Chapter 4 - The Unscheduled Return
In Geneva, Switzerland, a high-stakes board meeting was underway in a glass skyscraper overlooking Lake Geneva. Ethan Blackwell sat at the head of the conference table, surrounded by international executives.
Despite the billions of dollars on the line, Ethan was unsettled. For two days, he hadn't been able to reach Lily. Every time he called the estate, his mother answered or Mrs. Brooks gave strangely guarded responses, claiming Lily was "busy with household duties."
A deep, instinctual knot tightened in Ethan’s stomach. He looked at his assistant, Marcus, standing near the door.
"Marcus," Ethan said, interrupting a Swiss director mid-sentence. "Cancel the remaining meetings."
The room went silent. The Swiss director blinked in disbelief. "Mr. Blackwell, we are hours away from finalizing the merger!"
"Sign the paperwork as drafted or call me next week," Ethan said, rising from his chair and buttoning his suit jacket. "Prepare the private jet immediately. We are flying back to Connecticut now."
"Sir?" Marcus asked, startled. "Is there an emergency?"
"My gut tells me something is wrong at home," Ethan said, his voice cold and resolute. "And my gut is never wrong."
Six hours later, the Blackwell Gulfstream touched down at a private airport in Hartford under the cover of dark, stormy skies. Ethan didn't wait for his driver; he took the keys to his personal SUV and sped down the highway toward Briar Glen, the rain slashing across his windshield.
When he slammed his brakes in front of the mansion’s iron gates, he didn't wait for the security guard to press the release. He used his remote access code, accelerated through the gates, and pulled up to the grand entrance at 1:30 AM.
Stepping out of the vehicle, Ethan pulled off his coat and pushed open the heavy oak front doors.
The house was eerily quiet, but as he stepped into the foyer, he saw a light flickered near the rear glass doors leading to the terrace. Through the glass, illuminated by a flash of lightning, he saw a small, crumpled figure lying prone on the flooded stone patio.
Ethan’s heart stopped.
"Lily!" he roared.
He threw open the glass doors and sprinted out into the pouring rain. He dropped to his knees in the mud and rain, pulling the soaking, unconscious woman into his arms.
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Her skin was deathly pale, her lips blue, and her body radiated a terrifying, burning heat. Her clothes were soaked through, and her hands were raw and bloodied from the stiff bristles of the scrub brush lying beside her.
"Lily! Open your eyes! Lily!" Ethan screamed, his voice cracking with a terror he had never felt in his life.
