Billionaire's Hidden Desire**

Chapter 50: Shadows of the Past

The air in the house had shifted, a heaviness settling over everything. Lucien stood in the middle of the living room, the distant sound of Blaire’s soft breathing the only thing keeping him grounded. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something dark was looming, something more dangerous than what he had just survived.

The night was quiet—too quiet. Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, the moon casting a ghostly glow over the estate. Lucien’s eyes flicked to the windows, and a shiver crept down his spine. The familiar shadows seemed darker, more menacing, as if they held secrets waiting to be uncovered.

He moved through the house, checking on the security team stationed outside. His mind raced, unable to rest even though Renaud had been taken away. Something still felt wrong. There was a nagging pull at the back of his mind, a whisper of unfinished business.

Upstairs, Ivy was asleep, finally able to rest after the ordeal they’d been through. Her face was peaceful, but Lucien couldn’t help but worry. The doctors’ warning about the drugs she’d been given haunted him. He hadn’t told her everything yet—he couldn’t bear to add more stress to her already fragile state.

As he lingered by the door, his phone buzzed in his pocket. The number was unknown, but he recognized the area code immediately. It was from a place he hadn’t thought about in years. His blood ran cold as he answered.

“Blackwood,” he said, his voice low.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before a familiar voice rasped through the line. “Lucien, it’s been too long.”

Lucien’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice. It belonged to someone he had thought was long gone—someone tied to the darkest part of his past.

“You’ve got some nerve calling me,” Lucien hissed, stepping away from Ivy’s door, his fists clenching at his sides. “What do you want?”

The voice chuckled darkly. “Oh, I think you know exactly what I want. You’ve made enemies, Lucien. And some of them aren’t as forgiving as you’d like to believe.”

Lucien’s jaw tightened. “If you’re working with Renaud, you’re wasting your time. He’s finished.”

“Renaud was just a pawn,” the voice replied, a sinister edge creeping into his tone. “The game is much bigger than you realize. And I’m not playing for him. I’m playing for myself.”

Lucien’s heart pounded in his chest, his instincts screaming at him that this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous. He had buried this part of his life long ago, but now it was clawing its way back into the light.

“You stay the hell away from my family,” Lucien growled, his voice barely controlled. “I’ll end you if you even think about coming near them.”

The voice on the other end laughed, a sound that chilled Lucien to the bone. “Oh, Lucien… this isn’t about your family. It’s about you. You’ve taken something from me, and now, I’m going to take everything from you. Piece by piece.”

The line went dead, leaving Lucien standing in the dark, his pulse racing. He stared at the phone in his hand, the weight of the threat sinking in. Whoever this was, they weren’t just after his business—they were after his soul.

Lucien stormed downstairs, his mind racing. He needed answers, and there was only one person who might know more about this twisted game.

Alessandra.

He found her in the guest room, pacing nervously. When she saw him, her face paled. “Lucien, I swear, I didn’t—”

“Save it,” Lucien snapped, his voice icy. “I don’t care about your excuses. Who else is involved? What aren’t you telling me?”

Alessandra flinched, her eyes wide with fear. “I… I don’t know. I swear, Renaud didn’t tell me everything. He had his own plans, but he wasn’t the mastermind. There’s someone else, but I don’t know who.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes, his patience wearing thin. “You’d better start remembering real fast, Alessandra. Because if you don’t, we’re all going to pay the price.”

“I don’t know!” she cried, her voice shaking. “All I know is that Renaud was afraid—terrified, even. He kept talking about someone from your past, someone dangerous. He wouldn’t say their name, but he said they were coming for you.”

Lucien felt the weight of her words settle over him like a dark cloud. Someone from his past… someone he had tried to forget.

His mind flashed back to the phone call, to the sinister voice that had promised to destroy him. Memories he had buried deep began to surface, memories of a time before Ivy, before his empire. A time when he had made enemies that could never be fully erased.

Lucien turned on his heel, his mind racing. He needed to protect Ivy, Blaire , and his parents. But he also needed to confront this shadow from his past before it consumed everything he loved.

As he stepped out into the hallway, the house suddenly felt colder, the walls closing in around him. The danger wasn’t just outside—it was inside, lurking in the corners of his life, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Lucien had always been a man of control, but now, he felt that control slipping through his fingers. And the worst part was, he didn’t know how to stop it.

All he knew was that the darkness was closing in, and if he didn’t act fast, it would swallow him whole.