All Chapters of The Forgotten Heiress Who Took It All Back: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Aria’s POVI signed my name on the agreement from the rival gang, agreeing to be delivered to them in five days as a hostage, until my family paid off the debt they owed.In five days, I would become a prisoner. I had no idea what awaited me—would they kill me? Or worse, humiliate me?After I signed the contract, I went to find my father and mother.They were sitting in the living room, discussing where they would go for spring break. Emily, our family’s adopted daughter, was sitting next to them.They didn’t seem affected by the rival’s threat at all. And why would they be? They had already found their solution.Me.Even though Emily was the one who caused this mess. She volunteered to oversee the drug transport but somehow got ambushed by another gang.Emily got hurt, broke a leg. And the entire shipment got stolen.Soon the Ricci demanded that we return the money. But father already spent it on acquiring another club and a house.So, the Ricci had offered another solution: deliver

Chapter 2

Aria’s POVThe next hurdle was dealing with my fiancé. He had played a significant role in convincing me to go in Emily’s place.I always thought, out of everyone, he should care more about me. But it turned out, my assumption was wrong.I suggested we meet at a restaurant. I picked my best dress—not for him, but for myself. Tonight would be another battle, and I refused to let myself appear even the slightest bit weaker.When I stepped through the door, I spotted Damian sitting at a table near the terrace.He turned his head as I approached, rising to his feet. “You’re here already? I thought you’d be a bit later.”“Why’s that?” I asked, keeping my tone even.“Well, I heard you signed the hostage agreement,” he said, pulling out the chair for me. “I figured you’d want to spend more time with your family before you leave in five days.”“Emily called and told you?” I asked, my voice colder now.Damian’s face flickered with embarrassment. “She was worried that you weren’t happy. She blam

Chapter 3

Aria’s POV“How much?” I asked, my voice steady.“You tell me!” Father’s voice raised in anger. “How could I raise a daughter like you—stealing from your own family? If not for you handing over the casino to Emily, how long would we have waited before uncovering this?”Damian intervened, his tone soothing. “Mr. Moretti, calm down. I believe Aria, and I think there’s more to this than we can see.” Then, turning to me with that same soft gaze, he added, “Aria, please, tell us. Did you need the money? You could have asked me or Mr. Moretti. You can’t just take it.”“Are you two finished?” I asked, my voice cold as I walked toward the table. I pulled out my wallet, extracting a few cards. “This is my debit card. This includes my savings account. This is my credit card.”Father raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.“Run the test,” I said coolly. “See if the missing funds are in those accounts. If you don’t find anything, maybe the real thief is still out there.”Father scoffed. “The real thi

Chapter 4

Aria’s POVI found myself at the amusement park I had visited as a child, back when it was just me, before Emily came into our lives.As I walked through the gate, the scene in front of me shifted. I could almost see it—Father, younger then, holding me in his arms, smiling proudly at Mother. “Aria’s so smart. Already finished her math class. I think she’ll be the perfect heir to carry the Moretti name!”Mother, with that soft smile only she had, looked at me and said, “Our baby must be tired. Let’s not talk about business or school today. Just focus on getting Aria on her favorite carousel!”I giggled, all my attention was on the ice cream, balloons, and toys around me.It was happy then, wasn’t it?When did it change?I walked to the carousel, handed the staff my ticket, and climbed aboard. The wind picked up my hair, and for a moment, I almost felt the joy of that little girl again.Well, everything changed the day my father came home with Emily.Emily was the daughter of my father’s

Chapter 5

Damian’s POVWhen Aria told me she was going to the Ricci as the hostage, I wanted to say no. God, I wanted to scream it. Because part of me—part I don’t want to admit—was that I loved her. More than I should.I’d met her at a Mafia circle gathering. Back then, she was the Moretti heir, the firstborn, the future of her family. And me? I was only the third son of my father, the one destined to fade into the background.I knew better than anyone that if I wanted to survive in this world, I needed power. And Aria Moretti was my ticket—my chance to outrun my brothers, to claim something greater.So I pursued her. Invited her out. Swept her off her feet. I told myself I could have her. And through her, I could have the Moretti name, the Moretti resources.What I hadn’t expected was Emily.Whenever I asked about her sister, Aria would fall into silence. I could tell she didn’t like Emily—but as her boyfriend, I thought it was my duty not to push. So we never spoke of her again.Until one day

