*******The alley reeked of stale beer and desperation. Jullie, dressed in a nondescript jacket she usually reserved for weekend errands, clutched her worn leather briefcase tighter. Beside her, Dante moved with a quiet alertness, his eyes scanning the shadows, his posture relaxed yet coiled."Are you sure about this guy, Dante?" Jullie murmured, keeping her voice low. "Meeting a disbarred accountant who might have cooked Daniel's books in a place like this…""He's spooked," Dante replied, his gaze flicking towards a flickering neon sign across the street. "Lost his license, did time. Thinks Daniel Orlov – Stadler – will come after him if he talks. Wouldn't meet anywhere public. He handled some of the early shell company transfers jullie identified. Might confirm the forgery."A figure detached itself from the wall deeper in the alley. Gaunt, with darting eyes and a nervous twitch. He shuffled towards them, glancing over his shoulder."You got the… incentive?" the man rasped, his voi
***The screen of the video call showed Jullie and Dante side-by-side in what looked like a cluttered office, stacks of files surrounding them. Jane and Diego sat opposite them in the quiet study, the atmosphere a stark contrast to the determined energy radiating from the investigators."Okay, let's dive in," Jullie said, adjusting her glasses. "We've been pulling every thread you asked us to, using the resources Diego provided. It's… a lot."Dante leaned forward. "Starting with the fire at your parents' house, Jane. The official report listed it as accidental, faulty wiring. We revisited the scene logs, spoke to the original fire marshal – off the record, of course. There were anomalies. Faster spread than expected for an electrical fire of that type. Witnesses reported a strong chemical smell *before* the fire really took hold, something that wasn't adequately explained in the report."Jane felt a cold knot form in her stomach. Faulty wiring. That's what they had told her. An *accid
The air in the executive boardroom was thick with hushed anticipation and the scent of expensive coffee. Jane sat at the massive, polished table, surrounded by faces that had, until recently, only existed in financial reports and organizational charts. Diego sat beside her, his presence a silent anchor, observing the room with an almost imperceptible intensity.Across the table sat Sylvia Vance, Head of Corporate Strategy. Her gaze, cool and sharp, was fixed on Jane. The quarterly projections presentation had just wrapped up, and the floor was open for discussion."Ms. stadlar," Sylvia began, her voice smooth but edged with a subtle challenge, "while your… re-entry… has been widely publicized, I must admit some confusion. Your role was initially described as an assistant to Mr. Orlov. Yet, you've been attending high-level strategy meetings, reviewing sensitive financial data, and your name has appeared on internal memos regarding future acquisitions." She paused, letting her words han
.The heavy curtains in the study were drawn, but even through the thick fabric, Jane felt the pressure of the world outside. She stood by the window, her fingers tracing the patterned velvet, trying to block out the imagined clicks of cameras and the whispers she knew were happening everywhere.Diego watched her from the large leather chair behind the desk. The silence in the room was tense, broken only by the distant hum of the estate."They're everywhere," Jane said finally, her voice quiet, almost a whisper. "Every channel, every paper. 'Jane stadlar Revealed.' 'Orlov Heiress Returns from the Dead.' They pick apart everything. What I wore, how I looked… they even have 'experts' analyzing my 'body language' in court."Diego sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Jane. Sylvia's team is working overtime. Claire's been incredible, doing interviews, talking about your strength, about fighting for justice.""And Daniel and Lucy?" Her voice hardened. "They're calling me a frau
Daniel & Lucy (estate, Crestwell City) The silence in the penthouse was loud. Rain splattered lightly against the glass as Lucy closed the door to Nathaniel’s empty room. She lingered there, staring at the little dinosaur plush toy on the shelf, her nails biting into her palm. “Do you think he misses us?” she asked, her voice soft and hollow. Daniel, seated on the couch with his tie loose and his phone untouched beside him, didn’t look up. “It’s been two weeks.” “That’s not an answer.” Daniel rubbed his temples. “We made the right choice, Lucy. He’s safe in the UK. Far from all this.” “All what?” Her voice cracked, sharp now. “Far from his mother’s shadow? Or far from the mess we created?” He turned toward her, finally. “You want him here? In this circus?” “I want to stop pretending like we didn’t throw our own son into exile because we’re afraid o
The courtroom smelled of old paper and newer tension.Jane sat straight-backed in the wooden seat, her palms sweaty against the fabric of her skirt. Beside her, Jullie shuffled a stack of documents with quiet purpose, her lips pursed, heels crossed neatly beneath the table. The room wasn’t full, but the presence of reporters from outside, along with Orlov’s legal counsel and a few curious spectators, made the air feel tight, dense with anticipation.On the bench, the judge adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “We are here today to review Petition 08-9342, regarding the reversal of a previously issued Certificate of Death, bearing the name—” she looked up at Jane, “—Jane Francisca Stadler.”Jane’s breath hitched in her throat. That name hadn’t been spoken in a courtroom in over six years. Not without “deceased” beside it.Jullie stood. “Your Honor, we’ve submitted full medical records from multiple institutions, DNA verification,
The courthouse was a monolith of glass and steel, an impersonal beast swallowing stories whole. Jane stood in the hallway outside Hearing Room 2C, clutching the lapels of her blazer like armor. Her eyes flicked across the waiting benches where whispers slithered between reporters and interns, all pretending not to recognize her.She wasn’t a secret anymore — Jane Stadler was alive, but the law had yet to catch up with the truth.Inside the hearing room, the buzz of tension settled like static against her skin. Jullie stood at her side, chin high, expression carved in marble."Try not to let the prosecutor’s face fool you," Jullie muttered under her breath. "He’s paid to look constipated."Jane stifled a smile.Across the aisle, the public prosecutor, Harris Wren, was already flipping through Jane’s file like it insulted his intelligence. Silver-haired and sour, he tapped the paper slowly and looked up at the judge.“With all due respect, Your Honor, we cannot simply erase a legal deat
The corridor leading to the public records office smelled of stale air and forgotten stories. Jane walked slowly, her steps measured, yet her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The fluorescent lights buzzed above her head. Each flicker echoed the pounding in her chest. Behind her, Jullie walked with a crisp, professional pace, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor like a metronome keeping time with Jane's dread.The receptionist barely looked up. “Name?”Jullie answered before Jane could. “Jane fransica Stadler.”There was a pause — not of recognition, but of confusion. The receptionist’s fingers stilled above the keyboard. “You must be mistaken.”“I’m her attorney,” Jullie said, sliding a folder across the counter. “We’re here to begin the process of correcting an erroneous death registration.”The woman stared at Jane. “That’s… not possible.”“It is,” Jullie replied coolly. “Rare, but not impossible.”They were sent to a back room, where a thin man with wire-rim glasses
"Surprise? For me?" Jane blinked in disbelief, looking between Dante and Diego. She followed Dante up the stairs, heart racing. Something about his expression—like he was barely holding back a grin—told her this wasn’t just some casual shit, what could it be , she wondered When they got to her door, Dante stepped aside. “Go on,” he said, lips twitching.Jane opened the door—and before she could even process what was happening, someone jumped out from behind the curtain."JULIEEEEEEE!" she screamed, eyes wide in total shock.Julie, her childhood best friend, flung her arms open and caught her in a tight hug. The two of them twirled around the room, squealing and laughing like teenagers, overwhelmed with joy.Jane jumped, danced, her hands clutched tightly in Julie's. “I can’t believe this—how are you even here?!”Julie was laughing, tears in her eyes. “Diego, that fool, finally reached out to me last week. Do you know I almost passed out when he said you were alive?! I dropped everyth