Chapter 5:In The Dark

In the Dark

Lena stood completely still.

The darkness swallowed the dining room.

For a few seconds, she couldn’t hear anything except her own breathing.

“Mrs. Miller?”

No answer.

“Mrs. Miller?”

“I’m here.”

The older woman’s voice came from somewhere near the table.

Lena reached for her phone.

The flashlight came on.

Mrs. Miller was standing beside the chair, her face unusually tense.

“Are you alright?” Lena asked.

“Yes.”

“You don’t look alright.”

Before Mrs. Miller could answer, footsteps sounded from the hallway.

Slow.

Measured.

Coming toward them.

Lena’s heart began pounding.

“Who is that?”

Mrs. Miller shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

The footsteps stopped.

Lena raised her phone.

The light from the flashlight barely reached the hallway.

Nothing.

“Maybe it’s Adrian,” she whispered.

Mrs. Miller’s expression changed.

“No.”

“How do you know?”

“Mr. Blackwood is upstairs.”

Lena frowned.

“How do you know that?”

“I saw him go up.”

Another sound came from the hallway.

A faint scrape.

Then silence.

Lena stood up.

“Stay here.”

Mrs. Miller grabbed her arm.

“Don’t.”

Lena looked at her.

“Why?”

The woman’s fingers tightened around her wrist.

“You don’t know this house yet.”

Lena pulled her arm free.

“I know enough to know someone is walking around in it.”

She took a few cautious steps toward the hallway.

“Lena.”

She stopped.

It was Adrian’s voice.

Relief rushed through her.

She turned.

He was standing at the top of the staircase, holding a flashlight.

His expression was hard.

“What are you doing down here?”

“The power went out.”

“I noticed.”

“Did you?”

His eyes moved toward the photograph still lying on the table.

For the first time, his expression changed.

“Where did you get that?”

Lena picked it up.

“A package was delivered.”

“When?”

“Just before the lights went out.”

Adrian came downstairs.

“Who delivered it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where is the envelope?”

“Here.”

She handed it to him.

He examined it carefully.

Then he looked at Mrs. Miller.

“Who brought this?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“Did you see anyone enter the house?”

“No.”

He looked back at Lena.

“Don’t accept anything else without telling me.”

Lena folded her arms.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“What question?”

“What happened at this place?”

Adrian looked at the photograph.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

His eyes snapped to hers.

“Be careful.”

“I’m tired of everyone telling me to be careful instead of telling me the truth.”

Adrian stepped closer.

“You’ve been in this house for less than a day.”

“And I’ve already received threats, mysterious photographs and warnings about your family.”

His expression darkened.

“What threats?”

Lena hesitated.

She had almost forgotten the message.

Almost.

“Nothing.”

“Lena.”

She looked away.

Adrian’s voice lowered.

“What threats?”

Before she could answer, the lights suddenly came back on.

The dining room brightened.

And a loud crash came from upstairs.

Everyone froze.

Adrian immediately turned toward the staircase.

“Stay here.”

He ran upstairs.

Lena followed.

“Adrian!”

He ignored her.

They reached the second floor.

Another crash came from the end of the hallway.

Adrian pulled open a door.

The room was empty.

A window stood wide open.

Curtains blew violently in the night air.

Lena walked closer.

“Someone was here.”

Adrian examined the window.

“There are footprints.”

Lena looked down.

Mud stained the floor beneath the window.

“Can they have escaped?”

“Possibly.”

Adrian reached for his phone.

“Call security.”

Lena looked around the room.

Something caught her eye.

A photograph lay face-down near the bed.

She picked it up.

Her breath caught.

It was Sophia.

Standing beside Adrian.

But they weren’t alone.

There was another man in the picture.

Lena recognized him immediately.

Her father.

She turned the photograph over.

There was writing on the back.

Three families. One mistake. One sacrifice.

Lena’s fingers went cold.

“Adrian.”

He turned.

She held out the photograph.

His face changed the moment he saw it.

Not confusion.

Recognition.

“You know this picture.”

He didn’t answer.

“You know what happened.”

“Give it to me.”

“No.”

“Lena.”

“What happened?”

Adrian walked toward her.

“Give me the photograph.”

She stepped back.

“Not until you tell me the truth.”

His expression hardened.

“You don’t understand what you’re asking.”

“Then explain it to me.”

Silence.

Adrian looked at the photograph again.

Finally, he said,

“That picture was taken twelve years ago.”

Lena stared at him.

“Twelve years?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

He looked directly into her eyes.

“My father disappeared that night.”

Lena’s heart stopped.

“And my father?”

Adrian’s silence answered before his words did.

“Your father was there.”

Lena stared at him.

The room suddenly felt too small.

Her father’s face stared back at her from the photograph.

A younger Sophia stood beside him.

And Adrian’s father was smiling.

Lena slowly lowered the picture.

“My father never told me.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on her.

“Because he knew what happened.”

A cold shiver ran through Lena.

“What happened?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Instead, his eyes moved toward the open window.

Then he said quietly,

“Someone wanted that photograph found.”

Lena looked at him.

“Why?”

His expression was unreadable.

“Because they want us to start asking questions.”

And somewhere outside the mansion, a car engine started.

Adrian immediately turned toward the window.

“Stay here.”

This time, Lena didn’t argue.

She watched him disappear down the stairs.

Then she looked at the photograph in her hand.

For the first time since the wedding, one thing became painfully clear.

Sophia hadn’t been the only person hiding something.

Her father had been hiding something too.

And whatever happened twelve years ago had something to do with Adrian Blackwood.