The Forgotten Safe

Amelia and Lucas drove back to the estate after their tense encounter at the cabin. The letters from Richard had given them insight into Victoria's past, but they still lacked answers. The identity of the man who appeared at the cabin and his intentions remained a mystery.

Amelia's mind buzzed with questions. As they pulled into the driveway, she turned to Lucas. "We need to find more. Victoria's journal hinted at things she kept hidden. There might be something else we've missed."

Lucas nodded. "Let's check her room again. Maybe there's something we overlooked."

Victoria's room at the estate had been left untouched since her exile. It was a grand space, filled with expensive furniture and ornate decorations. However, it also carried an air of secrecy.

Amelia and Lucas searched every corner—drawers, shelves, and even the underside of the bed but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just as they were about to give up, Amelia noticed a loose floorboard near the bed.

"Lucas, look at this," she said, pointing to the uneven plank.

Lucas knelt down and pried it open with a screwdriver. Beneath the floorboard was a small, rusted safe.

Amelia's heart raced. "Do you think it's hers?"

"It has to be," Lucas replied, examining the safe. "But we'll need the combination to open it."

The safe had a mechanical lock with three dials, each requiring a number. Amelia rummaged through Victoria's journal, hoping to find a clue.

"She mentioned Richard a lot in her entries," Amelia said, flipping through the pages. "Maybe the combination has something to do with him."

Lucas pointed to a passage in the journal. "What about the date they planned to run away? She wrote it here—June 12th, 1998."

Amelia set the dials to 6-1-2, but the safe didn't open. Frustrated, she tried reversing the order to 2-1-6, but it still didn't work.

Lucas tapped his chin in thought. "What if it's his birthday? Does she mention it anywhere?"

Amelia scanned the journal again and found an entry where Victoria mentioned celebrating Richard's birthday on October 8th.

She set the dials to 1-0-8. With a faint click, the safe unlocked.

Inside the safe was a collection of items: old photographs, letters, and a small leather-bound notebook. Amelia carefully lifted the notebook and opened it.

The pages were filled with Victoria's handwritten notes. Unlike the journal, these entries were more cryptic, mentioning names, dates, and locations that didn't immediately make sense.

"Lucas, look at this," Amelia said, pointing to a name underlined multiple times: Eleanor Ridgeway.

"Who's Eleanor?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Amelia admitted. "But Victoria seemed obsessed with her. There's also a list of bank account numbers and what looks like coordinates."

Lucas leaned over, studying the entries. "This is bigger than we thought. Victoria was hiding more than just her past with Richard."

As they examined the contents of the safe, a realization struck Amelia. "Eleanor Ridgeway… that name sounds familiar. I think I've heard it before."

Lucas frowned. "From where?"

"From one of Victoria's arguments with Michael," Amelia said, her voice growing more confident. "He mentioned Eleanor once, saying she was the key to something."

Lucas's eyes widened. "If Michael knows about her, then this isn't just about Victoria's past. This could be connected to everything that's been happening."

Amelia nodded. "We need to find out who Eleanor is and why she's so important. This might be the missing piece of the puzzle."

Later that evening, Amelia and Lucas decided to call Michael, hoping he could shed light on Eleanor Ridgeway. Surprisingly, Michael answered the call almost immediately.

"What do you want?" Michael asked, his tone guarded.

"We need information," Lucas said. "Who is Eleanor Ridgeway, and why is she connected to Victoria?"

There was a long pause before Michael replied. "Where did you hear that name?"

Amelia's voice was firm. "We found it in Victoria's hidden safe. If you know something, tell us."

Michael sighed. "Eleanor was… an ally of Victoria's, but their relationship was complicated. She was involved in some of Victoria's more questionable dealings."

"What kind of dealings?" Lucas pressed.

"The kind that could ruin lives," Michael said darkly. "If you're smart, you'll drop this. Digging into Eleanor's past won't end well for you."

Amelia refused to back down. "We need the truth, Michael. Whatever Victoria was hiding, it's affecting us now."

Michael's voice grew colder. "Consider this your only warning. Stay out of it, or you'll regret it."

After the call ended, Amelia and Lucas were left with more questions than answers. They decided to investigate the coordinates listed in Victoria's notebook, hoping they would lead to Eleanor Ridgeway or another clue.

As they prepared to leave the estate, a delivery arrived—a plain envelope with no return address. Inside was a single photograph of Eleanor Ridgeway, standing next to Victoria.

But it wasn't the photograph that sent chills down Amelia's spine. It was the message scrawled on the back in red ink:

"Stay away, or you'll suffer the same fate as her."

Amelia's hands trembled as she showed the photo to Lucas.

"What does it mean?" Lucas asked, his voice low.

"It means someone doesn't want us finding Eleanor," Amelia said. "But we're not stopping now."

A shadow passed by the window, and they realized they weren't alone. Someone was watching them.