Owned by the devil’s heir - by Sewuese Adason

Chapter One: The Invitation The rain began just before sunset. By the time Elena stepped off the overcrowded bus, the streets had become rivers of mud. She pulled her faded hoodie over her head, though it did little to stop the cold drops soaking through her clothes. Her phone vibrated. Hospital Reminder: Outstanding Balance Due. She closed her eyes. The amount was more than she could earn in six months. Her mother’s treatment had already been delayed twice. If she didn’t find money soon… She couldn’t think about it. Not now. As she reached her tiny apartment, something white caught her attention. An envelope rested neatly against her front door. There was no stamp. No sender’s address. Only her name written in elegant black ink. Miss Elena Hart. Her heartbeat quickened. She looked up and down the empty hallway. Nothing. She picked up the envelope. The paper felt unusually thick, almost expensive. Inside was a single sheet. ⸻ Miss Elena Hart, Your employment application has been accepted. Position: Personal Housekeeper. Residence: Blackwood Estate. Monthly Salary: $15,000. Accommodation and meals included. Transportation will arrive tomorrow evening. Failure to arrive will be considered a rejection of this offer. —Blackwood Estate ⸻ Elena frowned. She had never applied for any job called Blackwood Estate. Yet beneath the letter was another piece of paper. It was her résumé. The exact résumé she had submitted online weeks ago. Only one thing had been changed. Across the top, someone had written in red ink— Chosen. A chill crawled down her spine. The lights in the hallway flickered. Once. Twice. Then everything went dark. She froze. Silence. Not the peaceful kind. The kind that made the air feel heavy. A whisper drifted behind her. “…Come…” Elena spun around. The hallway was empty. Her breathing became uneven. “It’s just stress,” she whispered. She locked herself inside the apartment and bolted the door. ⸻ That night she barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she dreamed of a mansion standing beneath a blood-red moon. Someone watched her from an upstairs window. She could never see the face. Only glowing eyes. Then came the voice. “You’re late.” She woke with a scream. Her alarm read 3:33 a.m. Outside her bedroom window stood a black raven. It stared directly at her. Without moving. Without blinking. When she opened the curtain wider— It flew away. ⸻ The following evening, a sleek black car stopped outside her apartment building exactly at seven o’clock. The driver stepped out. He wore black gloves and a perfectly tailored suit. “I’ve come for Miss Elena.” His voice was calm. Professional. As if he expected no questions. She hesitated. “I… I don’t think I’ve accepted the job.” The driver’s expression never changed. “You accepted the moment you opened the letter.” A cold breeze swept past them. The streetlights flickered. Somewhere nearby, a dog began howling. Elena looked back toward her apartment. There was nothing left for her there except unpaid bills, an empty refrigerator, and a mother slipping closer to death with every passing day. She tightened her grip on her small suitcase. “Let’s go.” The driver nodded. As the car pulled away, Elena glanced through the rear window. For a split second, she saw someone standing outside her apartment. A tall figure dressed entirely in black. Watching. The moment she blinked… The figure was gone. The journey lasted nearly three hours. The city lights disappeared, replaced by winding roads lined with ancient trees whose branches intertwined overhead like skeletal fingers. Eventually, towering iron gates appeared. BLACKWOOD ESTATE. The gates opened without anyone touching them. The car rolled slowly toward a mansion so vast it looked less like a home and more like a forgotten castle. No lights shone from the windows. Yet Elena had the unsettling feeling that countless unseen eyes were watching her arrival. The driver opened her door. “Welcome,” he said quietly. Before she could ask where everyone was, the massive front doors creaked open on their own. A deep male voice echoed from somewhere inside the mansion. “At last.” Another voice followed, softer but even more unsettling. “Our future has finally arrived.” Elena’s pulse hammered in her ears. She took one cautious step over the threshold. Behind her… The doors slammed shut.

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