“Your name doesn’t belong on that will." I don’t flinch. “And yet, there it is. In ink. Above yours.” Julian Lachlan circles me like a predator. Calm. Cold. Calculating. “You show up from New Orleans, no blood ties, no explanation, just a pole dancer with a dead mother and a forged past.You’re a stripper. What makes you think you belong here?” I cross my arms. “What makes you think I care what you think?” Hailey Vale was never meant to step foot inside Lachlan House, let alone inherit it No one understands why, not even her. Now, surrounded by powerful enemies in tailored suits and blood ties, Hailey must navigate deadly secrets, twisted loyalties, and the cold fury of Julian Lachlan,the ruthless heir apparent whose throne she just stole. Everyone wants answers. Someone wants her gone. And the truth about why she was named in the will might just destroy them all. In a house full of secrets, the most dangerous one… is her.
View More{Hailey’s POV}
The supervisor’s voice was sharp, cutting through the haze of cigarette smoke and pulsing music. “This is the room number a client paid for you,” she said, handing me a slip of paper with “room 12” written in black ink. My heart raced, not from fear but from the thrill of what came next. This is what I live for– surviving, one night at a time, one client at a time, to escape the grip of my stepfather, Richard. I’d just stepped off stage, my skin still slick with sweat from dancing. The club was a dark, pulsing beast, filled with men and women chasing fleeting pleasures. Naked bodies swayed under dim lights, thongs barely clinging to hips, asses shaking for crumpled bills tossed onto the stage. I adjusted my red lace thong, the only thing I wore besides a pair of heels, and headed to the private room in the black. Room 12 was tucked at the end of a narrow hallway, the door heavy and soundproof. I knocked once, and a deep voice rumbled from inside. “Come in” The man inside was older, maybe in his late thirties, with dark hair and a jawline sharp enough to cut glass. He sat on a plush leather couch, his shirt unbuttoned halfway, revealing a chest dusted with hair. His eyes locked onto me, hungry and commanding, like he already owned every inch of me. “Hailey.” he knows my name, his voice low, almost a growl. I nodded, my throat tight. “Good. Go take a shower. I want you to be clean before you touch me.” His tone wasn’t a request – it was an order. Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine, not just from nerves but from something I hadn’t felt before. I walked to the small bathroom attached to the room, feeling his stare burn into my back. The shower was quick, the hot water sluicing over my skin as I washed away the club dirt. I stepped out, wrapped a towel around myself, and returned to him. He was standing now, his pants already undone, his erection straining against the fabric of his boxers. “On your knees,” he said, pointing to the floor in front of him. My pulse quickened, but I obeyed, sinking. The carpet was soft under my knees, a small mercy. “Suck me,” he commanded, his voice like steel. “And don’t hold back.” I reached for him, my hands trembling slightly as I freed him from his boxers. He cock was thick, heavy in my hand, and I leaned forward, my lips brushing against him. His groan was quick, deep, and it aroused me. I took his cock into my mouth, slow at first, then deeper, following into a rhythmic heart as he set his hands on the back of my head. His grip was firm, guiding me, controlling the pace. “That’s it, “ he murmured, his voice rough with pleasure. “Just like that.” I’d done this before–too many times to count–but something about him was different. He wasn’t just a client; he was a force, commanding every move, every breath. My body responded in ways I didn’t expect, heat pooling low in my belly, my thighs pressing together as I worked him. His groans grew louder, his hips bucking slightly, and then he pulled me up, his hands strong on my arms. “Lie down,” he ordered, pointing to the bed in the corner. I obeyed, my towel falling away as I climbed onto the sheets. He stripped off his clothes, his body lean and powerful, and climbed over me. “We’re doing this my way,” he said, his eyes dark. ‘Sixty-nine, Now.” Before I could respond, he positioned himself, his head between my thighs, his cock hanging above my lips. The commanding edge in his voice left no room for hesitation. I opened my mouth, taking him in again as his tongue found my clit, hot, relentless. The sensation was overwhelming, a rush of pleasures I hadn’t