Chapter 3 – The Blackwood Betrayal
THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SAVED HER FATHER
Chapter 3 – The Blackwood Betrayal
The Blackwood headquarters had never felt colder.
For decades, the tower had represented power.
Success.
Legacy.
The name Blackwood was carved into the glass walls, displayed on every floor, printed on every document.
A symbol that the family had built something untouchable.
But Ethan Blackwood now understood something.
A beautiful building could still be filled with rotten foundations.
And tomorrow morning, inside that building, his family’s empire would either survive…
Or be stolen.
At 6:30 a.m., Ethan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.
The city below was waking up.
Millions of people were beginning their day.
They had no idea that one of the most powerful families in the world was preparing for war.
Behind him, Lily sat quietly on the sofa.
She was wearing a small black dress that Amelia had bought before the fire.
The dress had been kept inside a storage box for seven years.
Ethan had never been able to throw it away.
He never knew why.
Maybe some part of him always believed that one day he would see his daughter wearing it.
Now that day had come.
Lily looked at the giant building around her.
“Is this yours?”
Ethan smiled slightly.
“It belongs to the Blackwood family.”
She looked at him.
“Does that mean it belongs to me too?”
The question was innocent.
But Ethan felt the weight behind it.
Because that was exactly why Victor wanted her gone.
“Yes.”
He knelt beside her.
“One day, if you want it, it will be yours.”
Lily looked worried.
“But I don’t want people fighting because of me.”
Ethan’s expression softened.
“You are not the reason people fight.”
“Then why?”
“Because some people want things more than they care about people.”
Lily thought about that.
Then she whispered:
“Like Victor?”
Ethan did not answer.
He didn’t need to.
The elevator doors opened.
Marcus Reed entered.
Ethan’s security chief looked serious.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
“What happened?”
“Victor arrived twenty minutes ago.”
“Already?”
Marcus nodded.
“He brought lawyers.”
Ethan smiled coldly.
“Of course.”
“Anything else?”
Marcus hesitated.
“There is one more thing.”
“What?”
“Your board members have already signed a temporary authorization document.”
Ethan turned.
“What document?”
Marcus placed a folder on the table.
Ethan opened it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
Emergency Executive Transfer Agreement.
The document allowed Victor to assume control of Blackwood International if Ethan was declared mentally incapable of performing his duties.
Ethan slowly closed the folder.
“He planned this before last night.”
“Yes.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“He knew you might survive.”
Ethan looked at him.
“What?”
Marcus continued.
“The poison was never his only plan.”
“He prepared a second attack.”
“He wanted you alive.”
Ethan frowned.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Marcus pointed at the document.
“Dead, you become a victim.”
“Alive, but accused of insanity…”
“You become the enemy.”
Ethan understood.
Victor didn’t just want his life.
He wanted his reputation.
His name.
His legacy.
Everything.
At 8:00 a.m., the board meeting began.
Twenty people sat around the long black table.
Executives.
Investors.
Family representatives.
People Ethan had worked with for years.
At the center sat Victor Blackwood.
Perfectly dressed.
Calm.
Confident.
As if he had already won.
When Ethan entered, every conversation stopped.
Victor smiled.
“Ethan.”
No anger.
No fear.
Just arrogance.
“I’m glad you came.”
Ethan walked to his seat.
“I wouldn’t miss watching you fail.”
A few board members exchanged uncomfortable looks.
Victor laughed.
“Still dramatic.”
Then his eyes moved toward Lily.
“And I see you brought the child.”
The room became silent.
Lily held Ethan’s hand tighter.
Ethan noticed.
He stepped slightly in front of her.
“Be careful.”
Victor smiled.
“Protective.”
“Good.”
“Because soon you will need protection from yourself.”
A screen behind Victor turned on.
The same DNA report appeared.
Several board members looked shocked.
Victor spoke calmly.
“Everyone here knows Ethan suffered a devastating loss seven years ago.”
“He lost his wife.”
“He lost his newborn daughter.”
