THE HEIR'S AGONY TRIAL BY FIRE

Clara's diary

Aidan sat at the edge of his bed, the diary trembling in his hands. The quiet hum of the apartment surrounded him, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside. He stared at the worn leather cover, his mother’s initials faintly imprinted on the corner.

He had promised himself he wouldn’t invade her privacy again, but the discovery of William Cross had changed everything.

"Just one entry," Aidan muttered, convincing himself. "Just enough to understand."

The first page was dated nearly two decades ago, written in Clara’s neat, deliberate handwriting.

“Today was my first day at the Cross estate. The house is enormous—like something out of a dream. The staff seems kind enough, though they keep their distance. I hope I made the right decision coming here.”

Aidan’s eyes flicked to the next entry, curiosity pulling him deeper.

“Mrs. Cross is strict but fair. I keep my head down and do my work. William… I’ve seen him only once so far. He was in the library, surrounded by books. He didn’t even glance my way. Not that I expected him to.”

As the pages turned, Clara’s tone softened, shifting from cautious optimism to something warmer, more vulnerable.

“William spoke to me today. I was cleaning the study when he came in. He smiled and asked my name. I could barely speak. He’s… different than I imagined. Kinder.”

Aidan’s throat tightened. He could almost hear his mother’s voice in the words, youthful and full of quiet hope.

By the time Clara reached the middle of the diary, her entries grew more personal.

“We’ve been meeting in secret. It feels like something out of a storybook, but I know it’s dangerous. He told me today that he wished things were different, that his family didn’t dictate every aspect of his life. I wanted to believe him. I still do.”

Aidan frowned, flipping the page. The next entry was smudged, as though tears had fallen on the ink.

“They found out. His father called me into the drawing room and told me I had no place in their world. He didn’t yell. He didn’t need to. His words cut deeper than any shout ever could. He said if I cared for William, I’d leave before I ruined his life.”

The knot in Aidan’s stomach tightened. The idea of his mother being humiliated, torn apart by people who saw her as less, filled him with anger.

He kept reading, the entries growing darker.

“William promised he would fight for me, for us. But his father is powerful, Aidan. He controls everything, even William. I can see the fear in his eyes. I don’t blame him for it, but it hurts all the same.”

The final entry hit like a hammer.

“William promised he would come back. He kissed me and told me to wait. But I should have known better. People like me don’t get happy endings.”

Aidan stared at the page, the words blurring as emotions flooded through him. Anger. Sadness. Betrayal.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered to no one.

The next morning, Clara found him at the kitchen table, the diary in front of him.

“You read it,” she said, her voice tight.

“I had to,” Aidan said, meeting her gaze. “You left me no choice.”

Clara’s hands trembled as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why?” Aidan’s voice rose. “So I could keep living in the dark? Pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t?”

Clara’s eyes filled with tears. “You don’t understand, Aidan. I was trying to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” he demanded. “The truth? My father? The Cross family? What are you so afraid of?”

Clara slammed her hand on the table, startling him. “You think this is about fear? This is about survival! You have no idea what they’re capable of. What they did to me…”

Her voice cracked, and she looked away, tears streaming down her face.

Aidan softened slightly but pressed on.

“Mom, I need to know. Who was William, really? What happened to him?”

Clara wiped her tears, her voice barely above a whisper. “He was the only man I ever loved. But love wasn’t enough. His father made sure of that.”

“What did he do?”

“He threatened me. Threatened you. Said if I didn’t leave, he’d make sure we both paid the price. William tried to stop him, but… he wasn’t strong enough.”

Aidan leaned forward. “Do you think he ever looked for you? For me?”

Clara shook her head. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to know. That part of my life is over.”

“Not for me,” Aidan said firmly. “I have to find him.”

Clara’s eyes widened in panic. “No. Aidan, listen to me. The Cross family is dangerous. They’ll destroy you, just like they tried to destroy me.”

“I can’t live my life wondering what could have been,” Aidan said. “I need answers, Mom.”

That evening, Aidan sat in his room, staring at the diary. His mother’s warnings echoed in his mind, but his resolve was stronger.

The initials W.C. were etched into his thoughts. William Cross wasn’t just a name anymore. He was a man, a mystery, and possibly the key to everything Aidan had ever wondered about himself.

He pulled out his laptop and began searching. The Cross family’s legacy was easy to find—wealth, power, and scandal followed them like a shadow. But there was no mention of William.

“Where are you?” Aidan muttered, scrolling through endless articles.

His search led him to an archived newspaper article about the Cross estate being sold years ago. A single line caught his attention: The sale follows the sudden disappearance of William Cross, the family’s youngest heir.

Aidan’s heart raced.

The chapter ends with Aidan making a decision. He picks up the phone and dials a number he found in the article—a reporter who once covered the Cross family’s scandals.

“Hello?” a gruff voice answers.

“I need information about William Cross,” Aidan says.

The line goes silent for a moment before the voice responds, “You’re either very brave or very stupid to go looking for him.”