All Chapters of His Dark Covenant: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

The phone rang again.No one moved.Lydia stood in the center of the room, staring at the screen as though the name displayed there had the power to drag her back into the past.THOMAS CROSS.The crying continued.A child.Small. Frightened. Breathless.Elena felt her stomach tighten.“Lydia,” she whispered. “Answer it.”Claire immediately grabbed her wrist. “No.”“Why not?”“Because Thomas never calls unless he has already calculated the consequences of every possible answer.”Lydia’s expression hardened.“He has the archive,” she said. “The remaining records. The original transfer ledgers. The names of everyone Thomas used.”“And he wants something in return,” Adrian said.Lydia looked at him. “He wants Elena.”The phone stopped ringing.For a brief moment, the room fell silent.Then a message appeared.ANSWER THE CALL, OR THE ORIGINAL TRUSTEES WILL NEVER SEE THE REST OF THE RECORDS.Below it was an audio attachment.Lydia stared at it.Mara, pale but standing, stepped closer. “Don’

The gunshot echoed through the estate.Elena flinched.Adrian immediately pulled her down.“Everyone away from the windows!”Another shot did not come.Only silence.For three seconds, nobody moved.Then Mara whispered, “That sounded like it came from the eastern grounds.”Gabriel was already moving.“Stay here.”Adrian caught his arm.“No.”Gabriel looked at him.“That’s my family out there.”“And that’s exactly why you’re staying inside.”Samuel moved toward the corridor instead.“I’ll check the cameras.”“Already doing it,” Mara said.Her fingers flew across the keyboard.The monitors came back one by one.Garden.Driveway.East gate.Nothing.No people.No vehicle.No movement.Then one camera flickered.A figure appeared near the old greenhouse.Mara froze.“Wait.”Everyone gathered around the screen.The figure was standing perfectly still.A man.Dark coat.His face hidden by the angle of the camera.Elena stared.“Victor?”Mara zoomed in.The figure lifted one hand.Something

For several seconds, nobody moved.Victor Saye stood at the far end of the archive, his face half-hidden beneath the emergency lighting.Elena stared at him.“You're alive.”Victor gave a tired smile.“So is Miriam.”Miriam stepped forward.“You shouldn't be here.”“Neither should you.”“You tried to destroy the archive.”“No.”Victor looked at the shelves around them.“I tried to stop Thomas from getting it.”Adrian moved between Victor and Elena.“You expect us to believe that?”“No.”Victor's answer was immediate.“I expect you to verify everything.”Elena looked at the black envelope.“Then why are you telling me not to open it?”Victor's expression changed.“Because Daniel knew what would happen after you read it.”“What?”“You would stop looking for the person responsible.”

“Julian.”Adrian's voice barely carried through the archive.The knocking stopped.For several seconds, there was nothing.Then came a weak cough from beneath the floor.“Adrian?”Adrian turned toward the others.“There's someone underneath us.”Mara was already examining the architectural plans on her laptop.“This house doesn't have a basement beneath this section.”Miriam shook her head.“It does.”Mara looked at her.“Where?”Miriam pointed toward the back wall.“The old service passage.”Claire's eyes widened.“Thomas sealed it.”“He thought he did.”Adrian moved toward the wall.“Show me.”Miriam approached an old wooden cabinet and ran her fingers along its side.“There.”She pressed beneath the bottom shelf.A faint click sounded.The cabinet shifted.

The room went silent. Elena read the sentence again. THE SIGNATURE CAME FROM INSIDE THIS HOUSE. Her eyes moved toward Rebecca. “Who had access to the Cross Estate's legal archive?” Rebecca folded the paper. “That's the wrong question.” Adrian looked at her. “Then what's the right one?” “Who had access without leaving a record?” Julian's expression changed. “The trustees.” Rebecca nodded. “Not just the trustees.” She pointed toward the ceiling. “The estate's original legal office.” Elena frowned. “There's a legal office upstairs?” “There was.” Rebecca looked at the corridor behind them. “Thomas converted it into a private records room years ago.” Julian stepped forward.