Enemies In The Bloodline

The photograph refused to leave Clara's mind.

It sat on her desk, untouched since she found it. The baby in the photo—her—was unmistakable, wrapped in a soft blanket with a birthmark just under the left ear. But the woman behind her? She had never seen that face before.

Not Diane. Not a nurse. Not someone who belonged to the family.

So who was she?

And more importantly—why was this photo delivered now?

Clara paced her room, the edges of her silk robe trailing behind her. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, rain pattering lightly against the balcony windows. It felt like even the sky was holding its breath.

Her phone vibrated again.

> Unknown: The photo is just the beginning. Keep digging. You've only scratched the surface.

Her fingers trembled as she read the message.

Keep digging?What!!!

She opened her drawer and pulled out a small, leather-bound notebook she'd started ever since her return. She wrote down the clue:

"Unknown woman in baby photo – time stamp says July 20, 2004. Location unknown."

Then underlined it twice.

---

The next morning, Clara made her way to the family archives. Hidden behind a false panel in Marcus's study, the Lockwood records dated back three generations—business contracts, birth certificates, and most importantly, adoption records.

She found hers tucked between two dusty files.

Her birth certificate confirmed her birth name: Clara Vivienne Lockwood. But the adoption forms were blacked out—heavily redacted.

There was a note stapled to the last page.

> "Filed privately by House Counsel under pressure. No further inquiry advised."

Her eyes narrowed. That wasn't just odd. That was a cover-up.

Just then, she heard footsteps. She quickly tucked the files back into place.

Vivienne entered the study, smiling gently. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Just wanted to look through some old family records," Clara replied smoothly.

Vivienne paused, then stepped closer. "There's something I haven't told you."

Clara's heartbeat kicked up.

Vivienne looked down at her hands. "When you were born… there was someone in the hospital who tried to claim you weren't safe. A woman. She worked in records, we think. She disappeared soon after you were taken."

"Do you know her name?" Clara asked, careful to hide the urgency in her tone.

Vivienne shook her head. "Just a blurry ID—surname started with 'R.' But why?"

Clara thought of the woman in the photo. The unknown text. The secrecy.

"No reason," she said. "Just… curious."

---

Meanwhile, at the Quinns' modest home—Diane was pacing the kitchen, her face pale. Greg sat at the table, nursing a drink.

"I told you this would happen," Diane hissed. "She's back. And she knows. Look what came in the mail today."

She slammed down a photo.

Clara.

At the press conference.

"She's going public with everything. We're done if she digs deeper."

Greg grunted. "Then maybe it's time we remind her that some truths… aren't worth knowing."

Diane's eyes flashed. "Are you suggesting—?"

"I'm suggesting we make sure she doesn't destroy what we built."

---

Back at the Lockwood estate, Clara attended her second board meeting.

Adam was cool, distant—but more cautious this time. The board was starting to shift. Her sharp insights and Marcus's unwavering support had begun to earn respect. Slowly, the tide was turning in her favor.

After the meeting, a woman approached her—an older board member named Elise Wren.

"You've got fire in you," she said. "You remind me of your grandmother."

Clara blinked. "You knew her?"

Elise smiled faintly. "Vivienne's mother? Of course. A storm in pearls, that woman. But even she would've struggled against what you're walking into."

"What do you mean?"

Elise leaned in. "This company has two enemies. The ones in the media… and the ones who share your blood."

She walked away before Clara could respond.

---

That night, Clara stood on the balcony outside her room, wind tugging at her hair.

The message. The photo. The warning from Elise. Her own reflection staring back in the glass.

Enemies in the bloodline.

Not just the Quinns. Not just Adam.

But someone else.

Someone who never wanted her to come back at all.