Chapter 3 — The Letter

The rain had stopped.

But inside the Vale mansion, nothing felt calm.

Adrian stood alone in his father's study, the old letter still in his hand.

He read the final sentence again.

If Elena Marlowe ever comes looking for answers, believe her. She is not your enemy.

His jaw tightened.

His father had known.

Seven years ago, when Elena's father was sent to prison, Adrian had believed every piece of evidence placed in front of him.

Now, for the first time, he wondered who had placed it there.

A quiet knock came from the door.

He didn't turn.

“Come in.”

Elena entered.

She stopped when she saw the letter.

ELENA: “You found something.”

Adrian looked at her.

ADRIAN: “My father left this for me.”

Elena's expression changed.

ELENA: “What does it say?”

He hesitated.

Then he handed her the letter.

She read it silently.

Her eyes stopped at one sentence.

The person you should fear is already inside your house.

Elena slowly looked up.

ELENA: “Inside your house?”

ADRIAN: “That's what he wrote.”

ELENA: “Then someone in your family knew what happened to my father.”

Adrian stepped closer to the desk.

ADRIAN: “Or someone wanted him to take the blame.”

Elena placed the letter down.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then she noticed something beneath the desk.

A small black box.

Locked.

On its lid were three interlocking circles.

The same symbol from the photograph.

Elena's face went pale.

ELENA: “Where did you get that?”

ADRIAN: “It was here.”

She reached toward it.

Adrian caught her wrist before she could touch the lock.

Not violently—just enough to stop her.

ADRIAN: “Don't.”

Elena looked at him.

ELENA: “Why?”

ADRIAN: “Because whoever hid it didn't want us to find it.”

A phone suddenly vibrated.

Both of them froze.

It was Elena's phone.

Unknown number.

One message.

YOU'RE GETTING TOO CLOSE.

Another message appeared immediately.

ASK ADRIAN WHAT HAPPENED TO EVELYN.

Elena stared at the screen.

Adrian noticed the name.

His expression changed completely.

ADRIAN: “Who told you that name?”

ELENA: “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

He took a step back.

For the first time since Elena had entered his life, Adrian looked genuinely afraid.

ADRIAN: “Evelyn is dead.”

Elena shook her head.

ELENA: “Then why does someone want us to believe she isn't?”

Silence.

Somewhere upstairs, a door slowly creaked open.

Neither of them moved.

And then—

a photograph slid underneath the study door.

Elena picked it up.

It showed Adrian's father.

Elena's father.

And the mysterious woman from the old photograph.

But this time, there was something different.

Written across the back were four words:

SHE NEVER DIED.

Adrian stared at the photograph.

Elena looked at him.

Neither of them knew what was worse—

that Evelyn might still be alive...

or that someone had been waiting seven years for them to find out.

To be continued…