Chapter 13 – The Blackwood Trial
THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SAVED HER FATHER
Chapter 13 – The Blackwood Trial
The message remained on the screen.
OR THE SECOND DAWN CHILD DIES.
For the second time in his life, Ethan Blackwood felt the same terrifying feeling.
The feeling of losing a child.
Seven years ago, he lost Lily before he even had the chance to hold her.
Seven years ago, he stood beside an empty coffin and believed the world had taken everything from him.
Now Evelyn was gone.
And this time…
He knew exactly what it felt like to be too late.
“Where is she?”
Ethan turned toward Elena.
The woman who had controlled the shadows for years.
The woman who had destroyed families.
The woman who knew every secret of Project Dawn.
But Elena was not smiling anymore.
Because she knew something too.
She had not taken Evelyn.
Someone else had.
“I don’t know.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Do not lie to me.”
“I’m not.”
For the first time, Elena sounded afraid.
“She was never supposed to disappear.”
Amelia stepped forward.
“Then who took her?”
Nobody answered.
Until the archive computer made a sound.
A new file opened.
Automatically.
No password.
No authorization.
Just a name.
ELEANOR BLACKWOOD
Ethan froze.
His mother.
The woman everyone believed had been protecting him.
The woman who had hidden secrets.
The woman who knew the truth.
The screen displayed a video.
Eleanor appeared.
Older.
Tired.
But calm.
“Ethan.”
His heart tightened.
Even after everything…
Hearing her voice still affected him.
“If you are watching this, then the final stage has begun.”
Ethan stared.
“Mom…”
The recording continued.
“I know you believe I betrayed you.”
“You are right.”
The words shocked everyone.
“I did.”
Ethan’s hands tightened.
“But not for the reasons you think.”
The video showed documents.
Old family records.
Hospital reports.
Security footage.
Eleanor continued:
“The night of the fire was not only an attack.”
“It was a trial.”
Amelia looked confused.
“A trial?”
“Yes.”
“The Blackwood family spent generations believing power belonged to the strongest.”
“But your grandfather discovered something.”
A pause.
“He discovered that the strongest person was not the one who could control others.”
“It was the one who could protect them.”
Ethan looked at Lily.
The answer was obvious.
Love.
Eleanor continued.
“Project Dawn was supposed to create the perfect heir.”
“But it failed.”
“Because every subject was treated as a possession.”
“Not a person.”
The screen showed pictures.
Children.
Including Lily.
Evelyn.
And Ethan.
“My greatest mistake was believing I could fix this system from inside.”
“I thought I could destroy Project Dawn without destroying my family.”
“I was wrong.”
The video changed.
A hospital hallway.
Seven years earlier.
The night of the fire.
Ethan watched carefully.
There.
In the corner.
A woman.
Elena.
Victor.
Arthur.
But someone else.
A fourth person.
A woman walking toward Amelia’s hospital room.
Ethan froze.
Because he knew her.
“Mom?”
The video continued.
Eleanor’s voice became quieter.
“The person who started the fire was not Victor.”
“Not Arthur.”
“Not Elena.”
“It was someone who believed they were saving the Blackwood family.”
The footage zoomed.
The woman turned.
Everyone saw her face.
Amelia whispered:
“No…”
Ethan felt his entire world collapse.
Because the person in the video was…
Eleanor Blackwood.
Nobody spoke.
The woman Ethan trusted most.
The woman who raised him.
The woman who claimed she wanted to protect him.
Was the person who caused the nightmare.
“No.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Elena looked at him.
“You finally understand.”
Ethan turned.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Elena looked away.
“Because the truth would destroy you.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
Everyone had used the same excuse.
Protecting him.
Saving him.
Loving him.
But every secret had caused more pain.
Suddenly, the mansion speakers activated.
A voice echoed.
Eleanor.
Live.
Not a recording.
“You found it.”
Everyone froze.
Ethan grabbed the microphone.
“Where is Evelyn?”
A pause.
Then his mother answered.
“She is safe.”
“Where?”
“With me.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
The betrayal finally had a face.
“Why?”
Silence.
Then:
“Because I made a mistake.”
Ethan laughed.
“A mistake?”
“You burned a hospital.”
“You destroyed my family.”
“You let me bury my daughter.”
His voice broke.
“And you call that a mistake?”
Eleanor whispered:
“I thought Lily was going to die.”
Everyone froze.
“What?”
Eleanor continued.
“Victor had already prepared everything.”
“The fire.”
“The records.”
“The fake deaths.”
“But I discovered something.”
“What?”
“That Elena planned to take Lily.”
“She wanted to remove her from the family and use her for Project Dawn.”
Ethan looked at Elena.
Elena said nothing.
Eleanor continued:
“I started the fire because I wanted to destroy the research.”
“I wanted to make sure nobody could take Lily.”
Amelia’s eyes filled with anger.
“You almost killed her.”
“I know.”
Eleanor’s voice broke.
“I know.”
The truth was unbearable.
Eleanor was not innocent.
But she was not the monster Ethan thought she was.
She was a mother who made a terrible choice.
A choice that destroyed everyone.
“Where is Evelyn?”
Ethan demanded.
Eleanor answered:
“Come to the Blackwood courthouse.”
Everyone froze.
“The old family courthouse?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the final inheritance decision must happen there.”
Ethan understood.
The Blackwood trial.
The ancient rule.
The final judgment.
An hour later, Ethan arrived.
The old courthouse had been abandoned for decades.
But inside…
Everything was prepared.
A courtroom.
Family records.
The Blackwood crest.
And in the center…
Evelyn.
Alive.
Standing beside Eleanor.
Ethan immediately moved.
But Eleanor raised her hand.
“Wait.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Daddy Ethan…”
The words hurt.
Because they reminded him.
She was also a child.
A child who deserved love.
Eleanor looked at Ethan.
“The Blackwood family must choose.”
“Choose what?”
“The future.”
She placed two documents on the table.
“One document gives the empire to Lily.”
“The other gives it to Evelyn.”
Ethan stared.
“No.”
Eleanor looked confused.
“No?”
“My daughters are not competing.”
Silence.
“They are not weapons.”
“They are not heirs before they are children.”
He looked around the courtroom.
“This family spent generations asking who deserved power.”
His voice became stronger.
“The question should have been who deserved love.”
Then something unexpected happened.
Evelyn walked forward.
She picked up both documents.
And tore them.
Everyone froze.
“I don’t want the company.”
She looked at Lily.
“I don’t want to fight her.”
“I just want a family.”
Lily walked beside her.
The two girls held hands.
For the first time in decades…
The Blackwood family chose something other than power.
But then…
The courtroom doors opened.
Everyone turned.
A man entered.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
Ethan’s face changed.
Because he knew him.
Everyone knew him.
The man who was supposed to be dead.
Again.
Jonathan whispered:
“No…”
The man smiled.
“Hello, family.”
Ethan stared.
“Grandfather?”
The impossible happened again.
Another dead Blackwood returned.
And this time…
The oldest secret of all had walked through the door.
END OF CHAPTER 13
Next: Chapter 14 – The Last Blackwood
The truth about Ethan’s grandfather is revealed.
May you like
The original creator of Project Dawn returns.
Ethan must decide whether to destroy the Blackwood legacy or save it forever.
