The Secrets Of The Missing Heiress

Jasmine's POV

"Boarding pass declined. Please contact the administrator."

I stared at the screen, my mind refusing to process the words.

That couldn't be right.

With less than two hours before departure, my mind raced through every possibility. Nothing could go wrong—not now, not when I was so close to stepping onto that plane and starting what was supposed to be the best chapter of my life.

I hurried toward the International Military Training Campaign representative. My stomach twisted into knots and my hands trembled, but I forced myself to stay calm.

I could fix whatever needed fixing.

Colonel Curtis was standing near the administrative counter.

"Excuse me, Colonel Curtis? There's something wrong with my boarding pass."

He turned toward me, his expression instantly hardening.

"Miss Hayes, I'm surprised you had the nerve to show up after your research was flagged for plagiarism. It's only because of Lieutenant Hayes's involvement that we haven't pursued further disciplinary action."

My brain short-circuited.

"Plagiarism?" The word sounded completely foreign. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but every single piece of work I submitted was my own. I was never even notified—this has to be a mistake!"

My heart slammed against my ribs as Curtis pulled up the flagged file: Combat Training and the Importance of a Well-Balanced Team.

Six months of grueling work—and years of building toward my future—all for a shot at the International Military Training Campaign, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for graduating students.

I had made sure my boyfriend, Ethan, and I met every single requirement. All for a chance to make a real difference.

Losing my spot meant losing the future I'd spent years building.

"Careful where you toss those accusations, Curtis."

Victor and Nathan arrived just in time to hear the exchange.

Victor Hayes a Lieutenant General, stepped forward with an expression that could make an entire room of recruits stand at attention.

Nathan a decorated military surgeon, stood beside him. His usually calm expression had hardened.

They weren't related to me by blood, but they were the closest thing I had to a family.

Victor immediately demanded an explanation, while Nathan asked to see the evidence against me.

Curtis shook his head, refusing to give me a chance to defend myself. According to him, I had been officially notified and failed to provide supporting evidence.

Panicked, I pulled up my inbox to show him I hadn't received a single email from the program board—nothing past the initial boarding pass confirmation.

Hesitating, Curtis stepped aside to call his superior.

That was when I saw them.

Ethan Campbell, my boyfriend, and Vivienne Marsh—an uptight socialite who had arrived at our orphanage two months ago to complete her mandatory community service, right before my emancipation was approved and i moved out.

What were her hands doing draped all over him?

And worse—why was he letting her?

For one foolish second, I wanted him to tell me this was all a misunderstanding. That there was an explanation for Vivienne's hands on him, for the accusation, for the way he refused to meet my eyes.

I would have believed him.

That was the worst part.

The boy who had saved my life when we were children, protected me, and promised we'd travel the world together was now looking at me with pity.

He had seen me walk up, yet he made no move to pull away from her.

Vivienne caught my eye and smiled sweetly.

"Did you really think I'd let you get away with stealing my research, Jasmine? Thankfully, Ethan recognized the paper you submitted and reported it. Otherwise, I would have missed out on the program."

My chest tightened.

Ethan—the boy who had told me he loved me just this morning—had set me up?

"Ethan? You know I wrote that paper myself. You watched me write it!"

My voice cracked.

He avoided my eyes.

Vivienne tightened her grip on his arm, stepping closer.

"Stop looking at my boyfriend. Just because you grew up in an orphanage doesn't mean you can take whatever belongs to someone else."

Nathan stepped forward, noticing my knuckles turning white as I clenched my fists.

I was a second away from slapping the smile off her face.

"Careful there, Miss Marsh," Nathan warned, his tone icy. " Show some proof before you make accusations."

I touched Nathan's arm to hold him back, then turned to Ethan, desperately searching his face for any sign that this was a sick joke.

"What is she talking about, Ethan? Do I mean that little to you? Say something!"

For a second, he hesitated.

Then his features settled into a look of condescending sympathy.

"Jasmine," he said softly, as if explaining something to an unruly child. "You have to accept that we're over. You can't keep pretending we're still together."

He hadn't even told me we were breaking up, and now he was acting as though I was deluded?

Nearby, several recruits had their phones raised, recording the scene.

Ethan knew how much I loathed public attention, yet here he was, actively humiliating me in front of everyone.

I turned back to Colonel Curtis.

"I have proof the work is mine—drafts, interview transcripts, video logs, timestamped files. Whatever you need, I can show you."

I pulled out my phone and logged into my cloud storage, only to freeze.

Every single file was gone.

Cleared out.

I forced my face to stay completely blank as I looked up at Ethan.

He looked away.

Vivienne's smile broadened.

It burned.

