Chapter 5: What Was Left Behind
The door opened three inches.
Darius froze.
A cold draft slipped through the gap, lifting the edges of Camille's gown.
Nobody in the ballroom spoke.
Then the door opened another inch.
Darius pushed it wider.
“Stay behind me.””
Zoe immediately moved beside him.
Camille grabbed her arm.
“No.””
Zoe pulled away.
“I want to see.””
Darius held out his hand.
“Zoe, stay with me.””
She took it.
Together they looked inside.
The room beyond was almost completely dark.
Only a narrow strip of chandelier light reached the marble threshold.
There were no windows.
No furniture.
No child.
Darius stepped inside.
“Amara?””
Silence.
He switched on the wall light.
Nothing.
Just an old private room filled with covered furniture and dusty paintings.
Camille remained at the doorway.
Marcus followed Darius.
Darius turned.
“Search it.””
Marcus nodded.
Zoe squeezed Darius's hand.
“She was here.””
“How do you know?””
“I heard her.””
Darius looked around.
A small wooden chair sat in the corner.
On it was a child's blue ribbon.
Zoe pointed.
“That's hers.””
Darius picked it up.
“How do you know?””
“I saw her wearing one like that.””
Camille suddenly whispered, “Don't touch it.””
Darius looked back.
“Why?””
Camille's face had gone pale.
“That room wasn't supposed to be opened.””
Darius walked toward her.
“Why?””
She stepped backward.
“Because everything inside was sealed.””
“By who?””
“My father.””
Darius stopped.
“Your father?””
Camille nodded.
“He knew.””
“What did he know?””
“That Amara wasn't dead.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Marcus stared at Camille.
“You said she died.””
“She was supposed to.””
Darius's voice dropped.
“Supposed to?””
Camille looked down.
“I was seventeen. I made a mistake.””
“You were seventeen?””
She nodded.
“And you had a child?””
“No.””
Darius waited.
Camille finally whispered:
“Amara wasn't mine.””
Darius frowned.
“Then why were you involved?””
Camille looked at the blue ribbon.
“Because her mother asked me to protect her.””
“Who was her mother?””
Camille's eyes met his.
“She was your wife.””
Darius stopped breathing.
The words made no sense.
“My wife?””
Camille nodded.
“Before me.””
Marcus suddenly moved toward Camille.
“You promised you'd never tell him.””
“I can't keep lying anymore.””
Darius looked at Marcus.
“Was I married?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Yes.””
“To whom?””
Camille's voice was barely audible.
“Her name was Naomi.””
Darius shook his head.
“I've never heard that name.””
“You were supposed to forget it.””
“Why?””
Camille pointed toward his temple.
“Because after the fire, you were injured.””
Darius touched the side of his head.
A strange pressure pulsed behind his eyes.
For one second, he heard a child's laugh.
Then a woman's voice.
Darius, take her.
He stumbled.
Zoe grabbed him.
“Are you okay?””
He looked at her.
“I heard something.””
Camille whispered, “Don't fight it.””
Darius stared at her.
“What did you do?””
“I didn't erase your memory.””
“Then who did?””
Camille looked toward the ceiling.
“My father arranged it.””
Marcus cursed under his breath.
Darius walked deeper into the room.
On the far wall hung a large portrait.
He pulled away the protective cloth.
Underneath was a photograph.
A woman stood beside a young Darius.
She was holding a baby.
Darius stared.
His fingers began shaking.
He didn't know her.
But his body did.
His chest tightened.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
“Naomi.””
Camille closed her eyes.
Darius looked at the baby.
“Amara.””
Marcus nodded.
Darius touched the glass.
Then something fell from behind the frame.
A small envelope.
His name was written on it.
But this time the handwriting was his.
He opened it.
Inside was a single sentence.
*If I ever forget Naomi, the child, or the night of the fire, do not let Camille tell me the truth.*
Darius slowly turned toward Camille.
She was crying.
“You wrote that,” she whispered.
“I know.””
“No.””
Darius looked at the paper.
“You knew I would forget.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Camille couldn't answer.
From somewhere inside the room came a soft child's voice.
Not from behind the door.
Not from the hallway.
From directly behind Darius.
“Because you asked her to make you forget.””
Darius spun around.
Nobody was there.
Zoe stared at the empty corner.
Then she pointed toward the floor.
A small shadow moved beneath the old wooden chair.
And something rolled out into the light.
A child's bracelet.
May you like
Engraved with one name:
*NAOMI.*
