CHAP 12: THE HIDDEN HEIR OF BLACKWOOD
CHAP 12: THE HIDDEN HEIR OF BLACKWOOD
The Blackwood family had always been built on secrets.
But Ethan never imagined those secrets had layers.
First, he discovered Lily was alive.
Then Amelia returned.
Then Ava appeared.
Then Alexander Voss revealed the existence of Eclipse Circle.
Then he learned his father had created Project Origin.
And now…
another Blackwood heir existed.
A person hidden for twenty-five years.
Someone who knew the truth before Ethan ever had a chance to find it.
The underground facility remained silent after Lucas disappeared.
Nobody knew what to say.
Because every answer created another question.
Ethan stood alone in front of the old Project Origin files.
His entire life was inside those documents.
Every decision.
Every relationship.
Every loss.
Somewhere in those pages was the truth.
But the truth had become something dangerous.
It was no longer a key.
It was a weapon.
“Ethan.”
He turned.
Amelia stood behind him.
For the first time since returning, she looked uncertain.
Not afraid of enemies.
Not afraid of danger.
Afraid of what Ethan would think of her.
“You knew something.”
Ethan’s voice was quiet.
Amelia lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
The answer hurt more than he expected.
“How long?”
“Seven years.”
Ethan looked away.
The pain on his face was obvious.
Not anger.
Betrayal.
“You had another secret.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone says that.”
His voice became heavier.
“Everyone says they hid the truth to protect me.”
Amelia stepped closer.
“But this one was different.”
“How?”
She took a deep breath.
“Because I was protecting you from yourself.”
Ethan frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Amelia looked at the Project Origin files.
“When I was held by Alexander…”
A pause.
“He showed me documents about your family.”
“What documents?”
“Your father’s research.”
She swallowed.
“And a child.”
Ethan stared.
“Another child?”
Amelia nodded.
“Edward had a daughter.”
The room went silent.
A daughter.
Another impossible secret.
Daniel immediately searched the database.
“Searching all Blackwood records.”
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
“No results.”
Ethan frowned.
“Try again.”
Daniel shook his head.
“The records were erased.”
Ava stepped closer.
“Not erased.”
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed at the screen.
“Hidden.”
Daniel examined the code.
Then his expression changed.
“She’s right.”
Ethan looked at Ava.
“How do you know?”
Ava hesitated.
“Because this is how Alexander hid information.”
A pause.
“He didn’t destroy things.”
“He buried them.”
Daniel found a hidden partition.
One file appeared.
No name.
Only a title.
PROJECT DAUGHTER
Ethan felt his stomach tighten.
“Open it.”
The file loaded.
Inside were medical records.
Birth information.
Photographs.
And one name.
ELENA BLACKWOOD
Born:
Twenty-five years ago.
Mother:
Unknown.
Father:
Edward Blackwood.
Ethan stared.
“Elena…”
The name felt unfamiliar.
But strangely close.
Like a forgotten memory.
Amelia looked at the photograph.
Then covered her mouth.
“No…”
Ethan turned.
“What?”
“She was there.”
“Where?”
“The night Lily was born.”
Everyone froze.
Amelia touched the screen.
“She was a teenager.”
“She came into the hospital.”
“She was crying.”
Ethan frowned.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I thought she was just another victim.”
A pause.
“Then Alexander took her away.”
Daniel looked at the file.
“So Elena was raised by Eclipse Circle too?”
Ava shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Ava studied the information.
“She wasn’t trained.”
“Then what?”
Ava whispered:
“She was hidden.”
A new message appeared.
Not from Lucas.
Not from Alexander.
From Elena.
The screen displayed:
IF YOU FOUND THIS FILE, YOU ARE FINALLY READY.
Ethan stared.
“How is she sending this?”
Daniel checked.
“It’s a delayed message.”
A recording started.
A young woman appeared.
Around twenty-five years old.
Dark hair.
Similar eyes to Ethan.
But a completely different expression.
She looked tired.
Like someone who had spent her entire life running.
“Ethan Blackwood.”
She looked directly into the camera.
“If you are watching this…”
A pause.
“Then Lucas has returned.”
Ethan stepped closer.
Elena continued.
“I know you have questions.”
A sad smile appeared.
“I have spent my entire life searching for answers too.”
She looked down.
“Father told everyone I never existed.”
The word father sounded painful.
“He said I was a mistake.”
Ethan’s expression hardened.
Edward.
Again.
Elena continued:
“But I learned the truth.”
A pause.
“Lucas was not the first child he hid.”
“He was not the last.”
The screen changed.
A family tree appeared.
And at the bottom…
another name appeared.
A name nobody expected.
EDWARD BLACKWOOD’S CHILDREN:
Lucas
Ethan
Elena
Subject Four: UNKNOWN
Everyone froze.
Daniel whispered:
“There’s another one.”
Ethan stared.
“Another child?”
Elena’s recording continued.
“Project Origin was not designed around three children.”
“It was designed around four.”
Ava looked confused.
“Four heirs?”
Elena nodded.
“The perfect family.”
A pause.
“But Father made one mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He believed he could control what he created.”
The recording became distorted.
Then Elena said:
“The fourth child was taken.”
“Not hidden.”
“Not protected.”
“Taken.”
Ethan felt cold.
“By who?”
Elena looked directly into the camera.
And said:
“By the person who started everything.”
The screen glitched.
A final image appeared.
A woman.
An old photograph.
Helena Voss.
Holding a baby.
Everyone froze.
Because beneath the photograph…
was a note.
SUBJECT FOUR TRANSFERRED TO HELENA VOSS.
Amelia whispered:
“No…”
Ethan looked at her.
“You know?”
She nodded slowly.
“I saw that baby.”
“When?”
“The night of the fire.”
A pause.
“The night Lily disappeared.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“What happened?”
Amelia’s eyes filled with tears.
“I saw someone carrying another baby away.”
“Who?”
She looked at Helena’s photograph.
“Her.”
Suddenly…
every screen in the facility turned on.
Helena appeared.
But she was different.
No calm smile.
No confidence.
Only anger.
“You should have stopped searching.”
Ethan looked up.
“Where is the fourth child?”
Helena remained silent.
Then answered:
“You are not ready.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“I lost seven years.”
A pause.
“I lost my wife.”
“My daughters.”
“My entire life.”
His voice became colder.
“I am done waiting.”
Helena looked at him.
“Then you should know the truth.”
“What truth?”
She stared directly at Ethan.
“The fourth child…”
A pause.
“Is the most dangerous Blackwood ever created.”
The screen changed.
A security image appeared.
A person walking through a dark hallway.
The face was hidden.
But the voice came through.
A familiar voice.
A voice Ethan recognized.
A voice that should not exist.
The person spoke:
“Hello, Ethan.”
Everyone froze.
Because the voice belonged to…
Edward Blackwood.
Ethan’s dead father.
The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
Because one impossible truth had just appeared.
Edward Blackwood was not only connected to the past.
He was connected to the present.
And maybe…
he was never truly gone.
Ethan looked at his daughters.
Then at Amelia.
Then at the darkness ahead.
May you like
The Blackwood family had spent twenty-five years hiding secrets.
Now those secrets were coming home.
