Nina Blackwood Now Novels & Stories

I would be a fool if I say that this is a surprise to me… “Gentlemen, a few days ago, Naya Woods, the estranged wife of my brother, was involved in an accident and when she was rescued, she was almost captured alive by a rogue. She is one of the only two people that have encountered the dark creatures and lived to tell the tale.” She moves around, allowing her words to digest in their hearts.

It was Nina, the caretaker of the Ashveil Conservatory since I was a child. "I'll be a grandmother soon, and you're still calling me 'young lady,'" I said, turning to look at her, then smiling. "To me, you're still a young lady. There's been a lot of talk about Blackwood. I was worried—you haven't come back since you had your young master," Nina explained. Nina stood beside me, her hands neatly folded in front of her. "You've been gone for a long time," she said softly. I didn't answer right away.

Elle dissmisses her. "You're looking very beautiful, Mrs. Blackwood." Nina compliments me with a small smile before scurrying back to inform Nicholas. "Am I missing something?" I ask Elle for the last time as I don't want to embarrass myself and the Blackwood family at any cost. "No, my dear, you're perfect. Shall we go down now?" Elle assures me and helps me to find nude pumps to match the dress.

She nodded subtly toward the hidden panel. Nina’s face went pale. Her eyes flicked again toward the camera. Then she whispered, “Sometimes Mr. Blackwood… checks.” Elena’s stomach turned. Nina left quickly, closing the door behind her like she was sealing Elena back inside. Elena stood still, staring at the closed door, feeling the air thicken. Checks. Like she was an asset. Like she was a prisoner. Elena crossed to the breakfast tray. Perfect fruit. Perfect coffee. Toast cut neatly. Nothing tasted like comfort. Everything tasted like control.

“The deeper they dig, the harder it is to crawl back out.” Her pacing slowed. “And when they realize this was never about community centers…?” Jaden’s eyes flicked up to hers. “By then, it’ll be too late.” --- Somewhere across the city, in a dimly lit office, the boss leaned back in his chair, cigar smoke curling toward the ceiling. “Blackwood’s in Chicago,” he said to the man across from him. “That means his woman’s in charge, and she’s throwing money around like she doesn’t know where it’s going. This is our chance.”

"I need Eleanor Blackwood's current location. Right now. I don't care how you get it. Use every resource we have." He put the phone on speaker. We both waited, the silence stretching like a wire about to snap. I was still trembling. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold the pieces together. The person on the other end came back. "Sir, Eleanor Blackwood is in New York City. She has been all day. She attended a charity event this morning. There are multiple witnesses. She's definitely in New York, not California, sir." Lysander and I stared at each other. The same thought hit us both at the same time.

Greene muttered, “Fine. Let it be on record…. Katherina Blackwood is replaced by Vivian Ashcroft, effective immediately.” A low murmur swept through the board members. Some looked relieved; others looked uneasy. Vivian stood, smoothing her blazer and offering a faint, confident smile. “Thank you, gentlemen. I assure you, you won’t regret this decision.” She stepped closer to the table, her tone firm and composed. “Good morning, everyone. I know some of you may doubt me, but I didn’t come here to play politics. I came to restore order to make sure Blackwood Industries runs clean, stable, and free of scandal.”

I looked down the hallway and through the other side, and there was actually no one in sight. My heart hammered as I approached the large double office doors with D. BLACKWOOD engraved on the metal plate. I forced my trembling hand to knock. No answer. Great. I knocked again. Still nothing. Screw it. I pushed the door open— —and froze in place. Damian Blackwood sat behind his massive black desk. Sharp suit. Cuffed sleeves. Jaw tight enough to crack a diamond. He didn’t look up at me. Not even a glance. I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by his deep voice.

I clapped my hands happy I was right. I picked up my phone again and began to search to see the most recent news. They were all saying the same thing till my eyes caught the news that was posted eight minutes ago. I quickly clicked on the blogger's profile to get more details and it took a bit of time before it opened. “Nathaniel Blackwood of the Blue Nath has just regained consciousness.” The headline of the news said.