Chapter 12 — The Betrayal Inside My Own House
Chapter 12 — The Betrayal Inside My Own House
The house was supposed to be the safest place in the world.
That was what Ethan had told himself.
The doors were reinforced.
The windows were protected.
Security officers guarded every entrance.
Cameras covered every hallway.
Lily, Rose, and Thomas were supposed to be untouchable.
But at 2:17 a.m., the security system went silent.
Not an alarm.
Not a warning.
Silence.
Ethan woke immediately.
He sat up in the chair beside Amelia's bed.
Something was wrong.
He looked at the security monitor.
Every camera showed the same image.
Black.
“Daniel.”
His brother appeared in the doorway.
“I know.”
“What's happening?”
“The system was manually shut down.”
“From where?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Inside the house.”
Ethan's heart sank.
“Who has access?”
“Me.”
“Your team?”
“Yes.”
“Amelia?”
“No.”
“Catherine?”
“No.”
Ethan looked toward the hallway.
“Then someone has betrayed us.”
A soft cry came from upstairs.
Lily.
Ethan ran.
Daniel followed.
The hallway was dark.
Ethan reached the children's room.
The door was open.
The beds were empty.
“No.”
He rushed inside.
Rose's blanket was on the floor.
Thomas's glasses lay beside the bed.
Lily's stuffed rabbit was missing.
Ethan's breathing became shallow.
“They're gone.”
Daniel stared at the empty room.
“How?”
“You tell me.”
“I locked this floor myself.”
Ethan turned.
“Then someone opened it.”
Daniel checked the electronic lock.
His face changed.
“The door was opened with my code.”
Ethan stared.
“Your code?”
“Yes.”
“Who knows it?”
Daniel said nothing.
Then Ethan understood.
“You.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Me?”
“You're the only person who should know.”
“I didn't do this.”
“I didn't say you did.”
But Ethan's voice was cold.
“You're the only person who could have.”
Daniel stepped backward.
“Ethan.”
Before he could finish, a voice came from the hallway.
“Don't move.”
Security officers surrounded them.
Their weapons were raised.
Ethan turned.
“What are you doing?”
The lead guard looked at Daniel.
“Sir, we were ordered to detain him.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“By whom?”
The guard held up a tablet.
“Mrs. Blackwood.”
Ethan looked toward Amelia's room.
“Amelia?”
“No.”
The guard shook his head.
“Catherine.”
Catherine stood at the end of the corridor.
Her face was expressionless.
“Put the weapon down, Daniel.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Where are the children?”
Catherine didn't answer.
“Where are they?”
She looked at Ethan.
“You have to trust me.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“That's what everyone says before they betray me.”
Catherine's eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't betray you.”
“Then tell me where Lily is.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, they'll kill her.”
“Who?”
Catherine looked toward the ceiling.
“The people inside this house.”
Silence.
Ethan slowly lowered his weapon.
“What does that mean?”
Catherine stepped closer.
“One of your security officers is working for Gabriel.”
Daniel looked at the guards.
“Which one?”
Catherine pointed.
The lead guard.
He immediately raised his weapon.
Daniel reacted first.
One shot.
The guard fell.
The others froze.
Catherine shouted:
“Search him!”
A second officer found a small transmitter hidden beneath his jacket.
Daniel stared.
“He was feeding someone the camera locations.”
Catherine nodded.
“And the children's movements.”
Ethan's face hardened.
“So someone inside the house gave Gabriel everything.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Catherine looked at Daniel.
Daniel's expression changed.
“What?”
“Not you.”
“Then who?”
Catherine hesitated.
“Someone you trust more than anyone.”
A phone rang.
Everyone froze.
It was coming from the fallen guard.
Daniel picked it up.
The screen displayed one word.
MOTHER.
Ethan stared.
“Answer it.”
Daniel did.
“Hello?”
A woman's voice whispered:
“Is he dead?”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
He looked at Ethan.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed.
“You don't recognize my voice?”
Daniel's face went white.
“Clara.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Where are the children?”
Clara replied:
“Exactly where they need to be.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
Ethan clenched his jaw.
“What do you want?”
“The will.”
“You already have a copy.”
“I want the original.”
“You'll never get it.”
Clara laughed.
“Then you won't get your daughter.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“Which daughter?”
Silence.
Then Clara whispered:
“Lily.”
The line ended.
Ethan turned to Catherine.
“Where is the original will?”
Catherine shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“You helped hide it.”
“Yes.”
“You know where it is.”
“I knew.”
“Past tense?”
Catherine looked at him.
“I moved it.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Ethan stared.
“Why?”
“Because I knew someone would come.”
“Where did you move it?”
Catherine didn't answer.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Tell me.”
“To the house.”
Ethan looked around.
“This house?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Catherine looked toward the basement.
“Under the foundation.”
Daniel frowned.
“Another vault?”
“No.”
Catherine's expression darkened.
“A room that was sealed before Ethan was born.”
They descended.
The basement was silent.
Catherine stopped beside a brick wall.
She pressed her palm against it.
A hidden door opened.
Beyond it was a narrow room.
Inside were boxes.
Photographs.
Documents.
Old passports.
Birth certificates.
Medical records.
Ethan stared.
“This is your archive.”
Catherine nodded.
“I kept everything.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew one day the truth would matter.”
Ethan opened a box.
Inside was a photograph of Amelia.
But she looked much younger.
Standing beside her was Gabriel.
Ethan's heart stopped.