expected. His mouth was skilled, teasing, and demanding all at once, and I moaned around him, my body arching into his touch. No one had ever taken me like this, with such raw intensity. Every client before had been mechanical, transactional. But this man, he devoured me, his hands gripping my hips, his tongue driving me to the edge. I matched his rhythm, my lips and tongue sucking him until his groans vibrated against me. We moved together, a tangle of heat and need, until the world narrowed to just us, just this. When it was over, he collapsed beside me, both of us breathing hard. “You’re good,” he said, his voice softer now but still with that commanding edge. He tossed a stack of money onto the bed– more than I’d expected. I took the money, my ticket from Richard was adding up. Back at the club, Kaira, my best friend, and I. We’re shutting down with drinks and cigarettes when Joey, the bouncer, waves me over. “Hailey, someone left this for you.” He hands me an envelope—heavy, cream paper. My name is Calligraphy. Not a stage name. My real one. Hailey Vale. I glance toward the crowd. I rip the envelope open. Inside: a single sheet of parchment and a gold-embossed card. Miss Hailey Vale, You are hereby summoned to the reading of the will of George Lachlan, to be held at Lachlan Estate, New York. Attendance is mandatory. —Harrison & Leach, Attorneys at Law. “What the fuvk?” I whisper. George Lachlan? I don't know him. I never met him. Why would I be summoned to his will Kiara? “This letter looks fake, We got a lot of con artists here in New Orleans, so chill out.” “Right?” I crumple the letter and toss it in the bin. We continued to chill out in the dressing room. Later at night Kiara and I went to her home because I could not stand to see that old wrecked man called Richard. Kiara lives in a four-storey apartment building, and she lives on the third floor. We got to the door. And she was knocking on her own apartment. Kiara was high. I busted out. “Yo! Give me your bags, let me get your keys, you are drunk." We both laughed. When the door swung open, I froze to have seen this son of a bitch Craig. “I can explain, Hailey.” Kiara looked at my face. I walked in and shoved him on the shoulder. “Are we doing this now, You ended things with the mother fucker, what the hell is he doing here Kiara?” “Watch your mouth bitch.” Craig snaps. “Oh, what’re you gonna do—hit me?” I step up. “Come on, tough guy. Hit me. I’ll rip your balls off and mail them to every side chick you cheated on her with.” Kiara jumps between us, grabbing my arms. “Hailey! Chill, please. I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you—he came back… begging. And I—I still love him.” I stare at her like I don’t recognize her. “Do you hear yourself? Is that how good his dick is that you can’t let go, mmm… tell me, Kiara, that bastard doesn't respect you. I'm out of here. Give me the keys to the truck, and I will sleep there.” She tried to stop but I took the keys from the table and walked out. I couldn't stand seeing Craig. I hate him. For all the pain he made Kiara go through. I pulled in the truck and lowered the driver's seat and I slept off.I survived dinner without anyone trying to poison me or stab me under the table. That counted as a win. Marcus never showed, though, and that left an emptiness I couldn’t name.When the meal ended, I leaned close to Clara. “I need some air.”She didn’t argue. I didn’t go outside, though. I couldn’t face the cameras or reporters waiting to shout questions at me again. Instead, I slipped into another wing of the museum, Williams trailing behind me like my shadow.This part of the building was closed for the evening. The lights were dim, the rooms roped off, and the air was cool and still. As I walked down the long hall, my heels clicked softly against the floor. Williams’ steady footsteps followed mine.Then, up ahead, a door stood open. A light spilled out, sharp and bright, almost blinding compared to the dark corridor. Someone had pushed the velvet cord aside, leaving the room exposed.I stepped in.The sudden brightness felt like stepping into sunlight after sitting in a dark theate
