All Chapters of CHASING THE REBORN HEIRESS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CHAPTER ONE*SOPHIA*"You look beautiful, sweetheart. Alexander won't be able to take his eyes off you."My mother's voice cut through the darkness like a knife, and I jolted awake, gasping. The words echoed in my head words she'd said ten years ago. Words that had started everything.I sat up, heart hammering, and looked around wildly. Pink walls. Floral curtains. The poster of Monet's Water Lilies I'd taken down when I turned nineteen. My hands flew to my face, touching smooth skin where fine lines should be. No wedding ring. No bruises hidden under makeup.My phone sat on the nightstand, and I grabbed it with shaking fingers. The date glowed back at me: March 15th. My eighteenth birthday."No," I whispered. "No, no, no."But my reflection in the mirror across the room told the truth. I was eighteen again. A decade had vanished like smoke.I stumbled to the bathroom and vomited.Three days passed in a fog. I stayed in my room, claiming illness, while my brain tried to process the im

CHAPTER THREE*SOPHIA*I shouldn't have said that. The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I'd made a mistake.Alexander's face went pale. "What do you mean, 'haven't done it yet'?""Nothing. Forget it." I turned away, but his hand caught my wrist. Not hard, but firm enough to stop me."Sophia."The way he said my name made my stomach twist. Soft. Concerned. Like he actually gave a damn. In my previous life, he'd never said my name like that. It had always been perfunctory, distracted, or worse absent entirely.I yanked my hand free. "Don't touch me."Victoria stepped between us, her smile sharp. "Darling, I think we should go. Clearly, we're not welcome here.""I'm not talking to you," Alexander said without looking at her. His eyes stayed locked on mine. "Sophia, please. I don't understand what's happening, but""You're having dreams, aren't you?" The words came out before I could stop them.His whole body went rigid. "How do you know that?"Because I was having them too. Because

CHAPTER FIVE*SOPHIA*The private jet was already fueling when we arrived at Teterboro. Alexander had made three more calls to his father with no answer. His jaw was tight, hands clenched."He always answers," Alexander said. "Always."I didn't tell him that in my timeline, James Sterling had been unreachable for six hours before they found his body in a hotel room. Heart attack, the coroner said. Induced by stress, Eleanor had whispered at the funeral, looking at me like I'd killed him myself."Tell me exactly what happened," Alexander demanded as we boarded."Your father signed the contract. Three months later, the Zhao Group demanded off-book payments. When he refused, they threatened to expose fabricated evidence of corruption. He paid to protect the company. It went on for two years before""Before they killed you to send a message.""Car accident. Brake failure. Very convenient, very clean." I buckled in as the plane started taxiing. "But I think they miscalculated. They thought

CHAPTER SEVEN*SOPHIA*Wei was already at the restaurant when I arrived, looking exactly as I remembered. Expensive suit, easy smile, dead eyes."Sophia." He stood to greet me, kissing both cheeks. "You look wonderful. Success suits you.""Uncle Wei." I sat across from him, keeping my left hand visible on the table. The FBI agents were somewhere in this crowd, watching. "It's been a long time.""Too long. Your mother tells me you've been making quite a name for yourself in the art world." He poured tea. "And now you're involved with Alexander Sterling. She's very pleased.""I'm sure she is.""Though I hear there's been some tension. Problems with the hotel deal?"I sipped the tea, buying time. "Alexander's being cautious. His father's disappearance has him spooked."Wei's expression didn't change. "Disappeared? How unfortunate. I hadn't heard.""Really? It happened just hours after he was supposed to sign your contract.""My contract?" Wei laughed. "Sophia, I'm simply a consultant for

CHAPTER NINE*SOPHIA*Eleanor died at 3 AM. I was working on the painting when Isabelle called."It's done," she said. "Alexander's grandmother is gone."I set down my brush. "How do you know?""Marcus told me. He's still plugged into that world." She paused. "Are you okay?""I should feel something. Victory, closure, something. But I just feel empty.""That's normal. Revenge doesn't fill the holes people leave in you."After we hung up, I stared at the canvas. The screaming woman looked back at me, trapped in her moment of agony forever. I picked up a palette knife and scraped half her face away. Started over with different colors, softer lines. Maybe she didn't need to scream anymore.My mother called at dawn."Sophia, we need to talk about Eleanor's will.""I don't care about her will.""You should. She left you something."That made me pause. "What?""I don't know. The lawyer said you need to be present for the reading. It's tomorrow at the Sterling estate.""I'm not going.""Soph