Vance Hopper Black Phone Novels & Stories

He went down to the terrace, the night wind cold against his face. From here he could see the city lights stretching endlessly, a reminder of the empire he controlled. Blackwood Enterprises was unshakable. But he wasn’t sure he was anymore. His phone buzzed. Damian pulled it from his pocket, expecting Reed with a report or perhaps Gregory checking in. Instead, his screen lit with a headline notification. Vanessa Hart stuns in silk gown as whispers of Blackwood heir intensify.

The bar was stuck at ninety-nine percent, pulsing like a live bomb under the dim light. "You are bluffing, Noah," Silas whispered. His deep voice was smooth, but his jaw was so tight a tiny muscle twitched under his sharp cheekbone. "You wouldn't destroy my empire. If the Vance name falls, your parents' patent becomes worthless public data. They will never get their life's work back." "Try me," I purred. I lifted my thumb just one millimeter off the glass screen. Instantly, a loud, high-pitched emergency beep buzzed from the phone speaker. A digital clock appeared, counting down from ten seconds.

A small yet sad smile made it's way to his lips as renewed tears streamed down his face. "Call the police..." It was a plea in the form of a hum. His voice was heavy and dreary, but I still heard it. Jumping up to my feet, I almost ran to the land phone that was kept on the table adown the staircase. Picking up the receiver with shaky hands, I dialed the emergency number. "What's your emerge-" "M-Murder...." My voice shook as I mumbled in the receiver, "There was a murder...."

She was standing by the black van holding up a bright smile as the students went in. “No. I’ll be taking you somewhere else. But first…we visit your dad,” Caine said. I had nothing to say to him. This was obviously against the rules of the pack, yet here he was, breaking it for me. He walked away, forgetting his phone by the window seal. It beeped and a notification popped up. “You said one week…four days left,” it read. What made it weird was that it was coming from Harper. I raced after Caine and handed the phone to him. “You forgot your phone”.

Marcus sprinted out of the security room, holding a small, black burner phone. "I found this taped to the underside of the security console," Marcus said, breathing heavily. "It’s ringing." Ethan stood up, his gray eyes turning entirely black. He snatched the burner phone from Marcus’s hand and hit the answer button. He didn't say a word. He just placed it to his ear. "Mr. Cole," Vivian Vance’s voice drifted over the line, dripping with arrogant, triumphant venom. "I see you’ve returned from your ski trip. How is the boy?"

I stayed beside Ethan, watching the second hand sweep across the wall clock. Exactly three minutes later, the security chief's voice came back through the speaker. "Mr. Blackwood, the line belongs to a temporary communications device, a burner phone purchased with cash." Ethan’s jaw tightened. "Can you locate where it has been active?" "Yes sir," the officer answered. "The signal history shows the device was activated near Blackwood Group several times over the past two weeks. Whoever has this phone was standing within a two-block radius of your office building while contacting Miss Vanessa."

he murmured, his thumb pressing into my lower lip, “are going to help me bait the trap.” Before I could ask him what he meant, Marcus’s voice broke through the partition speaker. “Sir, we have a problem. I traced the final destination of the burner phone’s registration. It wasn’t bought by a rival corporation or a foreign agent.” Alexander’s hand froze on my jaw. “Who bought it, Marcus?” Marcus swallowed hard over the speaker, his voice trembling. “The credit card used to secure the burner phone network belongs to Victor Vance. Your new wife’s stepfather.”

Even some Vaughn relatives showed up, careful but here. Evan raised his glass, voice cracking. “They survived everything meant to break them and they’re still choosing each other. That’s what I want.” Lena squeezed my hand. “We did it.” Then Evan’s phone rang. He stepped away. Came back pale. “It’s for you,” he said, handing it over. “Sounds bad.” “Mr. Vaughn? Oakwood Correctional Facility. Harrison Blackwood Jr. died of heart attack this morning.” The words hit like ice water. Lena’s face went white. Eleanor dropped into a chair.

I took a few sips, and discarded what's left in the sink. When I came back up, they were waiting. Andre pointed to the screen. “We got it.” he said. The image of the plate number was clear now. Not perfect, but good enough. "HZP 4832," Malik read out loud. I grabbed my phone, and dialed Detective Lewis. “It’s Zayn Vanderbilt. I found something. The Plate number of the van, HZP 4832. Check it now.” There was a pause on the other end. Then Lewis’s voice came through, “We are on it, sir."

I pulled it out. It was the old burner phone. The one I had completely forgotten about after the Vance empire collapsed. The one I thought was completely dead, its network disconnected weeks ago when Serena and my parents were eliminated. The screen suddenly lit up in my hand, vibrating violently against my palm. A single notification popped up on the black screen. An unknown number. My breath caught in my throat as I tapped the message open. 'Congratulations on the engagement, Miss Vance. Enjoy the last peaceful night.'