All Chapters of THE HEIRESS GAME;REBIRTH AND RUIN: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

ADELINEWalking out of the bank felt like walking away from another broken promise. The safe deposit box had been our strongest lead since Devon died, and now it was empty. Every step toward the car felt heavier than the last. I kept wondering how Conrad always managed to reach every piece of evidence before we did. It was beginning to feel as though we were chasing shadows instead of people.Mikhail unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me. I climbed inside without saying a word. Jackson stayed behind near the bank entrance, staring back toward the building as if he had forgotten we were leaving. His eyes weren't filled with defeat. They were filled with concentration, and I had seen that look before. It meant his mind was refusing to let something go.Mikhail noticed too."He’s thinking."I nodded."He thinks we missed something.""Probably."I looked through the windshield."I hope he's right."A minute later, Jackson hurried back toward the car."Don't start the engin

ADELINEThe days began to blur together until I could barely remember which meetings had happened that morning and which ones had happened the night before. Every sunrise started at Royce Industries, where I fought to keep the company steady, and almost every evening ended at the penthouse, surrounded by files, photographs, and endless questions about Devon's murder. My world had become divided into two battles. One was for my company, and the other was for the truth. Both felt equally important, and both seemed determined to drain every bit of strength I had left.I used to believe I had to carry every problem alone. That was how I had survived before. Depending on other people had only brought me pain in my first life, so I had taught myself to trust no one completely. But somewhere between the late-night strategy meetings and the endless investigation, something had quietly changed. I no longer noticed when Mikhail pulled another chair beside me or silently placed a fresh cup of co

JACKSONI barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the witness sitting across from me in the storage room, nervously looking at the window as if he expected someone to walk through it at any second. His fear had been real. I had seen frightened people before, and I knew the difference between someone hiding the truth and someone trying to stay alive. The more I thought about our conversation, the more convinced I became that he hadn't told me everything he knew.Before the sun came up, I was already awake with a cup of cold coffee sitting untouched on my desk. I picked up my phone and called him again. The call rang until it reached voicemail. I waited a minute before trying again, hoping he had simply forgotten to charge his phone overnight. The second call went unanswered too, and so did the third.I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling."This isn't right."Daniel looked up from his laptop."No answer?"I shook my head."Not once.""You think somethin

ADELINE.I barely touched my breakfast the next morning. My mind was still trapped in everything that had happened the day before. The witness had disappeared without a trace, and the note he left behind kept echoing inside my head. Don't trust the police. Those four words had changed everything. Before, I believed we were only fighting Conrad. Now, I couldn't stop wondering how many people were secretly helping him.Jackson arrived at the penthouse before eight o'clock. He looked even more tired than I felt, but his eyes were sharp. He wasn't the kind of man who gave up after losing a lead. If anything, every setback only made him more determined. He dropped another stack of files onto the dining table before quietly sitting down.Mikhail poured him a cup of coffee."You should get some sleep."Jackson accepted the mug but didn't drink from it."I'll sleep when this is over."Mikhail sighed."At this rate, that might be a long time."Jackson gave a tired smile."Then I'll stay awak

Jackson povThe moment I learned that Devon had rented a storage unit, I made up my mind. This time, I wasn't repeating the mistakes that had haunted this investigation from the very beginning. No police reports. No official requests beyond what was absolutely necessary. No phone calls that could be overheard. The fewer people who knew where we were going, the better our chances of getting there before Conrad's people.I stood outside the storage facility the following morning with Daniel and my other trusted investigator, Colin. Both of them understood why I had called only them.Daniel looked around the quiet parking lot."Nobody else knows we're here?"I shook my head."Only us."Colin frowned."Not even Adeline?""I simply told her I was following a lead, but I didn't tell her where."He nodded."If there's really a leak...""We won't give them anything to leak,” I finished for him.The three of us walked into the manager's office. The same man from the day before looked up from h