“Hailey, look over here!”“Any comment about Craig Benson’s arrest?”“Can you comment on the future of the Lachlan Foundation?”“Is it true your mother was once arrested for solicitation?”The last question would have knocked me off my feet if I hadn’t been through seven rounds of practice with Adam. Instead of snapping back with the words I wanted—words with plenty of curse words—I kept my face calm. I stood still by the car, waiting.And then came the question I had been prepared for.“With everything that’s happened, how do you feel?”I looked straight at the reporter who asked. “I’m grateful to be alive,” I said clearly. “And I’m grateful to be here tonight.”The gala was inside an art museum. We entered on the upper floor and descended a sweeping marble staircase that seemed to go on forever. By the time I was halfway down, everyone in the huge hall below had turned their eyes toward me—or looked away in that deliberate, heavy way that was even worse.At the bottom of the stairs,
After my session with Adam, he left me in my bedroom where a small army was already waiting Clara’s chosen stylists, all sharp-eyed and buzzing with energy. I could have told them to leave. I could have said I wasn’t going to the gala. But Adam’s words echoed in my head. What message would that send if I refused? That I was scared? That I had something to hide? That Kiara was guilty? She’s not. I repeated it to myself like a prayer. She’s not guilty. I was halfway through hair and makeup when the door opened. Kiara slipped inside, her face blotchy, streaked with mascara. She’d been crying. My heart jumped painfully in my chest. She didn’t do anything wrong. She couldn’t have. Kiara froze for a second, just long enough for me to notice the panic in her eyes. Then she rushed forward and threw her arms around me, squeezing like she was afraid to ever let go. “I’m sorry,” she whispered against my shoulder. “I am so, so sorry.” My blood went cold. Just for a moment. “I s
Here were the facts, laid out like puzzle pieces I couldn’t fit together:Craig had tried to run us off the road.Craig had a gun in his trunk, and the police thought it matched the bullets Williams had collected.Craig already had a record.The police asked me everything. About the shooting. About Craig. About Kiara. Each question made my chest tighter. Each answer felt like walking on glass.When it was over, they drove me back to Lachlan House. I wanted nothing more than to lock my door and sleep for a year.Instead, the front door flew open before Clara and I even reached the porch.Luca stormed out, his boots pounding against the steps. He stopped short when he saw us, but his eyes were sharp and furious.“You want to tell me,” he said to Clara, his voice a low growl edged with his Southern drawl, “why I’m just now finding out that the police moved Kiara away?”I froze. My stomach dropped like I’d been shoved off a cliff.“They what?” I whispered.Clara didn’t flinch. She lifted
We found a dress.The paparazzi didn’t make it easy. Their cameras flashed like strobe lights as Williams pushed us back into the SUV. Shouts followed us down the street. Questions, wild guesses, accusations—all of it blurred together into noise.Inside, the doors slammed shut. Silence fell, broken only by the hum of the engine. Williams checked the rearview mirror. “Seat belts buckled?”Mine was already locked tight across my chest. Beside me, Linda clipped hers in place with a neat click. She smoothed her hair as if nothing outside had happened, then turned to me with a faint smile.“Have you thought about hair and makeup yet?”“Constantly,” I said, my voice dry as dust. “It’s the only thing I think about these days. A girl has to keep her priorities straight.”Linda’s smile sharpened. “And here I thought all your priorities had the last name Lachlan.”“That’s not true,” I shot back quickly.But the words rang hollow. Because wasn’t it? How many hours had I spent thinking about Marc
I slept in Kaira’s room that night, though she wasn’t there.Before lying down, I asked Williams to check with her security team to ensure she was safe. He confirmed she was on the estate—but didn’t tell me where. That said enough.No Kaira. No Maya.For the first time since coming here, I felt truly alone.Marcus hadn’t shown his face since storming off that morning. Julian had left soon after we’d uncovered the Davenport clue. And Luca—I hadn’t seen him at all.It was just me, in a giant, haunted house, with three numbers circling in my head:One. One. Eight.That was it. Three digits.It meant Leonard’s tree in the Black Wood really had been just a tree. If there was a fourth number, I hadn’t found it yet. Based on the plastic keychain shaped like a 1, clues could come in any form—not just carvings.The more I thought about it, the more restless I became.Late into the night, when the house should’ve been silent, I heard it: footsteps.I froze.Were they behind me? Above me? Below?
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