Chapter 4 part 4

From the darkness, an unexpected figure emerged-James, arriving with an iron rod in his hand. With lightning speed, he struck the rod against Arthur's hand, successfully knocking the gun to the floor with a loud clang.

"Get out of here!" James shouted, shoving Arthur backward toward the stairs.

Arthur looked utterly shocked by the sudden attack, but he refused to give up. He continued trying to fight back. However, James was quicker in gaining control of the situation. With a few more precise blows, he managed to throw Arthur off balance, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Arthur rolled to the ground floor and lay unconscious.

Evelyn and Alexander stood frozen, their eyes locked on the scene before them, stunned by how quickly everything had unfolded-something they never expected to happen.

"James..." Evelyn finally spoke. "How did you know we were in here?"

James raised his rod and gave a faint smile. "I have my own ways of ensuring you both stay safe."

Alexander stepped forward, approaching Arthur's motionless body to check his condition. Once he was sure there was no immediate danger, he turned to Evelyn. "We don't have much time. Evelyn, grab all the documents from that chest. We need to get out of here before someone else shows up. This place is no longer safe for us."

Evelyn nodded and swiftly followed his instructions. Within minutes, she had secured all the documents in her backpack. Without wasting any more time, they left the house, taking with them the large book and the other important documents they had retrieved.

As they stepped out of Alexander's childhood home, Evelyn felt that their journey was only just beginning. The secrets of the Sterling family had started to unravel, but bigger questions remained-who else was trying to stop them, and how deeply would this truth change everything? Who were the Sterlings in the past that they had to be erased from history? Evelyn suspected that the Sterlings were not ordinary people; they must have wielded extraordinary influence in their time.

The London sky remained shrouded in mist as Evelyn, Alexander, and James finally arrived at Evelyn's flat after a long and grueling journey. They hurried inside, locking the door behind them and drawing the curtains to ensure they weren't being watched. The documents they had retrieved from Highgate were now scattered across the living room table. Evelyn switched on the desk lamp, trying to steady her racing heartbeat after the ordeal at the Sterling family home before she began examining the papers.

"Arthur Wakefield-he must be working for someone," James said as he scrutinized one of the documents. "He was too prepared for our arrival, even bringing a gun. Someone doesn't want this truth to come out, and they're trying to stop us."

Alexander sank into a chair, exhausted. He ran a hand over his face, deep in thought. "Which means we can't trust anyone," he said, exhaling a long breath.

Evelyn took a deep breath and opened the large book belonging to the Sterling family. "We need to know what really happened in the past. What have they been hiding from the world all this time?"

They began flipping through the pages, studying the history that had long been forgotten. The early records listed the names of the Sterling family members across generations. However, the further they read, the clearer it became that something was amiss.

"Look at this," Evelyn pointed to an entry written in faded ink. "This family's name was never supposed to be Sterling. Their real name was... Fairfax."

James frowned. "Fairfax? That sounds like one of the noble families that mysteriously disappeared in the 18th century. There's a theory that they were deliberately wiped out. Maybe that theory was true."

Alexander tapped his fingers on the table. "And now we know why. The Sterling family we know today-they actually took over the Fairfax identity. But how did they manage to do that? What was the connection between these two families in the past?"

Evelyn turned another page and stumbled upon something even more shocking-a letter, old and fragile, written by a man named Edmund Fairfax, dated 1764.

"They came for us in the dead of night. Their ancestors had vowed to protect us, but now they have betrayed our trust. They slaughtered us. I am the only one left. If you are reading this, know that our bloodline still exists. And the truth must never be forgotten."

Evelyn looked at Alexander seriously. "This means there's a high chance that the Fairfax bloodline still survives. They weren't completely wiped out."

Alexander's face paled. "But if that's true, then I..."

James finished his sentence. "Then you might not be the rightful heir of the Sterling family."

That night, Alexander made the decision to dig deeper into his family's secrets. With Evelyn and James by his side, they scoured digital archives and historical records, reading and taking notes on every piece of information they could find. After several hours, they finally uncovered something that changed everything-there was still one person alive, someone who likely carried the true Fairfax bloodline.

"Charlotte Fairfax," Evelyn whispered as she read the article on her laptop screen. "She's almost eighty years old. She lives in Bath."

Alexander stared at the screen, his expression unreadable. "If she is the true heir... then this family's legacy doesn't belong to me, and I have to give everything up to her."

James placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it's time we hear the truth from the source."

Evelyn nodded in agreement. "We need to find Charlotte Fairfax as soon as possible. She might be the only one who can fill in the missing pieces of this story. Only then can we understand what really happened between these two families."

But before they could make plans for their trip to Bath, the sudden ringing of Alexander's phone shattered the silence. He picked it up, staring at the unknown number flashing on the screen. After a moment's hesitation, he answered the call.

"Alexander Sterling," a low, deliberate voice spoke on the other end. "I know you're searching for the truth about your family. If you want to know everything... come to St. Paul's Cathedral tomorrow night. Alone."

The call ended before Alexander could respond.

Evelyn and James exchanged uneasy glances. "Who was that?" James asked.

Alexander stared at his phone, the black screen reflecting his troubled expression. His mind raced.

"I don't know," he finally said. "But they know what we're doing. And they're waiting for me tomorrow night."