All Chapters of The Hidden Heiress Returns : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Kingsley's POV I was halfway through the call before I realized my hand was shaking.Not out of fear or anger but out of my compressed, disciplined nature, the kind that sat tight behind the ribs and waited for permission. The phone was pressed hard to my ear, my voice already stripped of warmth, now's not the time to be soft or compressed.“If I see her anywhere near Hailey or myself or anywhere in the vicinity,” I said, each word deliberate, sharpened, “just consider yourself fired.”I paused just long enough to let the threat settle. And this wasn't a mere threat, I was gonna do more than fire them, they will be tortured more than they can imagine.On the other end, someone swallowed audibly. A man who understood exactly what being fired meant in my world and I'm glad he did.“Y–yes, boss.”“Also,” I continued, my gaze fixed on nothing and everything at once, “find out if Tyler had anything to do with her sudden appearance. I want answers.” I leaned forward, forearms braced on the

That night I couldn't sleep, sleep never came.Kingsley lay on his back, staring into the dark, counting the seconds between breaths like it might anchor him. The bed felt wrong—too wide, too quiet. Hailey hadn’t turned toward him once before retreating to her room. The distance she’d put between them wasn’t measured in steps or doors. It was something sharper and intentional. He knows she feels hurt because he's hiding something from her just like her people are.He didn’t blame her and it was not her fault either and that was the worst part.He replayed the night over and over in his head, searching for the exact moment where he’d chosen control over honesty. It had been instinctive, reflex. The same instinct that had kept him alive in boardrooms and war zones alike. Anticipate, contain and neutralize.But Hailey wasn’t an enemy.She was the one thing he couldn’t afford to cage, she is the love of his life even when she didn't remember him and even now that she is having issues, he

Staying in the house felt wrong, not knowing what or happened or where she was, felt more wrong to him.Kingsley stood in the center of the foyer, phone pressed to his ear, issuing orders that came out clipped and lethal, he was so furious and serious.“i want you to check every camera,” he said. “Interior, exterior, the street feeds within a five-mile radius. I want footage from midnight until now and make sure you don't miss anything, else I'd make sure you breathe your last breath brutally.”He ended the call before the response finished and dialed another, he wasn't going to leave any stone unturned.“Lock down the perimeter, make sure no one leaves without clearance, check the guard rotations from last night, I want names, i want timestamps.”He paced as he spoke, boots striking marble in sharp, echoing beats. Staff scattered around him like nervous birds. Security monitors flickered in the adjacent room, casting cold blue light over tense faces.Hailey had been gone for hours.H

Hailey's POV One hour passed.I knew because the light above me flickered twice, and in the silence between those flickers, I counted my breaths.I had reached three hundred and twelve before I lost track and because this meniac won't stop screaming it in my ears and making sure I feel it in all areas.My wrists were raw now. The rope had eaten through my skin. Every small movement burned. My head throbbed in dull waves, blood dried stiff against my hairline. My stomach still ached from the kick, each inhale stretching bruised muscle.They hadn’t touched me again, I don't know if that was a good or bad thing but that was worse.Waiting was worse.The masked man stood near the far wall, half swallowed by shadow. He hadn’t spoken much since the call, and hadn't moved much either. Just watched me like I was an investment he was monitoring and kept reminding me of time.I tried not to imagine what was happening outside this room.Was Kingsley standing in his office right now, staring at

Hailey's POV The world felt unreal on the drive back. A few minutes ago, I was almost dead, I had cried and had no hope left inside me and now, everywhere was too quiet like nothing happened. Is that how people die??Brandson had wrapped his jacket around my shoulders the moment we stepped outside the warehouse. It was too big, heavy with the scent of his cologne and gunpowder. My fingers clutched the fabric like it was the only solid thing left. I was too frightened to even talk.Kingsley drove, he drove too fast. I knew he was really angry with my decision but right now, I don't care what he thinks or how he feels.His hands were steady on the wheel, but I saw the way his eyes kept flicking to the rearview mirror to look at me.He was checking up on me at intervals, trying to make sure I was still breathing.I stared out the window instead, looking at him will only soften my heart which I can't afford to do now.The city blurred past in streaks of gray and glass and morning traffic