Chapter 9 — The Trap at Blackwood Manor
Chapter 9 — The Trap at Blackwood Manor
At 11:38 p.m., the gates of Blackwood Manor opened.
Victor watched from the second-floor balcony as a convoy of black vehicles rolled through the rain.
No headlights.
No license plates.
No warning.
His security team had already surrounded the property.
Every entrance was monitored.
Every camera was active.
Every guard had been instructed not to engage unless Victor gave the order.
Yet Victor wasn't watching the vehicles.
He was watching the woman who stepped out of the first one.
Serena.
She stood beneath the rain without an umbrella.
Her black dress clung to her shoulders.
Her face was calm.
Almost peaceful.
She looked directly toward the balcony.
And smiled.
Victor's phone vibrated.
A message.
You wanted me here.
Another followed.
Now let's finish this.
Victor stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
You still don't understand whose house this really is.
Victor slowly lowered the phone.
"She's confident."
Marcus stood behind him.
"Too confident."
Victor nodded.
"Exactly."
The Invitation
Three hours earlier, Serena had received Victor's invitation.
Come to Blackwood Manor. Alone.
She had smiled when she read it.
She knew Victor wouldn't actually expect her to come alone.
She also knew he wouldn't realize she had already prepared for the meeting.
Inside her vehicle sat two men.
Three more waited near the southern gate.
Another team was positioned at the old cemetery.
She had spent years studying the Blackwood estate.
She knew its weaknesses.
She knew the tunnels.
She knew the security system.
Most importantly—
she knew Victor.
He always protected the people he loved.
That made him predictable.
And Serena intended to use that weakness tonight.
The Empty Nursery
Victor entered Ethan's nursery.
The room was dark.
The crib was empty.
Lily stood near the window.
"Where's Ethan?"
"With the nurse."
Victor nodded.
Then he looked at Lily.
"You need to leave."
She frowned.
"What?"
"Take Ethan and go."
"No."
"Lily."
"I'm not leaving you."
Victor's expression hardened.
"This isn't a negotiation."
Lily shook her head.
"You don't get to decide everything."
Victor stared at her.
She stepped closer.
"I disappeared once tonight."
"I won't run again."
Victor almost smiled.
"You are unbelievably stubborn."
"So I've been told."
He looked away.
Then quietly:
"Stay behind me."
Lily nodded.
Serena Enters
At midnight, Serena entered the manor.
She didn't bring weapons.
At least, none were visible.
Victor waited in the drawing room.
The fire burned behind him.
Serena walked in.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she smiled.
"Victor."
"Serena."
"You look tired."
"You kidnapped Lily."
"You nearly killed Ethan."
"I told you I didn't mean to."
Victor's expression remained cold.
"You don't get to decide what your intentions were."
Serena stepped closer.
"You brought me here."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Victor looked at her.
"To give you a choice."
Her smile disappeared.
"What choice?"
"Tell me everything."
Serena laughed softly.
"Everything?"
"Everything."
"The Montagues."
"Adrian."
"My father."
"The trust."
"Ethan."
"And the reason you entered my life."
Serena stared at him.
"You finally want the truth."
Victor nodded.
"Yes."
She looked around the room.
Then smiled again.
"Then perhaps you should sit down."
The First Trap
Victor didn't move.
Serena noticed.
"You don't trust me."
"No."
"Good."
She reached into her coat.
Victor's guards immediately raised their weapons.
Serena stopped.
Then slowly removed a small device.
She placed it on the table.
A screen lit up.
Victor's face changed.
Ethan appeared on the screen.
He was in the nursery.
Sleeping.
Victor immediately reached for his phone.
He called the nurse.
No answer.
He called security.
No answer.
Serena smiled.
"Your communications are down."
Victor stared at her.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
She walked around the table.
"Your own security system did it."
Victor looked toward Marcus.
Marcus checked his device.
"She's right."
Victor's jaw tightened.
"How?"
Serena answered.
"Because I helped design it."
The Second Trap
The lights suddenly went out.
The entire manor fell into darkness.
Lily grabbed Victor's arm.
A red emergency light came on.
Then another.
The doors locked.
Victor looked at Serena.
