Chapter 135

Richard's POV

I woke with a splitting headache, my limbs heavy as lead. The disorientation that followed hypnosis was familiar but no less irritating. As my senses slowly returned, I realized I'd been out for far too long.

I sat up abruptly, ignoring the wave of dizziness. "Emma!" I called out, my voice harsh with anger. "How long did you let me sleep?"

Emma appeared in the doorway, her expression carefully neutral. "Just over an hour. You needed the rest, Richard. When was the last time you had a proper night's sleep?"

"That wasn't your decision to make," I growled, getting to my feet despite the lingering weakness.

I grabbed my jacket and shot her a glance. She frowned, her face showing that she wanted to say something but was hesitating.

I ignored it and headed toward my car.

The drive back to Highland Estate was quiet until my phone rang. Felix's name flashed on the screen.

"What is it?" I answered, keeping my eyes on the road.

"Alpha, something's happened," Felix's voice was strained. "Mandy is dead!"

My foot slammed on the brake, the car screeching to a halt. "Dead? I ordered you to watch her, not kill her!"

"It wasn't us," Felix insisted. "She had a huge fight with her family and ran out of the house. By the time we found her, she was already dead in the street."

"Who did it?" I demanded, fury building in my chest.

"We don't know. There were our people at the scene, but no one saw the killer. Cinda was there too—she witnessed our presence."

Damn it, this wasn't random. Mandy's death, with Cinda as a witness? This had been calculated.

I pushed the car to its limits, racing back to Highland Estate. As I pulled into the driveway, a sense of foreboding washed over me. Something else was wrong.

I burst through the front door. "Elena?" I called out, scanning the empty living room.

Anna appeared from the kitchen, looking surprised. "Mr. Blackwood, you're back."

"Where's Elena?" I demanded.

"She went to find you, sir," Anna replied, confusion evident in her voice. "She left two hours ago. Said she was going to Dr. Wells' place to pick you up. Didn't you see her?"

A cold feeling settled in my gut. Emma's strange behavior suddenly made sense. Had Elena been there? What had Emma told her?

"Take care of the children," I ordered, already turning back toward the door.

As I started the car again, a sense of unease filled me.

Elena's POV

The harsh hospital fluorescents burned my eyes as I rushed through the sliding doors of the medical center. My phone call with Mason had been brief—but I'd understood enough. Mandy was dead.

The waiting area was empty save for a nurse behind the desk who pointed me toward the morgue. I made my way down the sterile corridor, my heart hammering against my ribs, the antiseptic smell mingling with something worse—the scent of grief and rage.

I spotted Cinda first. She stood rigidly by the wall, her face ashen and eyes hollow. When she saw me, something changed. Her expression twisted into something feral, and before I could speak, she lunged forward.

The slap came without warning. Pain exploded across my cheek, the force of it snapping my head sideways. I felt the skin split, tasted copper on my tongue.

Cinda screamed, her voice echoing through the corridor. "Get out! I never want to see your face again!"

I touched my fingers to my cheek, feeling the warm trickle of blood. In all our years—through all our differences—Cinda had never struck me before.

"Cinda, please," I begged, the fluorescent lights suddenly seeming too bright, too harsh. "I never wanted this. I didn't know—"

"Didn't know?" Her laugh was a broken, terrible sound. "Then why did Blackwood's people have my daughter under surveillance? Why were they right there when she died?"

I froze, my grip on her arm loosening. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Cinda's voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "I saw them with my own eyes, Elena. Standing over her body like... like they were making sure she was really dead."

My stomach twisted into knots. Richard had people watching Mandy? But why would he—

Cinda hissed. "You conspire with him. When my daughter angered you both, you had her killed!"

"No!" I gasped, tears streaming down my face. "Cinda, I would never—"

"Save your lies!" She jerked away from me. "She was my daughter, Elena. My child! Even if she made mistakes... she didn't deserve to die for them."

I looked past her to where Mason stood at the end of the hallway, signing paperwork with shaking hands. His face was etched with grief so profound it made my chest ache. He never once looked in my direction, as if I didn't exist—or worse, as if I wasn't worth acknowledging.

The reality crashed down on me. Mandy, for all her flaws, was their flesh and blood. Their child. And now she was gone.

I closed my eyes, breathing deep. When I opened them again, I could feel the change—the chill settling in my veins, my vision sharpening.

Without another word, I stood and walked away, my steps measured and deliberate. There was nothing more to be said.

The night air felt like ice against my heated skin as I strode toward my car. My mind raced. Richard had Mandy watched? Had he known all along what she was doing?

I was so distracted I almost missed the sleek black Bentley blocking my exit. Richard emerged, his tall frame tense with anger.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, stalking toward me. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

I laughed, the sound bitter and hollow. "Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing."

His nostrils flared, and I knew he'd caught the scent of blood on my face. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're hurt. Who did this to you?"

I ignored his question, fixing him with a cold stare. "Did you have people watching Mason's family?"

Richard's expression shifted almost imperceptibly—a slight tightening around the eyes that told me everything I needed to know.

"Answer me!" I snapped, my voice rising.

"Yes," he admitted, his tone clipped. "I had them under surveillance."

"So Mandy's death—was that your doing too?" The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

Richard's face darkened with fury. "I did not order her killed," he growled, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest. "Whatever happened to her, it wasn't by my command."

"But you knew," I pressed. "You knew she was giving Victoria information about my manuscripts."

His silence was confirmation enough.

I laughed again, the sound bordering on hysterical. "I should have known. When you didn't pursue the matter further. I thought, 'Wow, he's actually showing mercy for once.' I even told Cinda that as long as Mandy had amnesia, she'd be safe."

"Elena—"

"No!" I cut him off. "Don't you dare try to explain this away. Do you have any idea what you've done? Because of you, my family thinks I'm a murderer!"

Richard's jaw clenched. "I only had you protected. That's all."

"Protection? Richard, can you honestly say when you sent your men, you didn't have alternative plans in case she ran?"