Chapter 5: The Burning Memory

The rain never seemed to stop at Black Manor.

It was as if the sky itself refused to forgive.

Lia sat by the window that night, restless, her mind still replaying the argument. Every word Adrian had spoken echoed like thunder in her head.

She wanted to hate him.

She wanted to forget the pain in his eyes when the glass shattered.

But she couldn’t.

There was something about the way he looked at that photograph — not with anger, but grief.

And grief always had a story.

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When the clock struck midnight, she heard footsteps in the hallway — slow, heavy, uneven.

Adrian.

He stopped outside her door but didn’t knock. She waited, her heart beating too fast.

Then came the sound of his voice, quiet and rough through the door.

> “You shouldn’t have gone into that room.”

She stood, hand hovering over the knob. “Then tell me why,” she whispered.

For a long moment, silence. Then the handle turned, and he stepped inside.

His shirt was damp from the rain, his hair disheveled. He looked nothing like the untouchable CEO — only a man haunted by something he couldn’t let go.

Lia met his gaze. “You owe me the truth.”

Adrian exhaled, the tension in his shoulders almost visible. “The truth isn’t something you want, Lia.”

“I’m already living your lie. What else could be worse?”

That hit him harder than she realized.

He walked to the window, staring out at the rain. “Twelve years ago, my father called your father his best friend. They built everything together — the company, the legacy. I worshipped him. I thought he could fix anything.”

His voice dropped. “That night, there was an explosion in the lower lab. The fire spread fast. I was trapped upstairs. My father told me to run, but… I saw someone dragging him back into the flames.”

He turned to face her. His eyes were cold, but his voice trembled. “It was your father.”

Lia’s breath caught. “No. That can’t—”

“I saw him!” Adrian snapped, then caught himself, lowering his voice. “I was fourteen. And I saw him there. After that… your family disappeared. What was I supposed to believe?”

Lia shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “My father would never leave someone to die. He wasn’t a coward.”

“Then why did he run?” Adrian’s tone softened painfully. “Why didn’t he stay to prove his innocence?”

She had no answer — only the sound of rain and her heartbeat filling the silence.

Adrian’s shoulders slumped. “I built everything on that night, Lia. My anger. My success. My control. If that fire wasn’t his fault…” He laughed bitterly. “Then what am I even living for?”

For the first time, Lia saw him without the armor — a man burning inside his own cage of guilt.

Slowly, she walked toward him, her hand trembling as she reached out. “Maybe… it’s time to find out.”

His eyes flickered down to her fingers, almost touching his. “And if you don’t like the answer?”

“Then at least we’ll both stop running from ghosts.”

For a heartbeat, their breath mingled in the silence — too close, too fragile.

Adrian’s hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair from her face. The touch was hesitant, almost reverent.

“Be careful, Lia,” he murmured. “The truth can destroy more than lies ever could.”

She looked up at him. “Or maybe it can set us free.”

He didn’t respond — just stepped back, the mask slipping over his face again.

“Good night, Mrs. Black,” he said quietly. “And… don’t go near that room again.”

Then he left her standing in the darkness, heart aching with a truth she didn’t yet understand.

Outside, lightning flashed — illuminating the broken photograph in the west wing.

This time, the faces in the frame weren’t smiling.

And somewhere in the shadows, another figure watched the mansion from the rain — a stranger with eyes that looked far too familiar.

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💔 End of Chapter 5: “The Burning Memory”

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💬 Author’s Note:

The fire wasn’t what it seemed — and neither are the people who survived it.

Someone is still hiding the truth… and they’ve just returned.

🔥 Next Chapter: “The Man in the Rain” — where Lia encounters a mysterious stranger who knows too much about both their fathers.

💖 Don’t forget to LIKE, VOTE, and SUBSCRIBE — your support means the world! 🌙✨

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