Chapter 6 THE HEIRESS IN DANGER
The ballroom remained in chaos long after Mason Blake was dragged away in handcuffs. He had been caught while trying to escape. Guests whispered, reporters rushed toward the exits, security officers flooded every corner of the venue and in the middle of it all stood Bella.
Frozen. Overwhelmed. Everything had happened so fast. One moment she had been listening to Richard Brown publicly acknowledge her as his daughter.
The next, she had nearly become the victim of another murder attempt. Her knees felt weak. James immediately noticed. He stepped beside her.
"You okay?"
Bella looked at him.
For the first time since arriving at Brown Mansion, she saw no arrogance, no coldness. Only concern. The kind that only family could give.
She swallowed hard. "I don't know."
James nodded. "That's fair."
Richard approached moments later. His usually composed expression had vanished. Fear lingered in his eyes. The fear of a father who had almost lost his child again.
"You're coming home with us."
Bella hesitated. "Home?"
Richard's voice softened. "Brown Mansion."
The words hit differently now. Home. For weeks, she had viewed the mansion as a workplace. Now she was being told it belonged to her too. The thought was terrifying. And strangely comforting.
The following morning, Brown Mansion felt different. The servants no longer addressed Bella as merely an employee. News of her identity had spread. Everyone knew. The lost Brown daughter had returned. But Bella hated the attention.
As she entered the dining room, conversations immediately stopped. Eyes followed her. Some were curious, some respectful, others jealous.
Bella suddenly missed the days when nobody knew who she was. At least then, life had been simple.
Well...
As simple as constant poverty could be. She sat quietly.
Mrs. Shirley appeared moments later carrying breakfast. The older woman's eyes were wet. Bella smiled.
"You'll make me cry too."
Mrs. Shirley laughed.
"You deserve every bit of happiness coming your way."
Bella reached for her hand. "Thank you."
The older woman squeezed it gently. "My little girl finally came home."
Bella nearly cried.
Meanwhile, inside a detention facility across town, Mason Blake sat calmly behind a metal table. Detective Evans entered carrying a thick file. The detective dropped it in front of him.
"You're finished."
Mason smiled. "No."
The detective frowned. "Your accomplices are already talking."
The smile widened.
"Are they?" Mason snapped.
Evans opened the file. Photographs spilled across the table, evidence, financial records, phone calls, bank transfers, corporate documents, enough to destroy multiple lives. Yet Mason remained relaxed. Almost amused. The detective hated it.
"You tried to murder Bella twice." Silence enveloped.
"You helped cover up her kidnapping." Another Silence.
"You've been stealing company secrets for years."
Finally, Mason spoke.
"You're missing someone."
Evans narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Mason leaned back. "The most important player."
The detective's stomach tightened. Because deep down, he feared Mason was right.
That evening, Bella sat alone in the mansion library. The same library where she had discovered her mother's photograph. Everything had changed since then. She opened the old photo album. Her fingers traced Elena's smiling face.
"I wish you were here." The words escaped before she could stop them. A lump formed in her throat. She missed her mother. More than ever. Because now there were questions. Questions only Elena could answer. Questions that would never receive answers.
A folded paper suddenly slipped from between the pages. Bella frowned. She picked it up. It was old, very old. The edges were yellow. Carefully unfolding it, she froze. It was a letter. Addressed to Richard Brown. Her heart began racing. The handwriting belonged to Elena. Bella immediately started reading.
Richard,
If anything happens to me, promise you'll find her. Promise you'll protect our daughter. There are people watching us. People who don't want her to live. I'm afraid. More afraid than I've ever been. If I disappear, never stop looking for her.
Love always,
Elena.
Bella's hands trembled. The letter fell onto her lap. People who don't want her to live. Elena had known. Years before. Her mother had known danger was coming.
Across the mansion, James sat inside his office. A knock interrupted him.
"Come in." Detective Evans entered. His expression looked very grim. James immediately stood.
"What happened?"
The detective closed the door. "We found something."
James waited.
Evans slid a document across the desk. James glanced down, then frowned.
Employee records.
"What am I looking at?" James asked.
"Your executive staff." Evans replied.
James looked confused. The detective pointed to one specific name.
ETHAN COLE.
James stared, then looked back up.
"No." He gasped in shock.
Evans sighed. "I wish I was wrong."
James felt his stomach drop. Ethan had worked beside him for years. Through every success, every crisis, every business deal. The man was practically family. He couldn't believe it.
"What evidence?"
Evans handed over additional files, phone records, financial transfers, encrypted messages, secret meetings…, the proof was overwhelming.
James sank into his chair, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Ethan..."
His voice cracked. The betrayal hurt more than he expected. Much more.
Later that night, Ethan Cole stood inside his luxury apartment. A glass of whiskey rested in his hand. His television played news coverage of Bella's announcement. The camera focused on her smiling face. Ethan's expression darkened.
"So close."
Years of planning and manipulation. All slipping away.
His phone suddenly rang. An unknown number. Ethan answered.
"What?" He answered.
A familiar voice replied.
Mason Blake. "Leave the city."
Ethan froze. "What?"
"They know." Mason clarified.
The room fell silent. For the first time in years. ear entered Ethan's eyes.
Elsewhere, Bella couldn't sleep. Something felt very wrong. The mansion seemed unusually quiet. She got out of bed, walked toward the hallway and stopped. A shadow moved downstairs. Her heart skipped.
Someone was inside the mansion. At this hour. Bella carefully followed. The figure entered Richard Brown's study. The door remained slightly open. Bella moved closer. Then, she heard a voice. A familiar voice. One she never expected.
"...the girl should have died years ago."
Bella froze. Her blood turned cold. Because the voice belonged to Ethan Cole.
