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Chapter 24
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2026-03-06 03:28:58CH 24
Secret Investigation POV: Julian Julian did not believe in emotional decisions. If he was going to doubt someone’s identity — especially someone confirmed by DNA — he needed more than memory. He needed proof. The next morning, he arrived at Hartwell Group headquarters earlier than usual. The building was quiet, the marble floors reflecting the pale light of dawn. He didn’t go to his office. He went straight to the security division. The head of security, Mr. Han, stood immediately when he saw him. “Young Master.” “I need full access to the vault footage from the night of the necklace theft,” Julian said calmly. Mr. Han hesitated. “Sir, that case was already—” “Reopen it,” Julian interrupted quietly. There was no anger in his tone. Only authority. Within minutes, Julian sat in front of a large monitor, watching the recording from that night. Time stamp: 10:42 PM. Elena entering the corridor with cleaning supplies. Time stamp: 10:47 PM. Camera glitch. Three minutes of static. Time stamp: 10:50 PM. Footage resumes. The angle slightly shifted. Julian leaned forward. “Zoom into the time code,” he ordered. Mr. Han complied. Julian’s eyes narrowed. The glitch wasn’t random. It was precise. Exactly three minutes and twelve seconds. Not flickering. Not unstable. Cut. Edited. “Has this footage been accessed before?” Julian asked. Mr. Han checked the system log. “Yes, sir. Once. The morning after the incident.” “By who?” Another pause. Mr. Han swallowed slightly. “Miss Sophia’s assistant requested it.” Julian’s jaw tightened. “On whose instruction?” “It was marked as ‘family authorization.’” Julian said nothing. He replayed the footage again, this time focusing on the hallway outside the vault. At 10:39 PM — three minutes before Elena appeared — someone passed the corner. The camera only caught a shadow. But shadows still had height. Julian paused the frame and measured the proportions against the door frame. Too tall to be Elena. Too slender to be one of the male guards. He took a screenshot. “Send this to me,” he said quietly. Then he stood. “Who was on duty that night?” he asked. Mr. Han pulled up the roster. “Two guards assigned to the vault wing.” “I want their financial records reviewed.” Mr. Han blinked. “Sir?” Julian turned to face him fully. “Quietly.” Mr. Han nodded immediately. Julian left the room without another word. Back at the mansion later that evening, he walked past the east wing — the same corridor where Elena had once stood accused. It looked ordinary now. Too ordinary. He stopped when he heard faint laughter from the main lounge. Sophia’s voice. Light. Carefree. Untouched by consequence. Julian’s expression hardened. If she was innocent, he would protect her. If she was lying… He would not hesitate. He pulled out his phone and sent one more message. Retrieve the original DNA submission records. I want chain-of-custody documentation. This time, his suspicion was no longer emotional. It was procedural. Someone inside the Hartwell estate had manipulated something. And Julian intended to find out who. Even if the truth fractured his own family.
