Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rise Of The Forgotten Heiress : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Eunia This cannot be happening.For a moment, I can only stare at him, anger and desperation tangling together, racking at my nerves."Of course," I hear myself say, my voice surprisingly calm. I turn and walk toward the exit, my face burning hot red, hands clenched into fists at my sides.Maybe I shouldn't have passed on that slap.I hang around the restaurant, pretending to check my phone while my mind races. There has to be another way in. There has to be.This is my only chance. My real shot at freedom, and I'm not about to let some pompous maître d'hôtel with a superiority complex destroy everything.But what exactly can I do now? The gears of my brain are still turning when someone grabs my attention. A man stepping out of a sleek black car, adjusting his cufflinks as he heads toward the restaurant. He looks older, maybe early forties, with a few silver streaks in his beard but who cares? He looked wealthy, well established, and probably my ticket out of this situation.I do

EuniaI bite the inside of my lip, my mind racing under Cole's observant gaze. His eyes cut through all my defenses as he waits for my response. I already know Cole MayRidge is as shrewd as they come. He won't indulge in anything that doesn't have clear benefits for him, so hopefully when I mention Logan, his business rival, he'll see no reason not to comply.“I'm being forced into a marriage I want no part of,” the desperation I've been trying to conceal bleeds into my voice despite my best efforts. “But my fiancé is a person of interest to you.” Cole only gives me a bland look before casually glancing down at his watch. “I'd appreciate it if you get straight to the point,” he says evenly, though I catch the mild irritation beneath his tone. “Logan Graham…” I blurt, heart hammering, afraid he might stop listening at any second . “That's who my fiancé is and according to my research, you two are rivals.”My palms are sweating. I press them against my thighs under the table, trying

Eunia“But you hate Logan too,” I argue, a mix of dread and desperation tangling in my voice. “That's why you've been trying to sabotage him, right? Poaching all his investors? Partnering with me will make things easy for you.”“I don't actually hate Logan,” he corrects calmly. “Hate is a strong word. I don't care for him enough to allocate such strong feelings towards him.”My heart sinks. I stare at Cole, confusion and panic rising up inside me. What does he mean by he doesn't hate Logan? That was the backbone of this entire plan. My gaze dramatically plummets to my trembling fingers. “If anything,” he continues. “I consider Logan a nuisance. No better than a pesky housefly. Especially during our university days when he kept following me around like a lost puppy.”I almost cackle.Logan being compared to a ‘housefly’ and ‘lost puppy’ might just be the highlight of my day. I shake off all my doubt and lean forward in my seat, my eyes sparkling.I still have a shot!“I don't believe

Eunia We stay at the restaurant for another hour after that, Cole insisting that we need to discuss logistics if we're going to pull this off convincingly."When do you want to execute your plan?" he asks, pulling out his phone.I try to focus. I try to ignore the way my hand still tingles from where he kissed. "As soon as possible. The engagement with Logan will be finalized soon and I suspect I'll be married to him in just a couple weeks.""Want to be more specific?""Within the next week." I glance up, meeting his eyes, certainty dripping from my voice. My mind was already made up.Cole nods, typing something into his phone. "Then we'll need to move fast. The paparazzi leak needs to happen within the next few days.""I can handle that part," I say quickly.He glances up at me. "Have you done something like this before?""No, but—""Then let me handle it," he cuts me off smoothly. "I have contacts who specialize in strategic information distribution."Of course he does."It'll mak

EuniaI've never been more certain about wanting to get away from this horrific version of my life than I have about anything else."I won't." I state firmly.Cole nods slowly. "Then I'll be in touch soon. Keep your phone on."I reach for the door handle, but his voice stops me."Eunia."I turn back. "Yes?"He leans closer. Close enough that I can see the flecks of lighter blue in his irises. Close enough that I'm able to whiff that brilliant musky scent."For what it's worth," he says quietly, “I think you're incredibly fearless.”His word catches me off guard, and I look away before embarrassment can make its marks on my cheeks. “I'm not fearless… I'm just desperate.”“Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.” His hand reaches out, fingers brushing against my jaw to turn my face back toward his. “You're willing to risk everything for your freedom. That takes courage.”“Thank you,” I whisper.He smiles at me. That same charming smile from earlier that turned my mind to a mess. "Do