CHAP 4: THE GIRL WHO WAS RAISED AS A WEAPON
CHAP 4: THE GIRL WHO WAS RAISED AS A WEAPON
The Blackwood mansion had never been breached.
Not once.
For decades, the security system surrounding the estate had been considered impossible to defeat.
Motion sensors.
Thermal cameras.
Armed guards.
Encrypted access codes.
Every possible entrance was monitored.
Yet somehow…
a woman had walked into the garden without triggering a single alarm.
A woman who should have been dead.
A woman who was connected to the darkest enemy Ethan Blackwood had ever faced.
Victoria Voss.
The name alone carried danger.
Ethan stood in the security room, staring at the camera feed.
The woman outside looked calm.
Almost peaceful.
She was not hiding.
She was not running.
She wanted to be seen.
“Lock every exit,” Ethan ordered.
Daniel immediately nodded.
“Already done.”
“Do not let her leave.”
The security team moved.
But Amelia remained frozen.
Her eyes never left the screen.
Because unlike Ethan…
she knew Victoria.
She knew what kind of person she was.
And that made the situation worse.
“She’s not here to fight.”
Ethan looked at her.
“What makes you think that?”
Amelia swallowed.
“Because Victoria never entered a room without a plan.”
A pause.
“She always entered when she wanted someone to hear something.”
Ethan watched the screen.
“Then let her talk.”
Amelia grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“Ethan, you don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Victoria is more dangerous than Alexander.”
The room became silent.
Daniel looked confused.
“More dangerous than the man who built Eclipse Circle?”
Amelia nodded slowly.
“Alexander creates plans.”
She looked at the woman outside.
“Victoria creates people.”
Five minutes later.
The mansion doors opened.
Victoria Voss entered.
No weapons.
No guards.
No fear.
She walked into the main hall like she belonged there.
Like she had visited hundreds of times.
Ethan stood waiting.
Lily stayed upstairs with a security officer.
He refused to let his daughter be near this woman.
Victoria looked at Ethan.
Then at Amelia.
A faint smile appeared.
“So…”
She whispered.
“The dead really did come back.”
Amelia’s expression hardened.
“You.”
Victoria looked at her.
“I thought you would hate me.”
“You destroyed my life.”
Victoria tilted her head.
“No.”
Her voice was calm.
“Alexander destroyed your life.”
The words surprised everyone.
Ethan stepped forward.
“Why are you here?”
Victoria looked at him.
“Because Alexander made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He believed he owned everyone.”
She smiled slightly.
“He forgot that even his own family could turn against him.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“You expect me to believe you?”
“No.”
Victoria reached into her coat.
Everyone immediately moved.
But she only removed a small envelope.
And placed it on the table.
“This belongs to you.”
Ethan did not touch it.
“What is it?”
“A truth you should have known seven years ago.”
Slowly, he opened it.
Inside was an old medical report.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
His entire body froze.
Amelia noticed.
“What is it?”
Ethan handed it to her.
She read.
And the color disappeared from her face.
The report was from the night Lily was born.
But it contained information they had never seen.
SECOND INFANT DETECTED.
TWIN PREGNANCY CONFIRMED.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Amelia looked at Ethan.
“No…”
Her voice broke.
“No, that’s impossible.”
Victoria watched them.
“The doctors were paid.”
Ethan looked up.
“Paid by who?”
Victoria did not answer immediately.
Because she knew the answer would destroy everything.
“Alexander.”
Amelia stepped backward.
“I was never pregnant with twins.”
Victoria looked at her.
“You were.”
“No.”
“You were told one baby survived.”
Amelia’s breathing became unstable.
“But there were two.”
Ethan stared at the report.
A thousand memories rushed through him.
The ultrasound.
The doctor visits.
The excitement.
The dreams.
He remembered Amelia laughing.
Saying:
“What if our child has your stubborn personality?”
He remembered asking:
“What if we have two?”
And Amelia joking:
“Then we’re going to need a bigger house.”
A memory.
A forgotten possibility.
A daughter erased before she ever existed.
“Where is she?”
Ethan’s voice was quiet.
But dangerous.
Victoria looked at him.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“She is not a hostage.”
Ethan’s eyes hardened.
“Then why did you say you have her?”
Victoria sighed.
“Because if I said I saved her…”
She looked toward the security cameras.
“…Alexander would know.”
The room went still.
Ethan realized something.
Victoria was afraid.
Not of him.
Not of the Blackwoods.
Of Alexander.
“Where is Alexander now?”
Victoria’s expression changed.
“He is preparing.”
“For what?”
“For the final stage.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“Explain.”
Victoria looked around the mansion.
“At first, Alexander wanted control of Blackwood Corporation.”
She paused.
“But then he discovered something more valuable.”
“What?”
“Your bloodline.”
Ethan frowned.
“My bloodline?”
Victoria nodded.
“Eclipse Circle believes certain families are born to rule.”
“Blackwood.”
“Voss.”
“Other ancient families.”
She looked at Amelia.
“Alexander believed your daughter could unite those bloodlines.”
Ethan felt disgust.
“You’re talking about children.”
Victoria looked down.
“I know.”
For the first time…
her cold expression disappeared.
“I know because I was raised the same way.”
Nobody spoke.
Victoria continued.
“Alexander did not raise me as a sister.”
“He raised me as a tool.”
“He taught me that emotions were weaknesses.”
“He taught me that people were pieces.”
She looked at her hands.
“And then he did the same thing to your daughter.”
Ethan’s eyes became darker.
“What did he do?”
Victoria hesitated.
Then said:
“He created a weapon.”
At that moment…
the mansion lights suddenly went out.
The entire building went dark.
Security alarms screamed.
Daniel grabbed his radio.
“Someone is attacking the system.”
Ethan looked at Victoria.
“You knew this would happen.”
She nodded.
“He knew I came here.”
A sound came from the main entrance.
A slow clap.
Everyone turned.
The massive doors opened.
And standing outside…
was Alexander Voss.
Alive.
Smiling.
Behind him were several armed men.
But Ethan noticed something else.
A small figure stood beside Alexander.
A girl.
About Lily’s age.
Wearing a white dress.
Expressionless.
Cold.
Her eyes looked empty.
Amelia covered her mouth.
Because she recognized those eyes.
Not because she had seen them before.
Because they looked like Lily’s.
But without warmth.
Without happiness.
Without love.
Alexander smiled.
“Ethan.”
A pause.
“Meet your first daughter.”
Ethan stared.
“No…”
Alexander looked at the little girl.
“This is Ava Blackwood.”
The girl looked directly at Ethan.
No fear.
No emotion.
Then Alexander spoke softly.
“Your daughter was not lost.”
“She was trained.”
Lily appeared at the top of the staircase.
“Daddy?”
Everyone looked up.
Ava looked at Lily.
For a moment…
something changed in her eyes.
Something human.
Something buried.
Then Alexander said:
“Choose carefully, Ethan.”
“One daughter was raised with love.”
He pointed toward Lily.
“One daughter was raised for power.”
He pointed toward Ava.
“Only one of them can inherit everything.”
Ethan’s expression turned cold.
“No.”
Alexander smiled.
“Then prove me wrong.”
The two girls stared at each other.
Two daughters.
One father.
May you like
One terrible secret.
And a war that had only just begun.
