Chapter 4 - The Dead Woman’s Last Phone Call
Adrian locked down the estate in less than sixty seconds.
No vehicle was permitted through the gates.
Every guard received Lily’s photograph.
Every room was searched.
Grace ignored the men rushing around her and stared at the stuffed rabbit.
Something felt wrong.
Lily hated loud voices.
She hated strangers.
If someone had dragged her away, she would have panicked.
But there were no signs of struggle.
Grace remembered the library.
The music box.
The place where Lily had first trusted her.
She ran.
Behind one of the floor-length curtains, she heard breathing.
Grace pulled it aside.
Lily was curled beneath the window.
“Sweetheart.”
Lily launched herself into Grace’s arms.
“I don't want him to find me.”
“Who?”
“Uncle Victor.”
Grace's blood ran cold.
Adrian entered moments later.
He stopped when he saw his daughter.
Relief crossed his face before rage replaced it.
“Lily.”
She hid behind Grace.
Adrian crouched.
“Victor can't hurt you.”
Lily shook her head.
“He told Mommy she should've stayed quiet.”
Adrian stared at her.
“When?”
“The rainy night.”
Grace sat on the carpet.
“Can you tell us what happened?”
Lily nodded slowly.
Piece by piece, the story emerged.
Catherine had discovered something.
She had driven Lily to an old family property because she was frightened to leave her at home.
Victor arrived.
Another person was with him, but Lily never saw the second person's face.
Catherine argued with Victor beside the car.
She accused him of stealing money.
Then she said something Lily had remembered for two years.
“Adrian will find out.”
Victor had answered:
“Not if you never make it home.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Grace saw his hands clench.
Lily continued.
Moments later, Catherine returned to the car.
She was crying.
She placed Lily in another vehicle driven by a family employee and ordered him to take her home.
Catherine drove away alone.
Less than forty minutes later, she crashed.
“Who drove you home?” Adrian asked.
Lily shook her head.
Grace noticed the fear.
“You don't have to remember everything today.”
But Adrian already knew something terrible.
If Lily's memory was accurate, Catherine's death had not been an accident.
And someone inside his family had spent two years ensuring he never discovered it.
That afternoon, Marcus recovered an archived voicemail.
Catherine had called Adrian minutes before the crash.
The original had been corrupted.
A backup remained on an old server.
Adrian listened alone at first.
Then he called Grace.
Catherine's voice filled the study.
“Adrian, if you get this, don't trust—”
Static.
Then:
“Victor found out.”
More static.
“Vanessa has the documents.”
Grace looked at Adrian.
The message continued.
“Protect Lily.”
Then Catherine's voice broke.
“And whatever happens, know that I—”
Silence.
The recording ended.
Adrian remained motionless.
Grace could see grief fighting rage behind his eyes.
“You loved her,” she said.
“I still do.”
Grace nodded.
There was no jealousy in her.
Only understanding.
Adrian looked at her.
“I ignored that call.”
“You didn't know.”
“I should have answered.”
“You didn't know.”
“I was twenty minutes away.”
“And you didn't know.”
His eyes finally met hers.
Grace stepped closer.
“You can punish yourself forever and it won't change that night. But you can protect Lily now.”
Something about those words reached him.
Adrian looked away.
“My entire life is built on people fearing me.”
Grace said quietly, “Your daughter doesn't need people to fear you.”
“What does she need?”
“A father she can tell the truth to.”
That evening, Adrian summoned Victor.
The older man arrived smiling.
His smile disappeared when he saw Catherine's recovered call log.
“Where did you get this?”
Adrian watched him.
“Interesting question.”
Victor sat down.
“Adrian, whatever you're thinking—”
“Catherine called you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victor sighed.
“She was emotional.”
“About what?”
“Your business.”
“My business?”
“She wanted you out.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“Lily remembers seeing you.”
Victor froze.
Only for half a second.
But Adrian saw it.
“She was four.”
“She remembers your ring.”
Victor looked at his hand.
The gold signet ring gleamed beneath the lamp.
“Children create memories.”
Adrian smiled without warmth.
“That's exactly what Vanessa said.”
Victor's eyes sharpened.
Then Grace heard something from the corridor.
A floorboard.
She opened the door.
Nobody.
But on the carpet lay an envelope.
Her name was written across it.
GRACE BENNETT.
Inside was a photograph.
Grace standing outside Noah's rehabilitation center.
On the back were seven words.
Leave Blackwood House or your brother pays.
Grace's hands went numb.
Someone had followed her.
Someone knew about Noah.
She immediately understood what they wanted.
Silence.
The same thing they had wanted from Catherine.
Grace returned to her room and packed.
She told herself it was temporary.
She told herself Lily had Adrian now.
She told herself Noah mattered more.
At two in the morning, she carried her suitcase downstairs.
She nearly reached the door.
Then a tiny voice came from behind her.
“You're leaving.”
Grace stopped.
Lily stood on the staircase.
Her face crumpled.
Grace set down the suitcase.
“Sweetheart—”
“You promised.”
Grace climbed the stairs.
“I have to protect someone I love.”
“Me?”
The question broke her heart.
“You too.”
Lily began crying.
Then Adrian appeared.
He looked at the suitcase.
“What's happening?”
Grace handed him the photograph.
He read the message.
His expression turned lethal.
“Who gave you this?”
“I don't know.”
“You're not leaving.”
“My brother—”
“I'll protect him.”
“You can't guarantee that.”
“Yes.”
“No, Adrian.”
It was the first time she had used his first name.
Both noticed.
Grace continued.
“I won't gamble with Noah's life.”
Adrian looked at her for a long moment.
Then he picked up his phone.
Within twenty minutes, Noah's rehabilitation facility had additional private security.
Within an hour, arrangements were made to transfer him somewhere safer.
Grace stared at Adrian.
“You didn't have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
His gaze moved toward Lily.
“Because whoever sent this thinks threatening people I care about will make me surrender.”
Grace's breath caught.
People I care about.
Adrian seemed to realize what he had said.
Neither spoke.
Then Lily walked between them and took both their hands.
For one strange moment, they looked like a family.
But downstairs, Marcus had just discovered something far darker.
The threatening photograph had been printed using a printer registered to a Blackwood-owned office.
Only four people had access.
One was Victor.
One was Vanessa.
One was Adrian.
May you like
And the fourth was a woman Grace trusted completely.
Mrs. Eleanor Price.
