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Chapter 100
Chapter 100: The Safebox IIEdwin might have been following instructions. He might have been involved in something he had never understood. Or he might know exactly what had happened to her mother's belongings.She refused to decide his guilt before hearing his explanation."Can I speak to him when you find the right time?" she asked.Draven turned to her."If he agrees to speak with us, yes. But I want Marcus to make the initial contact.""That's fair."He seemed mildly surprised by how quickly she accepted the condition.Alessia gave him a small smile. "I'm not asking you to stop protecting me. I'm asking you to let me help."Draven's expression softened."And I will."At Blac Monroe's safe house, Natasha was becoming increasingly impatient.She sat across from Viktor in the upstairs sitting room, listening as he complained about the restrictions Alaric had imposed on them. They were not to contact their usual associates, move money without approval, or make any attempt to regain in
Chapter 99
Chapter 99: The Safebox.The name Edwin Shaw had been written on the investigation board before noon.Marcus stood in the palace study, reviewing the information his team had gathered while Draven sat behind his desk. Alessia occupied the chair beside him, studying an old photograph of the Monroe residence. She had seen the building countless times in her nightmares, but now she was looking at it differently.Even though for a while now, she had thought of the house as a place she had escaped. She had never considered that something inside it might explain why Natasha was suddenly so interested in her past."What do we know about Edwin?" Draven asked.Marcus placed a folder on the desk."He worked as Blac Monroe's personal assistant for nearly eight years. He handled correspondence, household records, and some of the financial paperwork. According to the records we could access, he left the position about three years ago.""Why did he leave?""That's the problem. There's no formal res
Chapter 98
Chapter 98 - Natasha finds out."His name is Mr. Edwin Shaw, but I don't know whether he still works for Mr. Blac Monroe." Miriam replied.Marcus wrote the name down.It was a lead, but not yet proof that Edwin had anything to do with the threatening message.Alessia looked at Miriam. "Did Natasha speak to you recently?"Miriam's mouth tightened."Yes. She came to see me at a café a few days ago."Alessia felt Draven's attention sharpen beside her."What did she want?" she asked."Information about you. She wanted to know whether you had ever spoken about the things that happened in that house, whether you still remembered certain incidents, and whether there was anything from your childhood that frightened you."Alessia went still."What did you tell her?""Nothing she could use against you." Miriam's voice grew firmer. "She offered me money. I refused it. Then she tried to make it sound as though she was concerned about you, but I knew better.""Did she mention the photograph?" Drav
Chapter 97
CHAPTER 97 - Contacting Miriam Cole.Alessia had not slept well.By eight that morning, she was dressed and waiting in the palace's private study when Draven entered with Marcus. Draven glanced at her, then at the documents on the desk."You've been awake for a while.""I have something to do."He pulled out the chair beside her. "Tell me.""We need to speak with Miriam Cole."Marcus opened his notebook. "I've confirmed that she still lives in the western district. She's been working as a private housekeeper for a family there, and according to our preliminary checks, she hasn't left Crestfall in years.""Has anyone approached her?" Alessia asked."No," Marcus replied. "Not from our side."Alessia hesitated before looking at Draven. "Natasha approached her first."Draven's expression hardened slightly. "You're certain?""Not completely. But Miriam knows my stepfamily better than most people who worked in that house. If Natasha wanted information about my past, Miriam would be one of
Chapter 96
Chapter 96: First Clue IIMarcus glanced between them. “Miriam Cole?”Alessia nodded. “She was the former housekeeper and she there for years. She saw things that happened in that house, and she knew which people came and went. If someone has used details from my past to frighten me, Miriam may recognize the information or know who else remembers it.”Draven considered the suggestion.“Do you know where she is?”“No, but I may be able to find out.”“We'll have our team locate her.”Alessia shook her head. “I don't want armed men arriving at her home and frightening her before we even speak. If she's still the same person I remember, she'll be suspicious of anyone connected to the Monroe family.”“Then we'll arrange a discreet approach,” Draven replied. “You won't go alone, but we won't send a team to intimidate her either.”“Thank you.”He touched her cheek gently. “You don't have to thank me for listening to you.”Alessia smiled faintly.Finally, they had a direction to follow.Acros
Chapter 95
Chapter 95: First Clue.Alessia read the message again the following morning, but this time, she refused to let the memories control her.The letter lay on the desk in Draven's private office. Beside it sat the photograph of the old Monroe residence, its narrow side entrance bringing back memories Alessia would have preferred to leave buried. She had barely slept the previous night, but the fear that had initially overwhelmed her had given way to something else.Anger.Someone had reached into the most painful part of her past and used it to remind her that she was still vulnerable. Whoever had sent the letter expected her to become frightened, to withdraw into herself, or perhaps to beg Draven to keep her away from the world.Alessia had spent too many years living that way.She would not return to it now.Draven stood near the desk, speaking to Marcus about the initial security findings. When he finished, Marcus placed a thin folder beside the evidence sleeve and stepped back.“The