Ethan had access to my primary drives. If he'd given Vivienne my work, he could have deleted the files too.

The thought made my stomach turn.

A plagiarism charge wouldn't just ban me from this program; it could ruin my academic and professional record permanently.

"What's the matter, Jasmine? Giving up so soon?" Vivienne mocked when she noticed I had stopped tapping my screen.

Ethan shifted uncomfortably, keeping a casual hand resting on Vivienne's waist.

"Come on, Jasmine. We can still be friends. Besides, you're managing my investment funds. It would be awkward if this ruined our friendship, right?"

He offered me a small, reassuring smile.

"I love you, Jasmine. Just not like that anymore. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Something cold and clear settled over my mind.

He actually expected me to continue managing his money while he traveled the world with another woman.

He was my oldest friend, my confidant, my savior, and the person I loved.

But loving him didn't mean taking his abuse.

Without breaking eye contact, I opened my financial management app, pulled up his portfolio, and revoked my authorized access.

I took screenshots of the system logs, ensuring I had proof of the exact moment I stepped down so he couldn't accuse me of financial negligence later.

"There," I said coldly. "You can manage your own investments now."

Ethan's calm smile shattered.

"Wait, Jasmine! You know I don't understand half of those accounts!"

"Then I suggest you start learning."

I turned back to Colonel Curtis, whose earlier hostility had noticeably faltered into awkward discomfort.

"The committee has already issued its decision," Curtis replied quietly. "Even if you brought me physical proof right now, I don't have the authority to reinstate your spot, Miss Hayes. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do here today."

"You did this without properly notifying her," Victor interjected, his voice carrying the weight of his rank. "Standard protocol requires written notice and a mandatory forty-eight-hour response window. I am officially requesting a formal review."

Curtis hesitated under Victor's stern gaze, then gave a stiff nod.

I cast one last glance at Ethan and Vivienne.

"I will prove my innocence, and neither of you is getting away with this."

Ethan's face flushed red.

"We can discuss this when I get back."

"No, Ethan. We have nothing left to discuss. You wanted us to be over? We're over. Don't ever come looking for me again."

Vivienne scoffed.

"You're being petty."

I turned my eyes onto her.

"You're a Marsh. You could buy your way into practically any international program you wanted. Why take mine?"

She lifted her chin, a signature smirk playing on her lips.

"Because I wanted yours, Jasmine."

I turned and walked away.

I had nothing left to say to either of them, and I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing the tears brimming in my eyes.

Behind me, Victor stayed with Curtis, demanding the names of every board member who signed off on my disqualification, while Nathan guided me out to the parking lot.

We climbed into the truck in silence.

I was still fighting to keep my breath steady when Victor joined us fifteen minutes later and started the engine.

"Curtis confirmed that someone in the Marsh family personally pulled strings after the plagiarism flag," Victor said as we pulled out of the airport. "They claimed there was indisputable evidence."

"Can we fight it?" I asked.

"Already working on it," Victor replied, eyeing me in the rearview mirror. "The campaign shares disciplinary flags with all affiliated academies. If we don't overturn this, it's going to lock you out of future opportunities."

"Ethan erased my cloud drives, but he doesn't know about my offline backups," I insisted. "I can still prove the research is mine."

"Good. We'll file the official appeal."

Victor's expression softened in the mirror, his tone turning gentle.

"Jasmine... even if we clear your name, the campaign will already be underway. You won't be able to join this year's class. I'm sorry, darling. I know how much you wanted this."

Five years of preparation.

Five years of imagining myself wearing that uniform, standing beside the people I'd trained so hard to join.

I leaned my head against the window, watching the airport terminal fade into the distance.

I thought of Ethan.

I had helped him prepare for every physical and academic evaluation for this campaign. I organized his schedules, edited his papers, and reminded him of every deadline.

Whenever he hit a wall, he came to me, knowing I'd figure out a solution.

For a split second, a habit of worry tugged at my heart.

Then I remembered the way he had stood beside Vivienne, looking down at me like I was nothing.

My phone vibrated in my hand.

"Jasmine Hayes speaking."

"Miss Hayes, this is Social Services. I'm calling regarding your emancipation paperwork. An objection has been filed requesting a formal judicial review of your order."

I went completely still.

"On what grounds?"

"I can't disclose the specifics. All I can tell you is that your biological family has been located. Expect a representative from our office within forty-eight hours."

My family?

"What family?" My voice barely carried. "I've been in the system my entire life."

"I'm sorry, Miss Hayes. That's all the information I am permitted to share right now."

The line went dead.

I stared at the black screen.

In less than two hours, I had lost my future, my partner, and my safety net.

And now, someone was coming for my freedom.