Chapter 6

Damian’s POVI went home, trying to calm myself down.On the coffee table was a photo frame Aria had picked. Us at an amusement park. Her smile that day was so bright, so unguarded, it felt like seeing a version of her no one else ever did.Looking at it now, regret hit me like a punch. Regret for letting her go. For not stopping her. Even if it meant pushing Emily into the Riccis’ hands—hadn’t she been the one to ruin the transaction in the first place?I shook my head, forcing the thought away. What mattered now was getting Aria back.I hesitated before making the call, but eventually I dialed my father. I lied—told him I’d found a new business opportunity. Maybe he was impressed by my work with the Morettis, he didn’t question it. Within hours, the money was transferred.I went straight to Michael. “I have the money. Let’s call the Ricci. Pay them, and bring Aria home.”His face split into a relieved smile. “Thank you. Truly.”He dialed, put the call on speaker. “I’m calling on beha

Chapter 7

Damian’s POV“A box. USBs, documents, a tape. I was about to call. Can you pick it up today?”“Yes.”When I told Michael, he said he wanted to come along.We agreed not to open the box until everyone gathered. Michael called Elara and Emily. Elara went white at the photo; Emily didn’t answer—probably busy at the casino. Michael decided we wouldn’t wait.The three of us—Elara, Michael, and I—sat in the Moretti study with the box between us. It felt too light, as if it shouldn’t contain anything worth shouting about.I lifted the lid. Inside: a handful of USBs, a neat stack of documents, and an old video tape.“Watch the video first,” Michael said, voice husky. “I need to hear her voice.”We fed the tape into the player. The room seemed to shrink around the screen as the static cleared and the footage began to roll.The face on the monitor wasn’t Aria’s. It was Emily’s—grainy, raw, utterly merciless in its clarity. She lay on a bed, her legs swathed in casts. A boy sat beside her, half-s

Chapter 8

Damian’s POVThree days later I found Emily at a resort, sunshine painting her hair gold, a smile flickering across her face when she saw me. I said nothing. I just turned to the guards and gave the order: “Get her.”She was less terrified than I expected. Maybe she’d expected this outcome and had rehearsed it a thousand times. She begged, then—quick, practiced—“Did something happen? Please, tell me. I’m so scared.”I didn’t answer. I hauled her back to the Moretti house and threw her onto the carpet. The video still looped on the screen behind us; the grainy images made the room feel smaller, colder. Her smile faded as she looked around, the first real fear searing through her.Michael rose like a man on a wire, every line of his face shadowed. He looked as if he might strike her where she lay.“Where did you go, Emily?” Michael asked, his voice low and hard, grief braided with something far darker.“Father, I was—” Emily began, sobbing.“Don’t you dare call me ‘father,’” he snapped.

Chapter 9

Aria’s POVThe Ricci met me with a private plane. It felt absurdly luxurious—private jets and silk napkins, as if I were an honored guest rather than a hostage.“Come, Miss Moretti. Mr. Ricci awaits you in his study.”I nodded. On the flight I’d run through a dozen escape plans. Offer to work for him. Offer my father’s contacts. Betray my father if that’s what it took. He hadn’t hesitated to betray me—why should I spare him?The car stopped. The butler opened my door and the manor rose before me—bigger and more beautiful than I expected. The maid greeted me with a sweet smile, “Miss Moretti—Mr. Ricci said a very beautiful lady would be visiting.”The politeness soothed me, perversely. If these people were kind, perhaps their master was kind too.A small, ridiculous hope fluttered.The maid led me up to the third floor. We paused at a giant redwood door. Her gesture told me to enter. My hand found the cold brass.He sat behind a desk—young, impossibly young—no more than twenty-five, i

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