All Chapters of Return Of The Betrayed Heiress : Chapter 61 - Chapter 69

The next morning, I was at my desk when Alice buzzed through the intercom."Ms. Jones, there's a Katherina Carter here to see you. She says it's important."My pen froze mid-signature. Katherina Carter. Allen's mother."Should I tell her you're in a meeting?" Alice asked.I stared at the stack of contracts in front of me. The easy answer was yes. But something in Alice's tone suggested this woman wasn't leaving without trying."Send her in."I stood as the door opened. Katherina looked smaller than last time. Her designer suit hung loose on her frame. Gray streaked through hair that used to be perfectly colored. Her eyes were the same shade as Allen's. But where his held manipulation, hers held only exhaustion."Thank you for seeing me," she said. Her voice trembled."Mrs. Carter." I gestured to the chair across from my desk. "Please sit."She lowered herself carefully. Like someone afraid of breaking. Her hands clutched a worn leather purse. The kind that had seen years of use."I kn

The city skyline glittered outside the rooftop lounge. Lights twinkled against the deep blue night. The air carried a chill. It was laced with the scent of whiskey, cigars, and faint traces of laughter echoing between glass walls. Inside, Smith Robinson sat among his oldest friends. A tumbler of bourbon rested in his hand, though he'd barely touched it."Man, I still can't believe you're getting married," Adrian said. He leaned back on the leather sofa with that familiar half-smirk. "Smith Robinson, CEO of Robinson Empire, Mr. I-don't-do-commitment-anymore, is about to say 'I do.' Hell must've frozen over."The group erupted in laughter. Smith just shook his head. A quiet smile formed. "Guess hell's colder than we thought.""Or maybe," another friend, Jason, said, raising his glass, "you finally found someone who could thaw that ice you've been carrying since Claire."The mention of Claire's name hung in the air for a moment. The laughter dimmed slightly. Everyone in that room knew wh

The call came at seven in the evening. Right when the bridal shower was in full swing.I was standing in the garden with a glass of champagne I hadn't touched. Around me, women laughed and clinked glasses. Helen was the center of attention near the fountain. Telling some elaborate story that had everyone doubled over. My mother sat with a group of older guests. Her smile soft and proud.Then my phone buzzed in my clutch.Unknown number. I almost dismissed it. But something made me look closer at the area code. It was from upstate. Near the federal correctional facility.My heart dropped.I stepped away from the crowd. Moved toward the far edge of the garden where the string lights didn't quite reach. My thumb hovered over the screen.Answer or ignore?Every logical part of me screamed to let it go to voicemail. But curiosity, or maybe something deeper, made me press accept."Hello?"There was a pause. Static crackled faintly on the line. Then a voice I hadn't heard in months."Emelda.

"Not one," I said honestly. "Everything I went through led me here. To you. To this life. I wouldn’t change any of it."He kissed my temple. "Good. Because you’re stuck with me now.""Promise?""Promise."***Three days later, we landed in Tuscany.The villa Smith had rented sat high on a hill, overlooking miles of green vineyards. Cypress trees lined the driveway, tall and still against the orange glow of sunset. Everything looked painted in gold. Like a dream I didn’t want to wake from."This is incredible," I breathed as we stepped onto the terrace.Smith came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Wait until you see the sunrise."We spent the first two days doing nothing but being together. Sleeping in. Making love. Eating pasta and drinking wine on the terrace while the world around us slowed to a whisper.On the third morning, I woke before Smith. Soft light slipped through the curtains. I slid out of bed quietly, pulled on one of his shirts, and made my way to the