Library
Search
Home / Romance / Return Of The Betrayed Heiress / Chapter 31: The Price of Betrayal

Share

Chapter 31: The Price of Betrayal

Author: LORI D. LEE
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-13 03:26:11

"No," I said, my voice calm and sharp as glass. "You loved what I could do for you. There's a difference."

His face twisted. But there was nothing left for him to say. Security flanked him on either side. Guiding him out of the boardroom he once ruled.

The man who had humiliated me, stolen from me, and thought I would stay silent now looked like a ghost of himself. Pale, broken, powerless.

The doors closed behind him with a heavy finality. A sound like the end of an era.

For a moment, I just stood there, breathing in the silence. Margaret placed a hand on my arm. Her expression both proud and unreadable. Smith gave me a slight nod from across the table. The kind of look that said "we did it."

But as the board members filed out, murmuring amongst themselves, the weight of it all sank in. I had won. The empire Allen built on lies and my stolen brilliance now belonged to me.

And yet, instead of the sweet rush of victory, a chill settled deep in my bones.

Because this was only the begin
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter
Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Epilogue 

    Five Years LaterThe morning light poured through the wide glass windows of the Robinson estate, soft and golden, washing over the white marble floors and the laughter echoing through the halls. The sound belonged to a little girl, bright, unrestrained laughter that filled every quiet space with life.“Mommy, look!”Emelda turned from the kitchen island just in time to see her daughter, Clara, rush in holding a small clay figurine shaped like a crown. Her tiny fingers were stained with streaks of blue paint, her curls a wild halo around her face.Smith followed behind her, slower but smiling, a towel in one hand. “We have an artist in the house,” he said. “And a very messy one.”Emelda crouched, wiping a smudge of blue from Clara’s cheek. “You made this yourself?”Clara nodded proudly. “It’s for you. Because you’re a queen.”Emelda’s chest tightened. “A queen?”“Mhm.” Clara grinned, showing the missing tooth that made her lisp a little. “Daddy says you build things. Like queens do. S

  • Return Of The Betrayed Heiress    Chapter 69: The Gold Maker’s Legacy

    One year after the wedding, I stood backstage at the Emelda Robinson Institute for Innovation Protection. I smoothed my dress for the third time. The building rose five stories high, made of glass and steel. Modern. Bright. Everything I had dreamed it would be.“Nervous?” Smith asked, appearing beside me. His hand rested gently on my lower waist.“Terrified,” I admitted.“You’ve spoken to hundreds of people before.”“This is different.” I glanced through the curtain at the crowd gathering in the hall. “This is everything. The foundation. The legal aid services. The educational programs. All of it under one roof.”“Exactly.” He turned me toward him. “This is your legacy, Emelda. Own it.”Jessica poked her head in from the side door. “Five minutes,” she said. “The mayor just arrived, and the press section is filling up fast.”I nodded and took a deep breath.Smith squeezed my hand. “You’ve got this.”The curtains opened. Applause filled the room as I stepped onto the stage. The lights w

  • 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

    The sunlight streaming through the curtains felt almost too bright for how little sleep I'd had. My phone buzzed on the nightstand for the third time that morning, but I didn't move to check it. I lay there for a moment. Staring at the ceiling. The quiet hum of the city faint beyond the glass.Smith's bachelor party had been last night. He'd texted me once before midnight. "Heading home soon. Don't wait up." Short. Simple. The way he always was when he didn't want me to worry. I smiled at the memory of it now. Imagining him surrounded by his friends. Probably laughing for the first time in weeks.It was strange. How calm I felt. For the first time in years, my life wasn't chaos. No scandal. No secrets. No knives waiting in the dark. Just peace. And love that didn't hurt to hold.I sat up slowly. Ran my fingers through my hair. Reached for the phone. Dozens of messages blinked across the screen. Congratulations from friends. And one from Helen Robinson.Helen: Breakfast at the estate.

More Chapters

You may also like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status