard by the fire in the warehouse.

The photo she had received in the morning.

The date.

Three days prior to the tragedy.

Now this.

Why they didn't tell anybody?

Her father stared at Elena.

“So I was threatened.”

"By Richard?"

He hesitated.

"Not directly."

"Then by who?"

Her father turned his gaze to Damien.

The same ominous individual that threatened you in the past.

Elena's pulse raced.

"Who?"

He shook his head.

I am not the sort of person who would look the other way at a face.

Damien stepped forward.

But, you know his name.

Her father didn't answer.

Damien's voice turned into a whisper.

“Do you not want to protect the one that broke up our families?”

“He is not my responsibility.”

"Then tell me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

“He's still alive, that's why.”

Elena's stomach dropped.

Her father gazed upon her.

"…in the end, he is nearer to you than you realize.

---

Soon afterwards, they abandoned the cemetery.

Elena was sitting next to Damien in the back of the SUV.

Despite her father's objections, Blackwood security had taken him somewhere safe.

She looked out of the window she looked.

Life didn't make any sense.

Twenty-five years ago, Richard Blackwood was there.

Her father would have known.

It may have been his uncle, Damien.

There was someone else who still guarded the truth.

Suddenly, Elena said, "You knew.Suddenly Elena said, "You knew.

Damien looked at her.

"About what?"

"Richard."

"I suspected."

For example, you never told me!

“We did not have any proof.”

"You had a photograph."

"I had suspicion."

She walked towards him.

You told me to believe you.

"No."

Damien's voice was soothing.

I asked you to make an agreement with me.

"That's worse."

His eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

You make me marry you, without telling me.

“You're lying to me, too.”

Elena's mouth gaped.

"What?"

“Your father knew the initials right away.”

"He was scared."

"So am I."

She stared at him.

"You're scared?"

Damien's jaw tightened.

Please, "don't make that sound strange.

"It is strange."

"Why?"

“You're Damien Blackwood.”

"And?"

“You're not afraid of anything, everybody says.”

There was a slight, grimace of a smile on his face.

"Everyone is wrong."

Elena looked away.

That confession did not seem to affect her as much as it should.

She'd been hoping for a cold billionaire.

A man who saw the weaknesses of emotions.

But beneath his self-assuredness—there was something.

Something wounded.

She didn't like that she had to find out what it was.

She asked quietly, "Why me?“Why me?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Damien wasn't quick to respond.

Why do you want to get married to me?

He looked at her.

“As I need to be able to contact the archives.”

It's the business solution.

His eyes darkened.

“But which is the personal one?”

"Yes."

Silence.

Elena waited.

Damien moved towards her, but not too close.

If I saw you standing at that altar "…

He stopped.

Her pulse jumped.

"What?"

His eyes scanned her face.

You seemed like you were going to let someone else get in the way of your own destiny.

Elena swallowed.

"And?"

"I didn't like it."

Her heartbeat stumbled.

You hardly knew me.

"I knew enough."

This isn't an answer, is it?

Damien's voice lowered.

Well then, when you become my wife you will get one!

Elena's cheeks warmed.

She quickly looked outside at the window.

"You're arrogant."

"I've been told."

"Infuriating."

"Frequently."

"Impossible."

But you're still looking into marrying me.

Elena turned sharply.

I don't want to mention—

Damien's phone rang.

He answered.

"Blackwood."

His expression changed.

"What?"

Elena kept a close eye on him.

"Where?"

He listened.

Since I will receive the footage on my phone, I can just send it there.

He hung up.

"What?"

Damien glanced at her.

Your father's house has been broken into.

Elena's heart dropped.

“Did they take anything with them?”

"No."

"Then why?"

Damien's eyes hardened.

"They left something."

"What?"

He presented his cell phone to her.

There was a picture on the screen.

Elena's bedroom.

Her bed.

Her photographs.

Her childhood belongings.

Right in the middle of her pillow was one white rose.

Underneath it was a handwritten note.

Elena stared.

It was a single sentence that was included in the message.

IF the BRIDE MARRIES BLACKWOOD, THE BRIDE WILL DIE.

Her blood ran cold.

Slowly Damien looked at her.

You'll be coming home with me!

Elena looked up.

"No."

His eyebrow lifted.

It wasn't a question!

She glared at him.

I don't care what you say, I don't take orders from you.

If so, "Then it's a request.

"No."

"Elena."

"I said no."

Damien leaned closer.

His voice dropped.

"Someone just entered your home and left you a death threat."

His gaze was fixed on her eyes.

Hate me all you like you must.

A pause.

“But you will not be alone tonight.”

Elena's heart raced.

She should have fought back.

She shouldn't have accepted.

Instead, she was staring into the man's cold gray eyes.

And she wondered why, since her life was now in shambles, she felt safer than she did with him than without him.

Damien leaned back.

“Tomorrow morning, the contract will be signed.”

Elena's eyes widened.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"You've already decided?"

"No."

He checked the rose on his cell phone.

“They took it upon themselves to make a decision for us.”

Elena's stomach twisted.

"What do you mean?"

Damien looked back at her.

“When they threatened to kill you...”

He moved toward her hand.He extended his hand toward her.

His fingers wrapped around her fingers.

“Our sham marriage became real.”