Chapter 7

• Isabella's POV
• I nodded against his chest, not trusting myself to speak. Nathaniel's arms stayed firm around me, his heartbeat strong and steady — a sound I shouldn't have memorized.
• "Go be with the girls," he whispered, pulling back just enough to look at me. "I need to speak with Henry and the security team."
• I nodded, blinking back the tears, and turned away before he could see them fall.
• As I climbed the stairs, my hands clenched at my sides. Everything was unravelling faster than I could catch it. Sophie was rattled. The plan with Davis had failed. And Alex… Alex was sniffing closer to the truth.
• I walked into the girls' bedroom and found Emily fast asleep, curled into a tiny crescent, her thumb near her lips. Natasha, however, was sitting cross-legged on her bed, cradling a book in her lap. She looked up when I entered.
• "Jenna?"
• "Yes, sweetheart?"
• Her voice was small. "Why was Grandpa yelling?"
• I crossed the room and sat beside her, gently closing the book. "He got a little wet, that's all. It was just an accident."
• Her eyebrows puckered. "But why was everyone so scared?"
• Because I failed. Because someone else pushed him before I could. Because I've put this entire house in a storm I'm no longer sure I can control.
• "Sometimes grownups overreact, Natasha. But I promise everything's okay now."
• She nodded slowly and leaned into me. "You smell like roses," she mumbled sleepily.
• My heart ached. These girls were never supposed to mean this much to me. And yet… they did.
• When they were both finally asleep, I stepped into the hallway and pulled out my phone to message Sophie. Before I could even type, her message came through.
• Sophie: Meet me. Urgent.
• I bit my lip. This was not the night for another detour, but something in my gut said it couldn't wait.
• Ten minutes later, we were both seated in the back of Sophie's car, parked at the edge of the estate's rear driveway, hidden from the cameras.
• "What happened back there?" I asked, whispering even though the car was silent.
• "I got spooked," she confessed. "When I saw Nathaniel dragging you away, I thought the plan was blown."
• "Someone else pushed Davis."
• "I know," she said. "And we may not get another chance like that."
• I nodded, trying to steady my thoughts.
• She leaned forward, eyes serious. "That's not all. I found something — on the encrypted backup drive from the Blackwood archives."
• I froze. "Tell me."
• She pulled a small printed paper from her bag and handed it over.
• Project Eden — that cursed name again.
• "It's a preliminary budget draft," she said. "Signed by two people. Elaine Watson... and Lucien Blackwood."
• My mother and Nathaniel's father.
• "The date on this?" she whispered. "Three weeks before your parents died."
• The air sucked out of my lungs.
• "They were co-developers," Sophie said. "But somehow, all records after this point remove your mom's name entirely."
• I stared at the page. A forged history. A silenced legacy.
• "I also found something else," Sophie added. "I don't think Nathaniel knows. About the project. About what really happened. I think it was all orchestrated by Lucien… and Alex."
• I swallowed hard. "Then I need to get closer to Davis."
• "Be careful," she said. "Alex is watching. He might know."
• I looked away. "He does. And he threatened to kill me."
• Sophie's breath caught. "Bella—"
• "I can handle him," I lied.
• Because I wasn't sure anymore.
• Back in the mansion, the air was thicker than before. Nathaniel's voice echoed from the living room, where he was speaking to Henry.
• I hovered near the stairs just in time to hear Henry say, "There's no sign of a break in. But whoever tampered with the cameras knew what they were doing."
• Nathaniel rubbed his jaw. "Keep digging. And call the tech team. I want a fresh installation on every floor."
• I stepped quietly back upstairs, my heart in my throat.
• Later that night, while the house slept, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the velvet box I had taken from the office earlier that day — the one I had returned after discovering the bracelet inside. My mother's bracelet. The one meant for her Godson.
• Nathaniel had it. But what did it mean?
• Was he her godson?
• Had he known my parents all along?
• And if so, why hadn't he said anything?
• Unless… unless he didn't remember. Or didn't know the bracelet's origin. That was possible, wasn't it?
• My thoughts were spiralling. And the silence of the house felt like a trap.
• I reached for my phone. My hands were shaking.
• Me: Sophie, I need to know who delivered the last few packages to Blackwood House in the past six months. Maybe the bracelet came recently. If so, Nathaniel didn't know.
• Her reply was quick.
• Sophie: On it.
• The next morning, I awoke to something strange.
• An envelope on my nightstand.
• I hadn't heard anyone come in.
• I sat up slowly, eyes narrowed.
• No name on the front. Just my room number, written in thick black ink.
• I opened it carefully.
• Inside was a folded note. Old paper. Smelled faintly of smoke.
• "He didn't fall. He was pushed. Just like your father."
• My blood ran cold.
• There was no signature.
• Just a second line:
• "Don't trust anyone. Not even the ones who say they love you."
• I gripped the sheet tighter.
• This changes everything.
• Who left the note?
• How did they know?
• And what did they mean — just like my father?
• I stood, the room spinning.
• Who was watching me?