Chapter 20 - A Mysterious Final Warning Arrives At The Gate
Late one peaceful Friday evening, after the estate settled into deep slumber, a sharp knock echoed against the front oak door. Edward walked down the dim hallway, opening the heavy panels to find an empty porch and a plain black envelope.
There was no postmark, no return address, and no shipping label—just a wax seal bearing an unfamiliar family crest. He brought it inside the study, slicing open the heavy paper wrapping with a silver letter opener.
Inside rested an old, dust-covered photograph showing a baby wrapped in a hospital blanket alongside a stranger's birth certificate. Across the bottom of the photo, handwritten in bold red ink, was a message that sent ice through his veins:
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“Victoria was only testing the waters. The real heir to the estate is coming home to claim what is rightfully his.”
Before Edward could process the terrifying revelation, his secure phone buzzed violently with an encrypted alert from the front gate camera...
