The afternoon sun filtered through the dusty windows of Elara's bookstore, casting elongated
shadows that danced across the shelves. She was arranging a display of ancient tomes
when the door creaked open, and a man stepped inside, his presence instantly unsettling.
Dressed in a tailored coat, with sharp features and piercing green eyes, Sebastian Hawke
was not the type of visitor Elara was used to.
"Miss Blackwood," he said, his voice smooth yet filled with urgency. "We need to talk."
Elara raised an eyebrow, glancing around the empty store. "Who are you?"
"Sebastian Hawke, private investigator," he replied, his tone serious. "I'm here about Damien
Voltaire."
Elara's heart sank. "What about him?"
"Please, just hear me out," he urged, stepping closer. "Damien is dangerous. I've been
looking into his past, and what I've found is troubling. Your father was involved in something
much darker than you know."
"What do you mean?" she challenged, her pulse quickening. "Damien has been nothing but
kind to me."
"Kindness can be deceptive," Sebastian countered, his gaze intense. "Your father was linked
to a secret society. They dabbled in the occult, rituals that were said to summon forces
beyond our comprehension. Damien believes your father had a hand in the disappearance
of the woman he loved-someone connected to that society."Elara's chest tightened as she shook her head in disbelief. "You don't know what you're
talking about. My father-he disappeared. That doesn't mean he was involved in anything
sinister."
Sebastian stepped back, frustration flickering in his eyes. "I'm not here to scare you. I'm
trying to protect you. There are forces at play that you cannot begin to understand. I just
want you to be careful."
Elara crossed her arms defensively, but doubt gnawed at her resolve. "Thank you for your
concern, Mr. Hawke, but I can handle myself." With that, she turned away, dismissing him as
she sorted through the books on the table, the weight of his words lingering in the air.
As she worked, the seeds of doubt he had planted began to sprout, twisting and turning in
her mind. Was Damien truly the man he appeared to be? Or was there darkness lurking
beneath his charismatic facade?
YOU ARE READING
The Midnight Oath
RomanceThe story follows Elara Blackwood, a woman burdened by a dark secret, and Damien Voltaire, a mysterious man haunted by his own tragic past. When they meet under the strangest of circumstances, their connection ignites a forbidden passion. But beneat...