She smiled.
"Now we're alone."
Victor glanced at Marcus.
"Can you override it?"
"Not remotely."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Marcus stared at the control panel.
"Someone has taken administrative control."
Victor looked back at Serena.
She shrugged.
"You should have changed your passwords."
Victor's voice became dangerous.
"You think you've won."
"No."
Serena walked closer.
"I know I've won."
The Hidden Men
Gunfire erupted outside.
Victor's security team responded.
Marcus moved toward the door.
Victor stopped him.
"Wait."
Another burst of gunfire.
Then silence.
Lily looked frightened.
Serena remained completely calm.
Victor understood.
The attack wasn't meant to kill anyone.
It was meant to isolate the manor.
He looked at Serena.
"Your people."
She nodded.
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Enough."
Victor smiled faintly.
Serena frowned.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're making the same mistake again."
"What mistake?"
"You think you've trapped me."
Victor looked around.
"But you haven't."
The Secret Room
Victor walked toward the fireplace.
Serena's expression changed.
"Don't."
Victor stopped.
"Why?"
"Step away."
He smiled.
"So you do know about it."
Serena said nothing.
Victor touched the stone beside the fireplace.
A hidden door opened.
Marcus stared.
Lily gasped.
Behind the fireplace was a reinforced security chamber.
Victor stepped inside.
Serena's face went pale.
"You shouldn't have access to that."
Victor looked back.
"It's my house."
Serena shook her head.
"No."
Victor smiled.
"That's what you said."
The Real Security System
Inside the chamber was an independent control system.
Completely disconnected from the main network.
Old technology.
Manual controls.
No remote access.
No digital override.
Victor pressed a switch.
Every camera in the manor came alive.
The screens displayed every hallway.
Every gate.
Every vehicle.
Every person.
Serena stared.
"You didn't know this existed."
Victor shook his head.
"My father did."
"And now you do."
Serena looked at the screens.
Her people were visible.
All of them.
Their locations.
Their positions.
Their faces.
Victor had them surrounded.
Serena slowly realized the truth.
Her trap had become a cage.
The Woman Who Thought She Had Won
Victor stepped out of the room.
"Your people are surrounded."
Serena's eyes narrowed.
"You won't shoot them."
"No."
"Then what?"
"I'll arrest them."
She laughed.
"You think the police will come?"
Victor pressed a button.
Sirens sounded outside.
Serena's face changed.
"You called them?"
"Before you arrived."
"How?"
Victor looked at her.
"I sent them your entire file."
The Third Trap
Serena suddenly pulled a small blade from her sleeve.
Lily stepped backward.
Victor immediately moved between them.
Serena raised the blade.
"Don't come closer."
Victor stopped.
"Serena."
"You think this is over?"
"No."
She pressed the blade against her own wrist.
Lily gasped.
Victor's expression changed.
"What are you doing?"
Serena smiled.
"Making sure you can't touch me."
Victor stared.
"You won't do it."
"How do you know?"
"Because you're not afraid of death."
He paused.
"You're afraid of losing."
Her hand trembled.
Victor continued.
"You've spent your entire life trying to control people."
"Your family."
"Me."
"Ethan."
"Even Adrian."
Serena's eyes filled with anger.
"You know nothing about me."
Victor answered:
"I know enough."
Serena's Confession
She lowered the blade.
"I was sixteen."
Victor remained silent.
"My grandmother told me what I was."
"What were you?"
"A weapon."
Serena looked toward the fire.
"My family raised me to enter yours."
"To marry you."
"To control Ethan."
"To protect the Montague fortune."
Victor stared at her.
"And you agreed."
"I didn't have a choice."
"You always had a choice."
Serena looked at him.
"No."
Her voice cracked.
"You don't understand what Adrian did to my family."
Victor frowned.
"He destroyed us."
"How?"
"He killed my father."
Victor froze.
Serena continued.
"My father tried to expose him."
"He failed."
"Adrian threatened my grandmother."
"Then he offered her a deal."
Victor's voice became quiet.
"What deal?"
"Give him access to the Blackwood trust."
"And he would leave us alone."
Victor shook his head.
"So you worked for Adrian."
Serena nodded.
