WebNovels

Chapter 24 - Chapter 24 - The Ghost in the Mirror  

The cabin was silent except for the faint hum of Adrian's phone still glowing in his hand.

Emma couldn't tear her eyes from the message.

You shouldn't have gone back to the ruins. Now both of you are targets.

Her throat felt dry. "Who would send that?"

Adrian didn't answer. He was already typing something fast, sharp, controlled but his jaw tightened the longer he waited for a reply that never came.

"Blocked," he muttered. "Whoever it was, they knew how to cover their trail."

Emma crossed her arms. "That doesn't sound like someone warning us. That sounds like a threat."

He looked up, eyes meeting hers. "Or both."

The unease in her stomach grew heavier. The fire had burned out completely now, leaving the room cold and gray. Outside, the rain had turned into mist curling around the trees like ghostly fingers.

Adrian finally stood, grabbed his jacket, and tossed her his spare phone. "Keep this on you. I've already synced the tracker."

She frowned. "Tracker?"

"Just in case," he said shortly. "If something happens—"

She cut him off. "Nothing's going to happen. Not until I get answers."

There was that tone again sharp, stubborn, and fearless. It was the same voice she used to whisper her dreams in before life turned into ashes.

Adrian looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Then we'll start with your father."

Emma's heart twisted. "He's dead."

"Maybe," Adrian said softly. "But his secrets aren't."

 

They reached the Blackwood Estate just before noon. The mansion loomed behind iron gates, too quiet, too perfect a cage dressed like a castle.

Emma hadn't stepped inside since her wedding night. Her fingers trembled as the memories hit laughter, white roses, Adrian's cold eyes, the smell of smoke.

Adrian watched her closely. "You don't have to do this now."

"I do," she whispered. "If I run from this again, I'll never stop."

The door creaked open under her touch. Dust floated through the air like faded ghosts of the past.

She walked straight to her father's old study the one room no one had dared to enter since the fire. The furniture was gone, but the heavy mirror above the fireplace still stood, cracked and darkened at the edges.

"Strange," Adrian murmured, brushing the frame. "This mirror wasn't here before."

Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The original one burned," he said quietly. "I replaced it before the property was sealed. But I never chose this model."

Her stomach dropped. "So someone else brought it back?"

Adrian nodded slowly. "And not recently."

Emma stepped closer, tracing her reflection in the fractured glass. For a moment, her heart stopped.

There hidden in the corner of the mirror's frame was a tiny silver crest: B.W.

Her father's initials.

She felt her breath hitch. "Adrian… look."

He leaned in, eyes narrowing. "A hidden compartment."

Adrian pressed on the edge of the frame, and with a faint click, a small drawer slid open. Inside was a flash drive wrapped in black ribbon and an old, folded note.

Emma took the note with trembling fingers.

The handwriting was unmistakable. Her father's.

If you're reading this, it means they've found you. Trust no one with the mark of the Blackwood bloodline. Not even him.

Her hands went cold. "Not even him…"

Adrian's expression hardened. "He meant me."

She shook her head, stepping back. "No. He wouldn't—"

"Emma." His voice was firm but soft. "Your father didn't trust my family for a reason."

Her chest tightened. "Then what was he doing working with them?"

Adrian didn't answer. He just picked up the flash drive, his eyes clouded with thought. "Let's find out."

 

Back at his penthouse, the world outside felt miles away. The city lights shimmered through the rain-streaked windows, painting the room in shades of gold and gray.

Adrian slid the flash drive into his laptop. Files loaded encrypted, but familiar. Emma recognized the Blackwood logo flashing in the corner of the screen.

One file stood out: Project Lazarus.

Emma frowned. "Lazarus?"

Adrian's eyes widened slightly. "The codename for a biotech program my company shut down two years ago. It was supposed to be about regenerative medicine experimental cell recovery."

She blinked. "You mean… bringing people back?"

He nodded slowly. "In theory."

Emma felt the blood drain from her face. "Adrian… what if this isn't just a coincidence? What if my rebirth wasn't fate?"

The room went still.

He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "You think someone used that project on you?"

"I think someone used me," she whispered.

Adrian clenched his fists. "Then we find them and end this."

Emma turned toward the window, the city glittering beneath her like broken glass. Somewhere out there, in the shadows of her second life, the truth waited and it was darker than anything she'd imagined.

But one thought wouldn't leave her mind.

If her father had known what would happen…

Why had he left her behind?

And why did the note warn her against the one man who now stood beside her?

 

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