Chapter 2: The Man Behind The Voice
Chapter 2: The Man Behind The Voice
The rain covered every sound.
The distant thunder.
The trembling of Emily’s breath.
The beating of her own heart.
Everything except the words that had just left the stranger’s mouth.
"The man you called is not the only dead man who came back tonight."
Emily stared at him.
Her mind refused to understand.
"No…" she whispered.
The man standing in front of her looked exactly like Alexander Vale.
Older.
More exhausted.
His face carried scars that had not been there ten years ago. His hair was darker at the roots but touched with silver. His eyes, however, were unchanged.
Those eyes were impossible to forget.
They were the eyes of the man who had once saved her life.
The eyes of the man who had taught her how to survive.
The eyes of the man she had mourned.
"Who are you?" Emily asked.
The man looked at her silently.
Then he reached inside his coat.
Emily immediately stepped backward.
"Don't."
The man stopped.
Slowly, he pulled out a small object and held it in his palm.
A silver necklace.
Emily froze.
She knew it.
She had seen it every day when she was younger.
Because Alexander had always worn it.
A small silver cross with a strange symbol carved into the back.
Her father had given it to him.
"Where did you get that?"
The man's expression softened.
"Your father gave it to me the night he discovered the truth."
Emily felt the world tilt.
"My father?"
The man nodded.
"Daniel Carter knew the Blackwoods were dangerous."
Her eyes filled with anger.
"Everyone keeps saying that. Everyone keeps talking about my father like he was some hero who died because he knew too much. But nobody tells me what actually happened."
The man looked toward the mansion.
"Because the people who know the truth are the same people who buried it."
Emily followed his gaze.
The Blackwood mansion.
A place filled with beautiful memories.
And now, hidden beneath the luxury, a graveyard of secrets.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
The man looked back at her.
"My name is Michael."
Emily frowned.
"Michael?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you have Alexander's necklace?"
His eyes darkened.
"Because Alexander Vale is dead."
Emily stepped back.
"No."
The man didn't answer.
"You're lying."
"I wish I was."
"Then who did I call?"
Michael looked at the phone still in her hand.
"You called the man who destroyed his own identity."
Emily's voice became quieter.
"Explain."
Michael took a slow breath.
"Ten years ago, Alexander Vale discovered that Victoria Blackwood and her husband were involved in illegal financial operations. He found evidence connecting them to several crimes."
Emily listened carefully.
"But Alexander disappeared."
"Because he was betrayed."
"By who?"
Michael looked directly at her.
"Someone he trusted."
A chill went through Emily.
"Who?"
Before Michael could answer, a sound came from behind them.
A door opening.
Emily turned.
Ryan stood at the entrance of the mansion.
His face was unreadable.
But his eyes were fixed on Michael.
The two men stared at each other.
And Emily knew immediately.
They knew one another.
"Ryan?"
Her voice was uncertain.
Ryan didn't answer.
His attention remained on the stranger.
"Where is Alexander?"
The question shocked Emily.
Michael's expression changed slightly.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"You still believe he died?"
Ryan walked down the steps.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like approaching a dangerous animal.
"I watched him disappear."
Michael smiled sadly.
"No."
Ryan stopped.
"You watched someone make you believe he disappeared."
The rain fell between them.
Emily looked from one man to the other.
"What is happening?"
Neither answered.
That scared her more than anything.
Because for the first time, she realized something.
Ryan wasn't surprised that Alexander existed.
He was afraid.
Inside the mansion, the three of them sat in the library.
The room had always been Ryan's favorite place.
Thousands of books.
Old paintings.
Family portraits.
A symbol of everything the Blackwoods had built.
Tonight, it felt like a courtroom.
Emily sat on one side.
Ryan sat across from her.
Michael remained standing.
Nobody trusted anyone.
Finally, Ryan spoke.
"Tell me who you are."
Michael looked at him.
"You know exactly who I am."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"No. I know who you want me to think you are."
Emily looked at Ryan.
"What does that mean?"
Ryan ignored her.
"Alexander Vale died ten years ago."
Michael smiled faintly.
"Your family announced that."
Ryan's expression hardened.
