Chapter 5 — The Enemy Behind the Smile
Chapter 5 — The Enemy Behind the Smile
The message sat on Alexander Hawthorne’s desk for nearly an hour.
“The past always returns.”
Five simple words.
But they carried the weight of twelve years of pain.
Alexander had faced business rivals, lawsuits, and public attacks before.
He knew how to handle pressure.
He knew how to negotiate.
He knew how to win.
But this was different.
This was personal.
He picked up the envelope again, carefully examining it.
No fingerprints.
No return address.
No clues.
Whoever had left it wanted him to know one thing.
They could reach him whenever they wanted.
And that frightened him more than the threat itself.
In the private family room, Eleanor sat quietly while Clara poured her tea.
The older woman had always been known for her calm nature.
Even during difficult moments, she carried herself with dignity.
But today, Clara noticed something different.
Eleanor looked tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
“Eleanor,” Clara said softly, “are you alright?”
The elderly woman looked at her.
“You are very observant.”
“I’ve worked around people for years. You learn to notice things.”
Eleanor smiled.
“That is a valuable skill.”
Clara hesitated.
“Can I ask about Thomas?”
The smile disappeared from Eleanor’s face.
Clara immediately regretted asking.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No,” Eleanor interrupted gently.
“You deserve to know why this matters.”
She looked toward the garden outside.
“Thomas was my youngest son.”
Her voice became softer.
“He was kind. Gentle. Different from Alexander.”
“How?”
“Alexander always carried responsibility. Even as a child, he felt like he had to protect everyone.”
She smiled sadly.
“Thomas was the opposite. He believed people should be free to choose their own path.”
Clara listened carefully.
“What happened to him?”
Eleanor was silent for several seconds.
Then she answered.
“He disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“No one knows where he went?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“The official story was that he left the country. That he wanted a new life.”
“But you don’t believe that?”
Eleanor looked down.
“No mother believes her child simply vanishes.”
Before Clara could respond, Alexander entered the room.
He had heard the last sentence.
“Mother.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“Alexander.”
He walked closer.
“We don’t need to discuss this.”
“Why?”
His expression tightened.
“Because reopening old wounds won’t bring him back.”
Eleanor looked at her son.
“And pretending they don’t exist won’t make them disappear.”
The silence between them revealed years of unresolved pain.
Clara stepped back slightly.
She realized this family had been carrying a burden for a long time.
Later that afternoon, Alexander called his security team into the main office.
“We need to increase protection around the palace,” he said.
His head of security, Marcus Reed, nodded.
“Because of the stolen files?”
“And because someone entered my office.”
Marcus frowned.
“That’s impossible. The security system showed no breach.”
“Then find out why.”
Marcus studied Alexander’s expression.
“Do you think Victoria did this?”
Alexander looked out the window.
“Victoria is dangerous because she believes she is untouchable.”
“But?”
“But she’s not the only person involved.”
Marcus understood.
“You think someone else is helping her.”
Alexander nodded.
“Yes.”
Meanwhile, Victoria was celebrating.
She believed she had already won.
She sat across from her attorney, Richard Blake, inside a luxury restaurant.
“The Hawthornes are vulnerable,” she said.
Richard carefully reviewed the documents.
“You understand that releasing these could create serious consequences.”
Victoria smiled.
“For them.”
Richard looked uncomfortable.
“Victoria, revenge is rarely as simple as people imagine.”
She laughed.
“You sound like you’re worried.”
“I’m saying powerful families fight back.”
Victoria leaned forward.
“Alexander Hawthorne embarrassed me publicly.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“He made everyone believe I was the villain.”
She tapped the table.
“I don’t forgive humiliation.”
Richard looked at the file again.
“What exactly do you want?”
Victoria smiled.
“I want Alexander to lose everything.”
That evening, Clara noticed something strange.
As she walked through the west hallway, she saw an older portrait hanging on the wall.
It showed the Hawthorne family from years ago.
Alexander.
Eleanor.
And Thomas.
But something caught her attention.
A small detail.
Thomas was wearing a necklace.
The same necklace Eleanor wore every day.
Clara looked closer.
Why would that necklace be important?
Before she could examine it further, Eleanor called her.
“Clara?”
She turned.
“Yes?”
Eleanor looked at the portrait.
“You noticed him.”
Clara glanced back.
“Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“He looked happy.”
Eleanor smiled sadly.
“He was.”
Then Clara noticed something.
“Eleanor… where is his necklace now?”
The elderly woman froze.
For a moment, the hallway became completely silent.
Then Eleanor touched the necklace around her own neck.
“This belonged to Thomas.”
Clara looked surprised.
“But he was wearing it in the picture.”
Eleanor nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“Then how did you get it?”
Eleanor looked away.
“Because someone returned it to me.”
“When?”
“Twelve years ago.”
Clara felt a chill.
“After he disappeared?”
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes.”
The answer raised more questions than it solved.
Before Clara could ask anything else, Alexander appeared at the end of the hallway.
His face changed when he saw what they were discussing.
“Clara.”
She turned.
“Yes, Mr. Hawthorne?”
Alexander looked at the portrait.
Then at his mother’s necklace.
His voice became serious.
“Who told you about the necklace?”
“No one. I just noticed it.”
Alexander walked closer.
“From now on, if you see anything connected to Thomas…”
He paused.
“Come to me first.”
Clara felt confused.
“Why?”
Alexander looked at her.
“Because some secrets are dangerous when discovered by the wrong people.”
At that exact moment, across the city, Victoria received a message.
One sentence.
One name.
“I found him.”
Victoria stared at her phone.
Her smile slowly returned.
May you like
Because the one person who could destroy the Hawthorne family forever…
might not be missing after all.
