Todos os capítulos de OVERNIGHT HEIRESS : Capítulo 41 - Capítulo 45

Amelia’s POVThe first thing I did was scream.Loud. Raw. Repeatedly.Not because I thought anyone would hear me. But because I needed to feel like I hadn’t given up yet.My voice echoed back at me—mocking, empty.I was alone.Still tied, still aching, still freezing in the damp rot of the basement Jacob Flynn had decided would be my prison.I tested the ropes again, twisting my wrists in every direction. They were tight, but not professional—he hadn’t done this before. Not like this. And maybe, just maybe, that was something I could use.I moved slowly, easing my back against the rough stone wall. I needed friction—something to saw against. The rope burned my skin, but I didn’t stop. Pain meant progress.Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. I lost track.Above me, footsteps creaked across the floor again. My heart jumped into my throat.No. Not yet. I wasn’t ready. Not until I got my hands free.The door opened.I went still.Jacob appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray.Food. A bottle

Amelia's POV I took a step back. “No—I didn’t know who I was. Not until *yesterday*. You have to believe me.”“He said you want money,” my father said. “And that if we want the *real* Isabella back, we’d better pay.”I blinked. “What?”“He has her. The girl you made the deal with. He said he’ll send her home. For a price.”Jeremy stepped forward, furious. “You’re telling me you believe *Elijah Brown*—a known blackmailer—over your own daughter and hard DNA evidence?”“You forged it,” my mother said, her voice sharp and shaky. “You tricked us once. We won’t be fooled again.”I swallowed hard. “Look at me.”My voice cracked.“Please.”My father’s hands curled into fists. His eyes glistened—but not with love. With grief. With betrayal.“We lost our daughter once,” he whispered. “We’re not letting someone *like you* do it again.”They turned.And just like that…They left me standing there.In my own home.Unwanted.We sat in the car in silence for a long time after.Jeremy stared at the

Amelia’s POVI could feel him standing behind me even before I opened my eyes.The sound of the kettle clicking off. The scrape of a mug on the marble counter. The sharp breath he took before he finally turned and said it.“You can’t stay here.”The words landed with the precision of a scalpel. I sat up slowly on his couch, blanket sliding down my shoulders, throat thick with unshed shame. Sunlight slanted through the blinds, dust motes floating in its golden reach. The room was warm, but the silence between us made it feel glacial.“I just need a little more time,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Julian didn’t respond. He walked to the window, coffee mug in hand, his jaw set hard enough to crack glass.“I can leave tonight,” I added quickly, heart pounding. “But I—I had nowhere else to go.”Still nothing.He didn’t look at me. Didn’t speak. Just stood there in his crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, as if preparing to gut something.“I didn’t come back to manipu