"My family had nothing to do with it."
Michael looked at him for a long moment.
Then he said:
"That's the problem with people born into powerful families."
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"They inherit the sins before they inherit the money."
The words hit harder than expected.
Emily watched Ryan carefully.
For the first time, she wondered if he truly knew nothing.
Or if he was simply a better liar than everyone else.
An hour later, Michael placed an old folder on the table.
Emily immediately recognized it.
The same symbol.
The same black seal.
The same documents she had found hidden inside the mansion.
Ryan noticed.
"You've seen this before."
Emily hesitated.
"Yes."
His eyes moved to her.
"When?"
She looked away.
"Tonight."
Ryan stood.
"You went into the restricted archives?"
"I found something."
"What?"
Emily's voice became cold.
"Proof that my father was murdered."
Silence.
Ryan stared at her.
"My father would never—"
"Don't."
Her voice stopped him.
"Don't defend him."
Ryan looked wounded.
But Emily continued.
"I spent my whole life believing my father's death was an accident. Then I found documents showing someone paid to erase evidence."
She looked at him.
"And guess whose name appeared?"
Ryan didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
"Blackwood."
The room became silent.
Michael watched Ryan carefully.
"You see now?"
Ryan looked at him.
"See what?"
"That your family's empire was built on a grave."
Ryan clenched his fists.
"You don't know anything about my family."
Michael stepped closer.
"I know more than you."
"Then tell me."
Michael stared at him.
"Your father didn't kill Daniel Carter."
Emily looked surprised.
"Then who did?"
Michael's eyes moved toward the second floor.
Toward the private rooms of the Blackwood family.
"Your mother."
The entire world stopped.
Ryan stared.
"No."
Michael remained silent.
"No."
Ryan repeated.
His voice was lower.
"You are lying."
"I was there."
Ryan's face changed.
"You were there?"
Michael nodded.
"The night Daniel Carter died..."
He looked at Emily.
"...Alexander Vale was there too."
Emily covered her mouth.
"And he saw everything."
Later that night, Ryan stood alone on the balcony.
The city lights reflected in his eyes.
His entire life was collapsing.
Everything he believed about his family.
Everything he believed about his father.
Everything he believed about himself.
Behind him, Emily appeared.
"You believe him."
Ryan didn't turn.
"I don't know."
It was the first honest answer he had given her.
Emily stood beside him.
"Why didn't you tell me about Alexander?"
Ryan was silent.
"Because I didn't know he was alive."
She studied his face.
"You knew him."
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"How?"
Ryan looked at the darkness.
"When I was nineteen, Alexander worked for my father."
Emily froze.
"He was like family."
A bitter smile appeared on Ryan's face.
"Then one day, my father told me Alexander betrayed us."
"And you believed him?"
"I was young."
Ryan looked at her.
"I believed everything my family told me."
Emily looked away.
"And now?"
Ryan stared at the mansion.
"Now I think I spent my entire life protecting people who never protected me."
A moment of silence passed.
Then Emily whispered:
"Ryan."
He looked at her.
For the first time, there was no anger between them.
Only fear.
Because both of them finally understood.
They weren't fighting against each other.
They were trapped inside the same nightmare.
At midnight, Michael stood outside the mansion.
He made a phone call.
The person on the other end answered immediately.
"Is she safe?"
Michael looked back at the house.
"Yes."
"And Ryan?"
Michael hesitated.
"He knows."
Silence.
Then a voice asked:
"Did you tell him the truth?"
Michael closed his eyes.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
Because Michael knew the truth was worse than the lie.
Because once Ryan discovered who really betrayed Alexander…
there would be no going back.
Finally, Michael whispered:
"Because Ryan Blackwood is not ready to learn..."
He looked toward the mansion.
"...that his own mother tried to have him killed too."
The call ended.
And somewhere inside the mansion…
Victoria Blackwood opened her eyes.
She had been listening the entire time.
A cold smile appeared on her face.
"Welcome back, Alexander."
She looked at the old photograph in her hand.
A photograph of two young men.
Ryan.
And Alexander.
Then she whispered:
May you like
"Let's see who survives this time."
End of Chapter 2
