CHAPTER 51 - She is Jezza Clarksville

Berry's hands wouldn't stop shaking as she pulled out her phone and took pictures of the newsletter from every angle. The woman in the photograph smiled up at her, a stranger wearing her face, living a life Berry couldn't remember.She forced herself to put the newsletter back exactly where she'd found it, smoothing out the creases and making sure the box looked untouched. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she made her way back to her desk, each step feeling like she was walking through water.Theo looked up when she returned, concern written all over his face. "You okay? You were gone for almost an hour.""I just needed some air." The lie tasted bitter on her tongue. "Headache's better now.""You sure? You look pale.""I'm fine." Berry forced herself to meet his eyes, even though looking at him hurt. Had he known all along? Has every moment between them been built on lies? "Let's just get back to work."She buried herself in code for the rest of the afternoon, her fingers flying

Last Updated : 2025-11-09

CHAPTER 52 - Who I really am

The café smelled like burnt coffee and old grease. Harold sat in the back corner with a manila envelope on the table, his third cup of coffee getting cold while he waited.When Theo walked in at five-fifteen, Harold didn't bother with small talk."You knew who she was."Theo pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. "Yes.""How long?""From the beginning. From the moment I found her bleeding on that road in Australia." Theo's voice was quiet but steady. "I ran her fingerprints through every database I could access. When the match came back as Jezza Clarksville, I thought there had to be a mistake."Harold pushed the envelope across the table. "Here are the DNA test results, they came back two days ago."Theo opened it and scanned the technical language. Probability of paternity: 99.9%."So you know for sure now," Theo said."I've known in my gut for weeks. Since the first time I saw her I thought she looked familiar." Harold's hands were shaking. "But seeing it in black and w

Last Updated : 2025-11-11

CHAPTER 53 - The DNA Result

The DNA results lay on Harold's floor like an accusation. Berry stared at the paper, watching the words blur and refocus as her brain tried to process what she was seeing.Probability of Paternity: 99.9%.Her legs gave out. She dropped into the chair behind her, her breath coming in short gasps that didn't seem to bring any oxygen to her lungs. The office walls felt like they were closing in, crushing her chest until breathing became a conscious effort she had to force."Jezza—""Don't call me that." Berry's voice came out strangled, desperate. "I don't know who that is. I don't know who I am."Harold moved around his desk, reaching out like he wanted to touch her but stopping when Berry flinched away from him. The hurt that flashed across his face made her chest ache even worse, but she couldn't let him near her. Not yet. Not when everything she thought she knew about herself was crumbling."You're my daughter," Harold said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "You're my little gi

Last Updated : 2025-11-12

CHAPTER 54 – Partners in Revenge

Theo had been sitting on the steps outside Berry's door for three hours when her car finally pulled into the parking lot. He stood up as she approached, taking in her red-rimmed eyes and the way she was clutching a manila envelope like it was the only thing keeping her together. "Berry—" "Don't." She held up one hand, stopping him before he could come closer. "Just don't say anything yet. Please." Theo stayed where he was, watching as Berry fumbled with her keys. She dropped them twice before finally managing to unlock her door, and he could see her hands shaking. "Harold's been removed as CEO," Theo said quietly. "Emergency board meeting an hour ago. Margaret's interim CEO now." Berry stopped in her doorway and turned to look at him. "What?" "Margaret played the concerned wife, presented evidence that Harold was mentally unstable, obsessed with proving you're Jezza. The board voted to remove him." Theo pulled out his phone and showed her the messages he'd gotten from his contact

Last Updated : 2025-11-12

CHAPTER 55 – Riley's Truth

Berry stood in front of her bathroom mirror at one in the afternoon, trying to decide who she was supposed to be today. The DNA results sat on her counter, the numbers staring back at her like an accusation she couldn't escape.She was Jezza Clarksville. Harold's daughter. The heiress who'd been destroyed by her own family.But she felt like Berry. The survivor and the fighter. The woman who'd clawed her way back from hell.She decided to be somewhere in between. Black jeans and a grey sweater, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. Nothing flashy or attention-grabbing. Just a woman meeting someone for drinks, nothing more and nothing less.Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text from Theo: "I'm already at the café. Corner table, a good view of the entrance. You won't see me but I'll see everything."Berry typed back quickly: "Thank you."Then she added: "For everything."Three dots appeared on the screen, then disappeared. Then they appeared again. Finally, his response ca

Last Updated : 2025-11-14

CHAPTER 56 – Passion and Jealousy

The drive home from the café was quiet but not uncomfortable. Berry stared out the window, watching the city blur past while her mind raced with everything Riley had told her about Elena's suspicious death and Margaret's convenient timing."You're thinking too loud over there," Theo said from the driver's seat.Berry turned to look at him. "Riley thinks Margaret killed my mother. She thinks Margaret arranged the car accident so she could get to Harold and the company.""Do you believe her?""I don't know what to believe anymore. But if Margaret was willing to have me trafficked, then why wouldn't she kill Elena to get what she wanted?" Berry rubbed her temples where a headache was building. "It fits the pattern of her behavior.""She's capable of it, we both know that now. But we need actual proof, not just suspicious timing." Theo glanced at her with concern. "Real evidence that will hold up in court.""Riley has copies of Elena's appointment records with the divorce attorney. She al

Last Updated : 2025-11-19