“Or at least…”
“He believed he did.”
The room became uncomfortable.
Victor continued.
“Yesterday evening, Ethan introduced this child as his daughter.”
“However, medical evidence proves otherwise.”
A lawyer stood.
“We have verified the DNA report.”
Ethan looked at the lawyer.
“Have you?”
The lawyer avoided his eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Victor noticed.
“Mr. Blackwood, this is not the place for your emotional denial.”
Ethan smiled.
“You’re right.”
“This is not a place for emotions.”
“It is a place for evidence.”
He placed a folder on the table.
“Which is why I brought mine.”
Victor’s smile disappeared slightly.
“What evidence?”
Ethan looked toward Marcus.
The security chief pressed a button.
The room screens changed.
A video appeared.
The hospital corridor.
The fire.
The same footage that exposed Samuel.
Whispers spread around the table.
Victor’s expression changed.
Only for a second.
But Ethan saw it.
Fear.
Then the video stopped.
A frozen image appeared.
Not Samuel.
Someone else.
The room gasped.
Victor stood.
“Where did you get that?”
Ethan leaned back.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You didn’t ask what it was.”
“You asked where it came from.”
Victor realized his mistake.
But too late.
Ethan smiled.
“Because you already know what happened that night.”
The doors suddenly opened.
A woman walked in.
Everyone turned.
She was wearing a hospital robe.
Her face was thinner.
Her body weaker.
But her eyes were unmistakable.
Victor stopped breathing.
“Impossible.”
Ethan looked at her.
His voice broke.
“Amelia.”
The entire room froze.
Seven years.
Everyone believed she was dead.
But she was standing there.
Alive.
Amelia slowly walked forward.
Every step seemed painful.
But she never looked away from Victor.
“You should have checked the body.”
Victor’s face lost all color.
Amelia stopped in front of the board.
“My name is Amelia Blackwood.”
“I survived the fire.”
“And I am here to tell you exactly who started it.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Then Amelia pointed at Victor.
“It was him.”
The room exploded with whispers.
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
“You’re confused.”
“You were unconscious for years.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
Amelia smiled sadly.
“I remember everything.”
Victor stepped backward.
“What?”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“I remember you standing outside my hospital room.”
“I remember you telling the doctor to let me die.”
“And I remember the person who helped you.”
Ethan felt his heart tighten.
“The person who helped him?”
Amelia turned.
Her eyes moved across the room.
And stopped.
On someone Ethan trusted.
Someone sitting at the table.
Someone who had been silent the entire meeting.
Amelia whispered:
“He wasn’t alone.”
Everyone followed her gaze.
Ethan slowly turned.
And his blood ran cold.
Because the person she was looking at…
Was not Victor.
It was someone Ethan had known for fifteen years.
Someone who had been beside him through every victory.
Every loss.
Every tragedy.
His closest business partner.
Richard Vale.
Richard slowly stood.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then he smiled.
Not nervously.
Not fearfully.
Almost proudly.
“I wondered how long it would take before someone found me.”
Ethan stared.
“Richard…”
The man adjusted his suit.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.”
The words were calm.
Almost gentle.
“But your family was never supposed to survive.”
Lily moved closer to Ethan.
Amelia’s face filled with anger.
“You helped him.”
Richard looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Richard smiled.
“Because Victor wanted the company.”
A pause.
“And I wanted something much bigger.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Richard looked around the room.
“At the end of this meeting…”
“You’ll understand.”
Then every screen in the boardroom turned black.
A new message appeared.
BLACKWOOD INTERNATIONAL WILL BELONG TO NO ONE.
BECAUSE SOON…
THERE WILL BE NO BLACKWOOD FAMILY LEFT.
END OF CHAPTER 3
Next: Chapter 4 – The Hidden Bloodline
Richard reveals why he betrayed Ethan.
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Amelia uncovers the secret Victor and Richard hid for decades.
Lily discovers that her existence is connected to a secret buried in the Blackwood family bloodline.
