The night Elena disappeared

Adrian drove through the city without knowing where he was going.

The message from the unknown number remained on his screen.

THE SECOND FILE IS ALREADY IN YOUR FATHER'S HANDS.

He read it again.

Then again.

His father.

Richard Blackwood had always been the calm one. The reasonable one. The person Adrian trusted whenever his grandfather's decisions became too harsh.

But now every memory felt different.

Adrian turned the car toward Blackwood Corporation.

He needed answers.

When he arrived, his security chief was waiting in the lobby.

“Sir.”

“Where is my father?”

“He left about twenty minutes ago.”

“Where did he go?”

The man hesitated.

“I don't know.”

“Check his car.”

“We already did.”

“And?”

“It wasn't in the parking garage.”

Adrian pulled out his phone.

“Track his phone.”

“We tried.”

“What do you mean you tried?”

“His phone has been switched off.”

Adrian's jaw tightened.

“Since when?”

“About thirty minutes ago.”

Thirty minutes.

Exactly when the message had arrived.

“Find out where he went.”

“Yes, sir.”

Adrian turned toward the elevators.

“Wait.”

He stopped.

The security chief handed him a small envelope.

“This was left for you.”

Adrian looked at it.

“Who left it?”

“We don't know.”

He opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

There was only one sentence.

YOUR FATHER DIDN'T TAKE THE SECOND FILE. HE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT IT.

Adrian stared at the words.

“Who gave you this?”

“No one, sir. It was found outside your office.”

Adrian folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Then his phone rang.

Elena.

He answered immediately.

“Elena?”

“Adrian, where are you?”

“At the company.”

“Are you alone?”

He frowned.

“Why?”

“I think someone followed me.”

His expression changed.

“Where are you?”

“At home.”

“Lock the doors.”

“They're already locked.”

“Don't open them for anyone.”

There was a pause.

Then Elena whispered,

“I found something.”

“What?”

“Another photograph.”

Adrian's heart tightened.

“Where did you find it?”

“It was inside my father's old box.”

“Send it to me.”

“I will.”

A few seconds later, the image arrived.

Adrian opened it.

His breath caught.

It showed Richard Blackwood standing beside Daniel Bennett.

But that wasn't what shocked him.

Behind them stood Alexander Blackwood.

And beside Alexander was Charles Vale.

All four men were looking directly at the camera.

Adrian zoomed in.

There was a date written at the bottom.

Seventeen years ago.

The same year the missing file had been transferred.

His stomach turned.

“Adrian?”

“Elena.”

“Yes?”

“Did your father tell you where this was taken?”

“No.”

“Don't ask him yet.”

“Why?”

“Because I don't know who we can trust.”

Elena was silent.

Then she said,

“I know.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“You should leave the house.”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“Anywhere safe.”

“I've spent years running.”

Her voice became softer.

“I'm tired of running.”

Adrian had no answer.

Then he heard a noise on her end.

“Elena?”

Silence.

“Elena?”

A faint sound came through the phone.

Like something falling.

Then the call ended.

Adrian immediately called back.

No answer.

He called again.

Nothing.

His heart began pounding.

He ran toward the elevator.

“Get the car ready!”

His security chief followed.

“Where are we going?”

“Bennett's house.”

The elevator doors opened.

Before Adrian stepped inside, his phone vibrated.

Another message.

DON'T GO TO ELENA.

He stared at it.

A second message appeared.

IF YOU DO, YOU WILL LEAD THEM STRAIGHT TO HER.

Adrian stopped.

His mind raced.

Whoever was sending these messages knew where Elena was.

But why warn him?

Was it a trap?

Or was someone genuinely trying to protect them?

He looked at his security chief.

“Get every available man.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And contact the police.”

The security chief looked surprised.

“Police?”

“Yes.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Everything.”

Meanwhile, Elena stood frozen in her living room.

The front door was still locked.

The house was silent.

Too silent.

She slowly looked around.

Nothing appeared out of place.

Then she noticed the photograph lying on the floor.

She hadn't dropped it.

She hadn't moved from the table.

Someone had placed it there.

Her breathing became shallow.

She walked toward it.

There was something written on the back.

Not a warning this time.

A name.

RICHARD BLACKWOOD.

Elena stared at it.

Then she heard footsteps outside.

One step.

Then another.

Someone stopped directly outside the door.

Elena's phone was still in her hand.

She quickly dialed Adrian.

The call connected.

“Adrian—”

A knock interrupted her.

Three slow knocks.

“Elena.”

She froze.

It was a man's voice.

Not Adrian.

Not her father.

Not Charles.

She moved away from the door.

“Who are you?”

No answer.

Then the man spoke again.

“You have something that belongs to the Blackwoods.”

Elena's eyes widened.

“What?”

“The second file.”

She looked toward the photograph.

Her father's old box.

The photograph.

Could the file be hidden inside it?

The man outside knocked again.

“Give it to me.”

Elena said nothing.

Then Adrian's voice came through her phone.

“Elena, don't open the door.”

She pressed the phone against her ear.

“Adrian, someone is here.”

“I know.”

“How?”

“Because someone is trying to stop me from reaching you.”

The door handle suddenly moved.

Elena stepped back.

“Adrian…”

“I'm coming.”

The handle moved again.

Then stopped.

Silence.

Elena waited.

Suddenly, something slid underneath the door.

A small black envelope.

The footsteps outside disappeared.

Elena stared at it.

Her hands trembled as she picked it up.

Inside was a single photograph.

She looked at it.

Her face went pale.

It showed Elena as a little girl.

Standing beside Richard Blackwood.

And written across the bottom were four words.

YOU KNEW HIM BEFORE ADRIAN.

Elena dropped the photograph.

Her mind went blank.

Because she knew one thing with absolute certainty.

She had never met Richard Blackwood as a child.

Or at least, she had never remembered meeting him.

And if the photograph was real, then the secret between the Blackwoods and Bennetts was far older than anyone had told her.