Another photograph.
Amelia.
Gabriel.
And a baby.
Ethan stared at the child.
“That's me.”
Catherine nodded.
“You were three months old.”
Ethan looked at the date.
The photograph had been taken before Richard supposedly became his father.
He picked up another document.
His birth certificate.
The father's name had been changed.
Richard Blackwood.
Underneath it was the original.
Gabriel Blackwood.
Ethan closed his eyes.
“How many times did you rewrite my life?”
Catherine whispered:
“Too many.”
Daniel opened another box.
Inside was a red envelope.
He pulled it out.
“What's this?”
Catherine froze.
“Don't.”
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Written by Samuel.
He read:
If this letter is found, it means Gabriel has succeeded in hiding the truth.
Catherine sat down.
Samuel continued:
My son Gabriel is not the greatest threat to this family.
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
Daniel continued.
The greatest threat is the person who learned how to control Gabriel.
Silence.
Ethan looked at Catherine.
“Who?”
Daniel turned the page.
His face changed.
“It says—”
The lights went out.
Again.
Catherine screamed.
“Close the door!”
Daniel grabbed the flashlight.
A noise came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Someone was approaching.
Ethan raised his weapon.
“Who is there?”
No answer.
Then the door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Amelia.
Ethan froze.
“Amelia?”
She looked at him.
Her face was terrified.
“Ethan.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I woke up.”
“You were supposed to be in bed.”
“I heard something.”
She looked at Catherine.
“What did you find?”
Catherine stared at her.
Then her expression changed.
“You.”
Amelia stopped.
“What?”
Catherine whispered:
“You know.”
Amelia's face went pale.
“Know what?”
Catherine stepped toward her.
“You know who controls Gabriel.”
Amelia shook her head.
“No.”
“Tell him.”
“I can't.”
Ethan looked between them.
“Tell me what?”
Amelia began crying.
“I was afraid.”
“Of whom?”
She whispered:
“My father.”
Ethan froze.
“Gabriel?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“My real father.”
Catherine's eyes widened.
“That's impossible.”
Amelia looked at her.
“He's alive.”
Catherine stepped backward.
“No.”
Ethan stared.
“Who?”
Amelia whispered:
“Samuel Blackwood.”
Silence.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
“Samuel died twenty years ago.”
“No.”
Amelia shook her head.
“He didn't.”
A gunshot exploded.
The window shattered.
Amelia collapsed.
“Mommy!”
Lily's voice echoed from the hallway.
Ethan spun around.
His heart stopped.
Lily was standing there.
Alive.
Rose and Thomas were beside her.
Daniel rushed toward them.
“Get them out!”
Lily ran to Ethan.
“Daddy!”
He grabbed her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Who brought you back?”
She pointed behind her.
A man stood at the end of the corridor.
Old.
White hair.
Black coat.
Ethan knew the face.
He had seen it in photographs.
Samuel Blackwood.
His grandfather.
The man everyone had buried twenty years ago.
Samuel looked directly at Ethan.
“You finally found the room.”
Ethan couldn't speak.
Samuel smiled.
“Good.”
Then he looked at Amelia.
“My daughter.”
Amelia began crying.
“Father.”
Ethan stared at them.
“My entire life…”
Samuel interrupted.
“Was built on a lie.”
Ethan raised his weapon.
“You stole my life.”
Samuel nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were never supposed to inherit the empire.”
Ethan looked at Lily.
“Then who was?”
Samuel's eyes moved to the children.
“All of them.”
He smiled.
“Until someone decided there could only be one.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Where were you?”
Samuel looked at him.
“Watching.”
“You watched all of this?”
“Yes.”
“The fire?”
“Yes.”
“Amelia's imprisonment?”
“Yes.”
“Lily being hidden?”
“Yes.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“You're a monster.”
Samuel smiled.
“Perhaps.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Why come back now?”
“Because the will has been found.”
“So?”
“The Blackwood bloodline is about to be exposed.”
“That's what you wanted.”
“No.”
Samuel's expression became cold.
“I wanted to see who would betray whom.”
He looked at Catherine.
She lowered her head.
Then Amelia.
She cried.
Then Daniel.
He looked away.
Samuel smiled.
“Now I know.”
Ethan tightened his grip on Lily.
“What happens now?”
Samuel turned toward the door.
“Now the family chooses.”
“Chooses what?”
“Who survives.”
Then he walked away.
Ethan stared after him.
And for the first time, he understood the true danger.
The betrayal had not come from one person.
It had been built into the family for generations.
Every secret had created another lie.
Every lie had created another betrayal.
And now the man who had started it all had returned.
But before Ethan could follow him, Daniel looked down at the red envelope.
The final page of Samuel's letter was missing.
Only one sentence remained.
THE PERSON WHO HOLDS THE FINAL PAGE HOLDS THE FATE OF THE BLACKWOOD EMPIRE.
Daniel looked up.
“Ethan.”
“What?”
“The page is gone.”
Ethan stared.
“Who took it?”
Daniel slowly looked toward Amelia.
Amelia's face went white.
“I didn't.”
But Ethan noticed something in her hand.
A small folded piece of paper.
He stepped closer.
“Amelia.”
She froze.
“Give me the page.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
She looked at him.
“Because if you read it…”
She swallowed.
“…you'll finally understand why I married you.”
Ethan's heart sank.
May you like
The woman he had spent seven years loving was holding the final secret.
And for the first time, he wondered whether their marriage had ever begun with love at all.
