Sold To A Monster

of Blackwood Ma

rian Blackwood

d was eve

ything that be

the

t the woman in

she had never been particula

n those rules

orridor, staring at the silver handle. The entire hallway was silent,

find the library for

ants who immediately stopped talking when she approached, a

deliberately

covery disturbed her more tha

supposed t

a spun

ehind her. His expression was cold

ni

personal

for the library

ould have as

obody ans

they we

his house is terrified of

ression chan

bella thought she

ed toward th

return to

is in

that conc

iously like somethi

Isab

woman in t

le

ediate and

as though she had j

you saw," he

hy

questions have

espond, a familiar voic

nie

wo

s all i

aightened

the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, and his expr

d from Daniel

to th

she doi

ad. "She was looking

ate wing was an appropri

, s

ea

tion of a second before dis

with the man who had purch

pproache

touch t

N

attempt t

N

y you're standin

lackwood. I saw a door and

w tigh

ficulty understanding

y speaking to people without ma

ession d

eful, I

u lock me in

, neither of

an steppe

lieve this

N

my home, ignore my rules, and

at's the only way to get a

es nar

she sho

her to lower her head, apol

bella w

of bei

being f

e where every person seemed t

?" Isabella

nt comple

changed in

lmost invisible

a

ld mask slipped, revealing s

t disa

t of my

swal

Black

OW

ndered throug

la fli

ound had come from somewhere deep inside him, carrying a

d and hur

d the staircase when

abe

fr

es

you saw, and you

ked bac

stop giving people r

e stairs before coura

drian remaine

ed toward the

e had asked him about the woman he

very woman he had bough

ed that dinner at Blackwood Man

a polished mahogany table long en

o places ha

t eac

le, examining a document while a

a took

minutes, n

ied th

s del

ated

ful. The food, the furniture, the gar

had built a paradise and

d you b

ped before she co

ly lowered

ha

heard

failed to teach you when

led to teach m

her spoon o

pays thirty million dollars

studi

I wante

find one who actually

sion turne

gine yourse

rate to understand why my l

her owed

kno

uldn't

w that

estions you already

could have taken his property. You could have destroyed his

from he

e me pay for some

stood a

red? That I let your father wal

re what you

choed throu

a shaky

moment he looked me in the eyes and t

time, Adrian

a's eye

ever he did to you, whatever debt he o

ed back

, you will r

ay before he

atched h

ened around the e

expecte

gg

mpt to seduce him in

t expecte

ted her words to follow him l

responsib

xplain, the sentence remi

from y

tried despera

that night, Isabe

ormous bed, stari

ed her eyes, she sa

avoided looking at her when Ad

ging him to tell h

membered h

sabella. I h

s always

hat her life was the ea

pped down

d it awa

pered. "I won'

sa

uffocating, and

, she opened her bedroom door

or was

glass doors leading to the garden

brushed

arriving at Blackwood M

until she reached a small foun

the moonlight

lla s

s. She wore a long cream-colored dress, and

olding a

bella, she quickly h

ou?" the w

you the sam

n looked

pectedly,

I take care of

abe

who yo

rse sh

e house knew w

who had be

come Adrian Blackwoo

with an expression Isabell

reful around him,

noti

n't think

what she meant, Margaret

s not a man who

meone h

's face

looked as though

she close

inside,

ust want to

atever you discover about the people in this house,

ore Isabella could

mething slipped from

otog

aceup on th

a'

didn't

a picke

s old, its edges

oman with long dark hair. His arm was wrapped around her

g smile she had come

al s

hat reache

otograph, someone had

r, my

heart beg

he same woman whose portrait h

ace had been deli

he photograp

itten beneath

ine Bl

examine it further, a

it

ood ra

ood a few

s usual expression o

ked fu

ury was something

e

lackwo

put it

hotograph on the

with a hand that w

e stared at the

ooked at

ch did

he phot

se has

bod

re ly

m n

ped tow

ow who tha

ine Bla

d the name, his fac

diately regre

l she had to tilt her he

ly. You will never sp

hy

e she i

truck her l

a stare

ow

s becam

ne of your

he you

nce answ

's breat

e photograph ha

ay he held the pictu

he sti

ill her?" Isab

closed around

your

ut

G

nd ran towar

until she reache

ding beside the fountain, staring at the photograph

Isabella understood

yone feared was

as b

ood Manor, someone knew exa

garden long after Isa

Catherine's

emember the day

laug

arm h

ugh he were a good man, even when he

ered the night

bl

pty be

had arrived th

ooking

r believed

ve

he was gone, and every lead

, he had

he had puni

e had become the very man Cath

closed

you?" he

garden entrance ca

neath the shado

ir

the photograph

t is

mething you

d and handed him

urn ad

igna

name written a

pene

a single sh

e w

IVE. STOP

onds, Adrian co

the mess

third

ed around the paper

livered

ir. It was left a

he

ely twenty

lifted

ut who

eady inves

g examined. Every visitor identified. Every employee questioned. I want to know

s,

l hes

e's someth

looked

ha

ay be connecte

ch w

l swa

Isab

den fel

expressio

pla

your household. We assumed it was connected to the debt negotiation. But

made

ll tracing

ared at t

d been wat

atherine might

ranged for Isabell

, where a single light bur

lla's

drian wondered whether she had truly been

en sent to him for an

w tigh

ng about Isabella'

el n

Dan

s,

essage says before I know who se

ed his hea

own at the pape

IVE. STOP

d been built aroun

was telling

o knew whe

ho knew h

had brought Isabella int

the message i

, Isabella?"

d her bedroom door, her hand p

ersation to understand that the

ckwood might

sent Adria

n name had become p

indow and looked ou

od Manor as a sacrifice

ot remain a hel

xplain why Adrian Blackwood had beco

truth destro