The wind howled as it swept through the towering trees outside, and the rain pattered against the windows in an unrelenting rhythm. Inside, the mansion's grandiose hall was eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath Lia's feet. The dim lighting cast long shadows, making the sprawling estate feel more like a haunted house than the luxurious abode it was meant to be.
Adrian Blackwell sat in his study, a glass of whiskey gripped tightly in his hand, his sharp gaze lost in the distance. His thoughts, like the storm outside, were turbulent. Three years. Three years of commanding, dismissing, and controlling Lia. Three years of watching her serve him, doing everything he asked without question—without protest. He had assumed that when the time came, when the agreement was fulfilled, she would simply walk away, and he would never have to think about her again. But that was before the void formed inside him, an aching emptiness that seemed to grow with every passing day without her.
Lia was gone. Vanished without a trace.
The last thing Adrian had expected was to care. But when he thought back on her, the way she moved through his house like a ghost, her calm, collected demeanor hiding the strength she'd never shown, it gnawed at him. What was it about her that had gotten under his skin?
The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual, a constant reminder that time was slipping away. But it wasn't just the ticking of the clock that bothered him—it was the memory of the night she left. The way her eyes had looked when she turned to him one last time. She hadn't said a word, hadn't even acknowledged him properly. She simply took the money and disappeared into the night.
He knew he had messed up. He had pushed her too far, treated her like a mere tool to be discarded when the mission was over. He had dismissed the idea that she might be more than that. But now, in the cold silence of his study, he could feel the weight of his mistake.
There was a soft knock on the door, and without waiting for a response, the door creaked open.
"Mr. Blackwell, there's someone here to see you."
Adrian barely looked up from his glass. "Not now, Bernard," he muttered. "I'm not in the mood for visitors."
"But sir, it's important," Bernard persisted, his voice tight with urgency. "You might want to hear what he has to say."
Adrian sighed and set his glass down, his patience wearing thin. He wasn't in the mood for whatever this interruption was, but something in the butler's voice made him pause. "Fine. Send him in."
The door opened fully, and Adrian's gaze snapped to the man who stepped inside. He was tall, with an air of confidence that matched his impeccable suit. His features were strikingly familiar, and for a moment, Adrian couldn't place why.
"Mr. Blackwell, I believe we have business to discuss," the man said coolly, his voice rich and commanding. There was something unsettling about the way he spoke—something that sent a shiver down Adrian's spine.
"And you are?" Adrian asked, his tone guarded.
The man smirked, his eyes gleaming with something Adrian couldn't quite decipher. "I'm someone who has been looking for you. Someone who knows about the woman you've lost."
Adrian stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"Miss Lia," the man continued. "I know what you've done to her. I know what you promised her. And I know that she's not as far gone as you think."
The words hit Adrian like a punch to the gut. His heart raced, and the blood in his veins seemed to run cold. He rose from his chair, his hands clenched into fists. "What do you mean? How do you know Lia?"
The man stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "You've been too careless. You've made a mistake, Blackwell. And now it's time to pay the price for it."
Adrian's mind reeled. How could this man know about Lia? And why did he feel so… familiar? It was almost as if he had heard his voice before, or seen his face in a dream. But it couldn't be. The man was a stranger. Or was he?
Before he could ask any more questions, the man's gaze softened, and he reached into his coat pocket. "I'm not here to fight, Blackwell," he said quietly. "I'm here to make you an offer."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "An offer?"
"Yes. An offer to fix the mess you've created," the man said, a flicker of something darker in his eyes. "I can help you find her. I can help you bring her back. But there's a price. You'll need to do something for me in return."
Adrian couldn't believe what he was hearing. A part of him wanted to dismiss the man, to throw him out and forget this bizarre encounter ever happened. But another part of him—the part that couldn't shake the nagging feeling of loss—was intrigued.
"Tell me what you want," Adrian said, his voice low and tense.
The man smiled, and for the first time since entering the room, there was something almost sinister in the way he looked at Adrian. "You'll find out soon enough. But be warned, Mr. Blackwell—what you've done has consequences. And they're far more dangerous than you realize."
Before Adrian could respond, the man turned and walked toward the door. But just as he reached it, he paused, looking back over his shoulder.
"One more thing, Blackwell," he said, his voice now carrying a tone of finality. "Lia isn't just a woman you can control. She's far more than that. And you've only just begun to understand what you're dealing with."
The door shut behind him with a soft click, leaving Adrian standing alone in the dimly lit study, his mind racing.
What was the man talking about? What did he mean by consequences? And who was he, really?
Adrian's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp ringing in his ear. His phone. He glanced at the screen, but it wasn't the name of anyone he knew—it was an unknown number.
Reluctantly, he answered.
"Mr. Blackwell?" The voice on the other end was familiar. A voice he couldn't quite place, but one that seemed to haunt him.
"Yes?" Adrian's voice was steady, though his pulse quickened.
"You'll find her," the voice said, and before Adrian could respond, the line went dead.
The voice lingered in his mind long after the call ended. Who was that? What was going on?
As Adrian stood in the silence of his study, he felt a sense of dread settling over him. The events of the past few days were only the beginning. Something darker was at play here, and it wasn't just about finding Lia—it was about the secrets that had been buried for far too long.
And now, the clock was ticking.