Chapter 1 - THE MAN IN THE DARKNESS
Dominic Blackwood was home.
And he had heard everything.
Serena remained frozen in the center of the marble foyer.
Her raised hand slowly dropped to her side.
For the first time since Lily had known her, Serena Montigue looked afraid.
Not nervous.
Not embarrassed.
Afraid.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence swallowed the mansion.
Then Dominic stepped out of the darkness.
He was still wearing the black suit he had left in that morning.
His tie was loosened.
Rain darkened the shoulders of his coat.
There was no security team behind him.
No driver.
No assistant.
Just Dominic.
And somehow that made his presence more terrifying.
His eyes moved first to Serena.
Then to Lily.
Then to the little boy lying on the marble floor.
Everything inside Dominic seemed to stop.
“Ethan.”
He did not shout.
The single word came out almost soundless.
Dominic crossed the foyer.
Serena immediately stepped toward him.
“Dominic, thank God.”
He walked past her.
He did not even look at her.
Dominic dropped to one knee beside his son.
Ethan whimpered.
His left arm remained at an unnatural angle.
The child’s breathing was shallow.
His face was wet with tears.
A red mark was already forming around his wrist.
Dominic reached toward him.
Then stopped.
His hand hovered in the air.
For perhaps the first time in his adult life, Dominic Blackwood seemed uncertain what to do.
“Don’t move his arm.”
Lily’s voice was weak.
Dominic looked at her.
She was still on the floor several feet away.
One arm was wrapped around her stomach.
Her face had gone pale from the kick.
“His shoulder may be injured.”
Dominic stared at her for half a second.
Then he carefully slid one hand beneath Ethan’s back and another beneath his legs.
He lifted his son without touching the injured arm.
Ethan screamed.
Dominic’s face changed.
It was only a flicker.
But Lily saw it.
Pain.
Raw and immediate.
“Call Dr. Reeves.”
Dominic’s voice filled the foyer.
A housekeeper appeared at the far end of the hall.
She looked horrified.
“Now.”
The woman ran.
Serena stepped forward again.
“Dominic, you need to let me explain.”
He still did not look at her.
“Lily.”
Lily blinked.
“Sir?”
“What happened?”
Serena answered immediately.
“She attacked me.”
Dominic’s head turned.
Slowly.
Serena stopped speaking.
He stared at her.
“What did you say?”
Serena swallowed.
“I said Lily attacked me.”
Dominic looked at Lily.
Then at Serena.
Then at Ethan.
Serena hurried forward.
“I came downstairs because I heard Ethan crying.”
Her words spilled out quickly now.
“I found Lily screaming at him.”
Lily stared at her in disbelief.
Serena continued.
“She was pulling his arm.”
“That’s a lie.”
Lily’s voice cracked.
Serena pointed at her.
“See?”
She looked desperately at Dominic.
“She’s unstable.”
Dominic said nothing.
“She’s been obsessed with Ethan for months.”
Serena’s voice grew stronger as she found her story.
“I’ve been trying to tell you.”
Lily pushed herself upright.
“You were dragging him.”
“Shut up.”
Serena snapped the words before catching herself.
Dominic’s eyes sharpened.
Serena immediately softened her voice.
“I’m sorry.”
She touched Dominic’s sleeve.
“I’m frightened.”
Dominic looked down at her hand.
Serena removed it.
“I came in and saw Lily hurting him.”
She inhaled shakily.
“I tried to stop her.”
Lily stared at Dominic.
“Sir, please.”
Dominic turned toward her.
“I never touched Ethan like that.”
Serena laughed bitterly.
“Of course you’d say that.”
“I was trying to protect him.”
“From what?”
“From you.”
Serena’s face hardened.
Dominic saw it.
Only for a second.
But he saw it.
Lily pointed toward Ethan’s wrist.
“She grabbed him there.”
Serena shook her head.
“No.”
“She dragged him from beside the staircase.”
“No.”
“She kicked me when I tried to reach him.”
“No!”
Serena’s voice echoed through the foyer.
Ethan began crying harder.
Dominic’s expression became ice.
“Enough.”
Silence.
Serena lowered her voice.
“Dominic.”
“Enough.”
This time she stopped.
Dominic looked toward the housekeeper standing near the hallway.
“Where is Marcus?”
The housekeeper hesitated.
“Security office, sir.”
“Get him.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And nobody leaves this property.”
Serena stared at him.
“What?”
Dominic looked directly at her.
“Lock the gates.”
Serena’s mouth opened.
“You can’t possibly think—”
“I said lock the gates.”
The housekeeper disappeared.
Serena’s fear returned.