"Yes."
The Betrayal Within the Betrayal
Victor stared at her.
"Then why did you betray him?"
Serena looked at him.
"Because he tried to kill Ethan."
Silence.
Victor's expression changed.
"When?"
"After Ethan was born."
"Why?"
"Because Adrian discovered the marker."
Victor remembered the medical file.
Serena continued.
"He wanted Ethan removed."
"You refused."
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
She looked toward the nursery.
"Because Ethan was the first person I ever loved who didn't care what my family wanted."
Victor said nothing.
Serena's voice broke.
"That's why Lily had to disappear."
Victor's eyes hardened.
"You kidnapped her."
"I needed to protect her."
"You threatened her."
"I needed her to stay quiet."
"You hurt Ethan."
"I made a terrible mistake."
Victor shook his head.
"That's not an excuse."
"I know."
The Real Enemy Arrives
Suddenly, every light in the manor turned on.
A slow clap echoed from the hallway.
Victor turned.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Older.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
Calm.
Victor stopped breathing.
"Father."
Lily stared.
Serena closed her eyes.
Victor's father smiled.
"You finally figured it out."
Victor's voice became cold.
"You've been alive."
"Of course."
"Why?"
His father walked closer.
"Because someone had to protect this family."
Victor laughed bitterly.
"You destroyed it."
"No."
His father looked toward Ethan's nursery.
"I preserved it."
The Father and the Son
Victor stepped forward.
"You used Serena."
"Yes."
"You used Adrian."
"Yes."
"You manipulated Daniel."
"Yes."
"You allowed Ethan to be hurt."
His father's expression didn't change.
"I allowed nothing."
"You knew."
"I knew what had to happen."
Victor's fists clenched.
"What had to happen?"
His father looked directly at him.
"Ethan had to be tested."
Victor's eyes became murderous.
"He's a child."
"He's an heir."
"He's my son."
"He's the future of this family."
Victor shook his head.
"You've lost your mind."
His father smiled.
"No."
"I understand something you never did."
"What?"
"Power isn't inherited."
He looked at Ethan's door.
"It's protected."
Serena's Final Choice
Serena suddenly stepped between them.
"Enough."
Victor looked at her.
His father smiled.
"You finally chose."
Serena shook her head.
"No."
She looked at Victor.
"I chose Ethan."
Victor stared.
Serena turned toward Victor's father.
"You told me I had to control the boy."
"You told me I had to betray Victor."
"You told me I had no choice."
Her eyes hardened.
"You were wrong."
Victor's father laughed.
"You think you can defy me?"
Serena nodded.
"I already did."
The Arrest
Police sirens filled the estate.
Victor's security team entered.
His father tried to reach for a weapon.
Victor moved first.
The weapon hit the floor.
Within seconds, his father was restrained.
Serena stood motionless.
Victor looked at her.
"You too."
She nodded.
"I know."
As the officers led her away, she stopped beside Lily.
"I'm sorry."
Lily said nothing.
Serena looked toward Ethan's room.
"Protect him."
Lily finally answered.
"I will."
Serena nodded.
Then she walked away.
The Final Revelation
Victor's father was taken outside.
But before entering the police vehicle, he looked back.
"Victor."
Victor stopped.
His father smiled.
"You still don't understand."
"What?"
"The trust isn't the prize."
Victor frowned.
His father leaned closer.
"Ethan isn't the key."
Victor's face hardened.
"Then what is?"
His father whispered:
"He's the lock."
Then he entered the vehicle.
The door closed.
Victor stood frozen.
Marcus approached.
"Sir?"
Victor looked toward Ethan's room.
The manor was silent.
The trap had failed.
Serena had been exposed.
His father had been arrested.
But one question remained.
If Ethan wasn't the key to the Blackwood fortune—
what exactly was locked away behind his bloodline?
Victor walked toward the nursery.
And for the first time since Ethan was born, he felt something stronger than fear.
He felt the certainty that the worst part of the Blackwood secret had not yet been revealed.
Because Serena had thought she was trapping Victor.
Victor had thought he was trapping Serena.
May you like
But neither of them had realized the truth.
Someone else had been setting the trap from the beginning.