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The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 39
CH 39 Find HerPOV: Alexander / JulianThe police vehicles disappeared beyond the iron gates of the Hartwell estate.Their flashing lights faded into the night, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than the chaos that had filled the ballroom minutes earlier.Inside the mansion, the grand hall slowly emptied.Guests who had once arrived with bright smiles and expensive gifts now departed quietly, their voices lowered to cautious whispers. Luxury cars rolled down the long driveway one after another, their headlights cutting through the darkness like silent witnesses to the scandal that had unfolded.What was meant to be a celebration had turned into something far more dramatic.A revelation.A confession.And an arrestVictoria’s confession replayed in Alexander’s mind like an unwanted memory. Her words had changed everything and confirmed the doubts that had been growing for days. The name still felt strange in his thoughts.Elena.Because she was not just a stranger who had cro
The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 38
CH 38 Arrest of Victoria and SophiaPOV: Sophia / Alexander / GuestsThe ballroom was no longer a place of celebration. The murmurs had escalated into whispers, whispers into urgent questions. Guests shifted uneasily, some clutching their champagne glasses, others gripping their phones, recording every moment. A few socialites murmured to each other, while investors leaned toward colleagues, seeking explanations, their polished exteriors cracking under the weight of scandal.Sophia’s knees threatened to buckle. The sting of the slap, the weight of Victoria’s confession, and the DNA revelation combined into a pressure that pushed her to the edge. Her chest heaved; every heartbeat thundered in her ears. She wanted to speak, to explain, to beg, but words had abandoned her.Victoria’s hands trembled slightly, her earlier composure fractured. She had been so careful—years of planning, manipulating, controlling—but now all of it lay bare before the entire mansion and the elite gathered wit
The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 37
CH 37 The Real DNAPOV: Sophia / Alexander / GuestsThe ballroom felt impossibly quiet, as if the chandeliers themselves were holding their breath. Laniel Reeves stood near the grand staircase, a thick folder clutched in his hands, the weight of it almost tangible. Every guest, every investor, every socialite froze mid-motion, sensing the gravity of what was about to unfold.Alexander’s eyes narrowed. His posture rigid, perfectly composed, but beneath the calm, something stormed. Julian stood beside him, silent, calculating, every muscle taut with readiness. Sophia’s chest constricted, the sting of the previous slap still hot, her rehearsed confidence crumbling faster than she could catch it.Laniel opened the folder deliberately. The sound of paper sliding against paper echoed unnaturally in the silent room. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, voice steady, calm, carrying through the marble halls. “What I have here are the results of an official investigation conducted with the utmost
The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 36
CH 36 The ConfessionPOV: Sophia / VictoriaThe ballroom had gone from grand to tense in a heartbeat. Every eye was fixed on Sophia, whose hand still trembled where Alexander had struck her. Her chest heaved. Her lips parted, as if rehearsed lines could somehow undo the damage—but they couldn’t. Silence pressed down like a velvet weight. The chandelier lights above reflected the tension, fractured like broken glass.Victoria stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Every head turned toward her. The hush that fell over the room was complete; even the orchestra had paused mid-note. Victoria’s hands were steady, her posture perfect, but her eyes told a story of guilt, fear, and resolution.“It’s time the truth comes out,” Victoria said, her voice calm but unyielding, carrying over the stunned crowd. “The truth about Isabella. About Sophia. About… my daughter.”Sophia felt her heart tighten. She had known this moment would come, but hearing her mother speak i
The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 35
CH 35 Slap Before the CrowdPOV: SophiaSophia gathered courage to speak up, even when her mouth felt heavy. She had to say something to defend herself. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t confusion. It was something colder—something that sliced through the polished air of the ballroom and left a tremor in her chest. Every eye in the room followed her gaze, every whispered question amplified by the marble walls. The crystal chandeliers above reflected the tension like fractured light. For a moment, the music seemed to pause, holding its breath with the crowd.“I am your sister,” Sophia said, her voice trembling but loud enough for the front row to hear. Her chest heaved as she repeated the words, the rehearsed confidence she had clung to evaporating in seconds. “Isabella Hartwell. The rightful heir of the Hartwell estate and… the CEO of the Hartwell company. I'm your little sister.”There was a beat of silence so heavy it felt as if the chandeliers themselves might collapse under it. Guests
The billionaire brother's lost heiress Chapter 34
CH 34 Who Are You? Sophia’s POV For the first time that night, she looked unsure. The silence pressed against her ears. The ballroom no longer felt grand. It felt close. Watching. Waiting. “Where is what?” she repeated, but her voice had lost its earlier brightness. Alexander did not blink. “The crescent birthmark.” The words were clear. Unavoidable. Sophia swallowed. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A murmur moved through the guests again, louder now. Not admiration. Not celebration. Suspicion. Julian stepped forward slightly, his tone controlled but firm. “The birthmark on your back. Upper spine. Crescent-shaped. It has been documented.” Sophia’s heartbeat thudded violently in her chest. She forced herself to stand straight. To breathe evenly. “Birthmarks fade,” she said quickly. “Or maybe it’s just not visible under these lights.” Alexander’s eyes darkened. “Birthmarks do not disappear.” That did it. The ballroom shifted from confusion to something sh
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