Lily noticed.
Dominic did too.
A moment later, hurried footsteps came from the corridor.
Dr. Samuel Reeves entered carrying a medical bag.
The Blackwood family physician was in his sixties.
He had treated Dominic since Dominic was a teenager.
He took one look at Ethan and moved immediately.
“What happened?”
“His arm.”
Dominic carried Ethan toward the sitting room.
Dr. Reeves followed.
Lily tried to stand.
Pain stabbed through her stomach.
She collapsed back to one knee.
Dominic heard it.
He stopped.
His eyes went to Lily.
Then to the way she was clutching her ribs.
“What happened to you?”
Lily looked at Serena.
Serena’s expression warned her.
Say it and regret it.
Lily had seen that expression before.
For months.
Little threats.
Quiet warnings.
Doors closed too hard behind her.
Personal belongings mysteriously disappearing.
A glass shattered beside her feet.
Serena whispering that accidents happened in large houses.
Lily had always stayed silent.
Because Ethan needed her.
Because she had nowhere else to go.
Because Dominic Blackwood frightened everyone.
But looking at Ethan now changed something.
Fear was no longer enough to keep her quiet.
“She kicked me.”
Dominic looked at Serena.
Serena laughed nervously.
“That is ridiculous.”
“Where?”
Dominic asked Lily.
“My stomach.”
Dr. Reeves stopped.
His expression became serious.
“How hard?”
Lily swallowed.
“Hard enough to knock me backward.”
“You hit your head?”
“No.”
“Ribs?”
“I don’t know.”
Dr. Reeves looked at Dominic.
“She needs to be examined too.”
Dominic nodded.
“After Ethan.”
Serena stared at him.
“Dominic, this is insane.”
He ignored her.
Dr. Reeves examined Ethan on the sofa.
The baby cried whenever his arm moved.
Dominic stood beside him.
His hands were clenched into fists.
Lily remained several feet away.
Serena stayed near the doorway.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Dr. Reeves looked up.
“We need imaging.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“Broken?”
“I can’t confirm without an X-ray.”
Dr. Reeves gently touched Ethan’s shoulder.
“But I suspect a dislocation, possibly a fracture.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Only for a moment.
When he opened them again, something had changed.
“Prepare the car.”
A voice came from the doorway.
“Yes, sir.”
Marcus Hale, Dominic’s head of security, had arrived.
He was a broad-shouldered man in his forties who rarely displayed emotion.
Tonight, even Marcus looked disturbed.
Dominic lifted Ethan.
“We’re going to St. Matthew’s.”
“I’ll alert them.”
Marcus reached for his phone.
Dominic looked toward Lily.
“You’re coming.”
Serena stepped forward.
“So am I.”
“No.”
The word stopped her.
Serena stared at Dominic.
“I’m his future mother.”
Dominic’s eyes settled on her.
“No.”
“Dominic—”
“You’re staying here.”
Her face went white.
“Why?”
Dominic walked toward her.
Ethan was still trembling against his chest.
“Because until I know what happened to my son, nobody involved leaves this house without my permission.”
Serena stared at him.
Then she made a mistake.
A tiny mistake.
Her eyes flicked toward the ceiling.
Just once.
Toward the corner above the staircase.
Lily saw it.
Dominic saw it too.
He followed Serena’s gaze.
There was nothing there except carved molding.
Or at least that was what Lily had always believed.
Dominic looked at Marcus.
Marcus understood immediately.
“Sir?”
“Check every camera.”
Serena inhaled sharply.
Lily turned toward her.
Dominic did not miss that reaction either.
“Every camera from six o’clock until now.”
Marcus nodded.
“I’ll have it ready.”
Serena forced a laugh.
“There aren’t cameras in the foyer.”
Dominic slowly turned toward her.
“I know.”
Serena froze.
Dominic’s expression became unreadable.
“I didn’t say there were.”
For the first time that night, Serena had no answer.
Dominic carried Ethan toward the door.
Lily followed slowly.
Marcus stayed behind.
As Lily passed Serena, Serena whispered something so quietly Dominic could not hear.
“You have no idea what you’ve done.”
Lily stopped.
Serena smiled.
But her eyes were terrified.
Lily leaned closer.
“Neither do you.”
Then Lily walked away.
Behind them, Marcus pulled out his phone.
He called the security control room.
“Seal the estate.”
He paused.
“And find me every recording from tonight.”
Another pause.
Marcus’s expression changed.
“What do you mean?”
Dominic stopped at the front door.
Marcus listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
“Sir.”
Dominic turned.
May you like
Marcus looked toward Serena.
Someone had already erased the security footage.
