Chapter 2 The Day Blackwood Returned
Chapter 2: The First Secret
Victoria Sinclair had spent four years building an empire of lies.
Now, one by one, those lies were beginning to collapse.
The foyer remained silent as Detective Harris stepped forward.
"Mrs. Sinclair," he said calmly, "we need you to come with us."
Victoria stared at him in disbelief.
"You can't be serious."
The lawyer opened a thick folder.
"We are very serious."
Sebastian never looked away from her.
Not once.
For years, Victoria had imagined this moment differently.
If Sebastian ever returned, she would be prepared.
She would control the narrative.
She would explain everything.
She would convince him that she had protected the estate.
That she had raised Oliver.
That she deserved gratitude.
Instead, she stood trapped inside her own web.
The documents in the lawyer's hands represented years of deception.
Bank transfers.
Forged signatures.
Altered legal records.
Destroyed correspondence.
Evidence.
So much evidence.
Detective Harris stepped closer.
"We can discuss this voluntarily."
Victoria's voice trembled.
"And if I refuse?"
The detective glanced toward the uniformed officers waiting outside.
"You won't like the alternative."
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Victoria laughed.
A sharp, desperate laugh.
"You think you've won."
Sebastian finally spoke.
"No."
His voice was colder than winter.
"I think the truth is finally catching up."
The words hit harder than any accusation.
Because deep down, Victoria knew they were true.
She looked toward Oliver.
The boy stood beside his father.
For years she had controlled him.
Manipulated him.
Convinced him that he was unwanted.
Now he looked at her differently.
Not with fear.
Not with obedience.
With understanding.
And somehow that hurt more.
"Oliver..."
Her voice softened.
The boy didn't answer.
She tried again.
"I did what I thought was best."
Still nothing.
The silence destroyed her.
Because for the first time, she realized she no longer controlled the story.
The detective placed handcuffs on the table nearby.
Not as a threat.
As a reminder.
Victoria swallowed.
Then slowly extended her hands.
The metallic click echoed through the mansion.
A sound nobody expected to hear.
The queen of Blackwood Estate was leaving in handcuffs.
As officers escorted her toward the front door, she suddenly stopped.
Turned around.
And looked directly at Sebastian.
"You still don't know everything."
The billionaire narrowed his eyes.
"What does that mean?"
A strange smile appeared on her face.
The smile of someone holding one final card.
"Ask yourself something."
Nobody spoke.
Victoria continued.
"Why did your plane crash?"
The room froze.
Even Detective Harris looked surprised.
Sebastian's expression darkened.
"What did you say?"
Victoria laughed softly.
Then allowed herself to be escorted outside.
The front doors closed behind her.
Silence returned.
But it was no longer peaceful.
Because a new question now haunted everyone.
Why had the plane crashed?
Later that night, the mansion felt different.
Lighter.
As though years of tension had finally begun to dissolve.
Yet Sebastian couldn't relax.
Victoria's final words echoed inside his mind.
Why did your plane crash?
For four years he had believed the crash was an accident.
Mechanical failure.
Bad weather.
Bad luck.
Simple.
Terrible.
Unfortunate.
Now he wasn't so sure.
He stood inside his office.
The same office he had left four years earlier.
Dust covered the shelves.
The fireplace sat cold.
Family photographs lined the walls.
One picture caught his attention.
Oliver.
Seven years old.
Smiling.
Happy.
Before everything changed.
Sebastian reached for the frame.
His chest tightened.
Four years.
Four years stolen.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Oliver entered quietly.
The boy looked nervous.
Uncertain.
Sebastian understood why.
They were strangers.
Connected by blood.
Separated by lies.
And now expected to become father and son again.
Neither knew how.
"Can't sleep?"
Oliver shook his head.
"No."
"Neither can I."
The boy hesitated.
Then stepped farther into the room.
Sebastian pointed toward a chair.
Oliver sat.
Silence followed.
Awkward.
Heavy.
Finally Oliver spoke.
"Did you really write all those letters?"
The question shattered Sebastian's heart.
"Every single one."
Oliver looked down.
"I thought you forgot me."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Firmly.
Without hesitation.
"I never forgot you."
Tears appeared in the boy's eyes.
He fought them.
Lost.
Sebastian moved closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Not wanting to overwhelm him.
"I missed birthdays."
Oliver nodded.
"I know."
"I missed Christmas."
Another nod.
"I missed everything."
The boy's lips trembled.
Sebastian crouched beside him.
"But not because I wanted to."
Oliver finally looked up.
Their eyes met.
For the first time, the wall between them cracked.
Not completely.
But enough.
"Did it hurt?"
Sebastian blinked.
"The crash?"
Oliver nodded.
The billionaire touched the scar on his neck.
"Yes."
The boy studied him.
"Were you scared?"
A sad smile appeared.
"Terrified."
That answer surprised Oliver.
Adults weren't supposed to admit fear.
Victoria never did.
Teachers never did.
Most adults pretended to be invincible.
But his father didn't.
"I thought I was going to die."
Oliver stared.
Sebastian continued.
"The plane went down in the middle of the ocean."
The memory returned vividly.
Dark water.
Fire.
Screaming metal.
Chaos.
"Most people didn't survive."
Oliver swallowed hard.
"How did you?"
Sebastian looked toward the window.
At the storm outside.
"Luck."
He paused.
"Or maybe stubbornness."
For the first time all evening, Oliver smiled.
A small smile.
But real.
Sebastian smiled too.
And suddenly the distance between them felt a little smaller.
Three days later, the investigation expanded.
What initially looked like financial fraud became something much larger.
Much darker.
The forensic accountants discovered hidden accounts.
Millions of dollars missing.
Property transfers.
Offshore companies.
Falsified records.
The deeper they dug, the uglier it became.
Yet one discovery shocked everyone.
Victoria hadn't acted alone.
Someone inside Blackwood Industries had helped her.
Someone powerful.
Someone still active.
Sebastian sat across from his legal team.
The conference room buzzed with tension.
The lead investigator slid a folder across the table.
"You need to see this."
Sebastian opened it.
His expression hardened immediately.
A familiar face stared back from the documents.
Richard Kane.
Chief Financial Officer.
Trusted advisor.
Friend.
Or so he thought.
The investigator nodded.
"We found dozens of communications."
Sebastian's jaw tightened.
"How long?"
"At least four years."
The room fell silent.
Four years.
The exact same period as his disappearance.
Not a coincidence.
Not even close.
Richard Kane had helped Victoria seize control.
Helped isolate Oliver.
Helped conceal correspondence.
Helped redirect company assets.
The betrayal ran deeper than Sebastian imagined.
And something told him this was only the beginning.
Because if Richard had helped cover up financial crimes...
What else had he covered up?
The answer terrified him.
Perhaps even more than Victoria's warning.
Perhaps Richard knew exactly why the plane had crashed.
May you like
And if he did...
The truth was about to become far more dangerous than anyone expected.
