The Warning

Amelia woke up to the sound of rain tapping gently against her bedroom window. The gray clouds outside reflected the way she was feeling heavy and uncertain. After the incident with the locked room, she couldn't stop thinking about Lucas. The walls he had built around himself were thicker than she realized. But there was something in his eyes when he caught her in that room a mix of anger, pain, and a vulnerability he rarely showed. She didn't know what to make of it, and it left her feeling more confused than ever.

As she stood by the window, watching the raindrops streak down the glass, her mind kept returning to one question: why had Lucas been so secretive? What had he been hiding all this time? And more importantly, why did it feel like she had just scratched the surface of something much bigger? Something that went beyond family secrets and personal guilt.

After breakfast, Amelia decided to take a walk through the grounds of the estate. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, and the air felt fresh. She needed space to clear her mind, to think about everything that had been happening. She hadn't spoken much to Lucas since that night in the locked room. He had retreated further into himself, and she had given him the space he seemed to want.

But that didn't mean she was giving up on finding answers. The more she thought about the room, the more she felt like there was something she had missed. Something important that could change everything. As she wandered through the gardens, she spotted someone standing near the hedge maze the last person she expected to see.

It was Victoria, Lucas's ex-fiancée.

Victoria had arrived back at the estate a few days ago, after being away for a long time. Amelia had only met her once, but she had heard enough about her from the household staff. Victoria was beautiful, confident, and had once been the woman Lucas was supposed to marry. But something had gone wrong, and the engagement had been broken off. Amelia didn't know the details, but she didn't need to. The tension between them was clear.

Victoria spotted Amelia and gave her a small, almost knowing smile. "You're out here alone?" she asked in a voice that was sweet but held an undertone of something else.

Amelia nodded, feeling uncomfortable. "Just needed some air. It's a bit quieter out here."

Victoria tilted her head, looking around the grounds. "I can imagine. But sometimes quiet can be dangerous, don't you think?"

Amelia frowned, unsure of what Victoria meant. "What do you mean?"

Victoria took a step closer, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I mean, you might think you know everything, but trust me, there are things in this house you'll never understand. Secrets, lies... and people who will do anything to protect them."

Amelia's heart skipped a beat. There was something in Victoria's voice that sent a chill down her spine. She had always known there was tension between Victoria and Lucas, but this was different. There was a deeper warning here, one that Amelia couldn't ignore.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Amelia said, trying to sound calm.

Victoria smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You will," she said softly. "Eventually, you'll see the truth. Just remember, once you open certain doors, you can never close them again."

Amelia felt a wave of unease wash over her. She had no idea what Victoria meant, but something in her words felt like a threat. "I'm not afraid of the truth," Amelia said, trying to stand her ground.

Victoria's smile turned cold. "You should be," she whispered, before turning and walking away, disappearing into the mist of the garden.

Amelia stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Why had Victoria said that? Was it a warning or just a manipulative tactic to make her doubt her place in the family?

She didn't know, but one thing was certain—Victoria knew more than she was letting on. And if she was being this open about it, then the danger was more real than Amelia had imagined.

That afternoon, Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her conversation with Victoria kept replaying in her mind, and it only made her more determined to get answers. She needed to speak to Lucas. He had to know something about the warning Victoria had given her, or at least about the tension that lingered in the house. But when she finally found him, he was in his office, locked behind a closed door, just like the one she had ventured into before.

She knocked softly, then opened the door slightly. "Lucas?"

He looked up from his paperwork, his expression unreadable. "What is it?"

Amelia hesitated. She wasn't sure how to bring up the conversation with Victoria without seeming paranoid. But she couldn't ignore her instincts. "I spoke with Victoria earlier," she began carefully.

Lucas's eyes darkened instantly. "Victoria?"

Amelia nodded. "She said something strange, something about how there are things in this house that I'll never understand... and that once you open certain doors, you can't close them again." She watched his face closely, trying to gauge his reaction.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips. "Victoria is always playing games, Amelia. She's trying to get inside your head. Don't listen to her."

But Amelia could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clenched on the armrests. "What's going on, Lucas? What's the real reason you broke up with her? What is she warning me about?"

Lucas stood up abruptly, his face tight. "I told you, I don't want you involved in this. There's no reason for you to get tangled up in the past."

"But I am involved, Lucas," Amelia said, frustration bubbling inside her. "You brought me into this world, and now I need to know what's going on. Victoria isn't just playing games, and I'm not going to ignore the warning she gave me."

Lucas was silent for a long moment, as if weighing something in his mind. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and filled with something Amelia couldn't quite read. "You don't understand. There are things in this family... things I've been trying to protect you from. And some of those things will do anything to keep their secrets hidden."

Amelia's heart began to race. "What kind of secrets? What's so dangerous that you can't tell me?"

Lucas stepped closer, his eyes intense. "I'm trying to keep you safe, Amelia. I'll tell you when the time is right. But until then, stay out of it. Please."

The pleading tone in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to push, to demand answers, but something in his eyes stopped her. There was fear there, real fear, and it scared her more than anything.

"Okay," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll stay out of it. For now."

But deep inside, Amelia knew this was far from over. Victoria's warning, Lucas's fear—there was something lurking in the shadows of the Blackwood family, something dark and dangerous. And whether she wanted to or not, Amelia was now part of it.

As the days passed, Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. The warning Victoria had given her echoed in her mind constantly. There were things in the house she didn't understand, things that Lucas had been trying to protect her from. And no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she knew that sooner or later, those things would come for her too.

The question was, would she be ready?

Just as Amelia reached for the door to her room that evening, she froze. A shadow moved quickly across the hallway, vanishing around the corner. She wasn't alone.