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홈 / Romance / Return Of The Betrayed Heiress / Chapter 14: The First Strike

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Chapter 14: The First Strike

작가: LORI D. LEE
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-08-19 22:13:47

Emelda's POV

I couldn’t wait for Monday to arrive. By the time the clock struck nine, I was already standing at the doors of Hunter & Associates, heart beating faster than my steps.

The morning sun painted sharp lines across the polished floors. Each click of my heels against the marble wasn’t just noise—it was purpose, determination, and the weight of everything I will fight to reclaim.

Bernard Hunter rose from behind his mahogany desk as his secretary announced my arrival. Sixty-three years old, silver-haired, and sharp as a blade. The kind of lawyer who charged by the thought, not the hour.

"Miss Jones." He extended his hand. "I've been waiting for this call."

"You knew this day would come?"

"Your mother briefed me after the gala." His smile was predatory. "Shall we begin?"

I placed my laptop on his desk and opened it. File after file appeared on the screen. Financial records. Timestamped emails. Strategic documents bearing my digital signature.

Bernard leaned forward, his eyes sc
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  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Chapter 68: The Honeymoon Revelation

    "Not one," I said honestly. "Everything I went through led me here. To you. To this life. I wouldn’t change any of it."He kissed my temple. "Good. Because you’re stuck with me now.""Promise?""Promise."***Three days later, we landed in Tuscany.The villa Smith had rented sat high on a hill, overlooking miles of green vineyards. Cypress trees lined the driveway, tall and still against the orange glow of sunset. Everything looked painted in gold. Like a dream I didn’t want to wake from."This is incredible," I breathed as we stepped onto the terrace.Smith came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Wait until you see the sunrise."We spent the first two days doing nothing but being together. Sleeping in. Making love. Eating pasta and drinking wine on the terrace while the world around us slowed to a whisper.On the third morning, I woke before Smith. Soft light slipped through the curtains. I slid out of bed quietly, pulled on one of his shirts, and made my way to the

  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Chapter 67: The Wedding Day

    The morning of my wedding arrived with soft golden light filtering through the curtains of my childhood bedroom. I woke slowly, peacefully, with none of the anxiety I'd expected. Just a quiet certainty settling in my chest.Today, I was marrying Smith Robinson.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts."Come in."My mother entered, already dressed in an elegant champagne gown. Her hair was styled perfectly, but her eyes were soft. Vulnerable in a way I rarely saw."Good morning, darling." She sat on the edge of my bed. "How are you feeling?""Strangely calm."She smiled. "That's how you know it's right."We sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Then she reached for my hand."I need to tell you something," she said quietly. "Before the day gets away from us."I turned to face her fully. "What is it?""I'm proud of you." Her voice caught slightly. "Not because you're marrying well or because you rebuilt your reputation. But because you survived something that would have destro

  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Chapter 66: The Final Confrontation

    The call came at seven in the evening. Right when the bridal shower was in full swing.I was standing in the garden with a glass of champagne I hadn't touched. Around me, women laughed and clinked glasses. Helen was the center of attention near the fountain. Telling some elaborate story that had everyone doubled over. My mother sat with a group of older guests. Her smile soft and proud.Then my phone buzzed in my clutch.Unknown number. I almost dismissed it. But something made me look closer at the area code. It was from upstate. Near the federal correctional facility.My heart dropped.I stepped away from the crowd. Moved toward the far edge of the garden where the string lights didn't quite reach. My thumb hovered over the screen.Answer or ignore?Every logical part of me screamed to let it go to voicemail. But curiosity, or maybe something deeper, made me press accept."Hello?"There was a pause. Static crackled faintly on the line. Then a voice I hadn't heard in months."Emelda.

  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Chapter 65: The Bridal Shower

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