《The Secret Heir’s Return 》全部章節：第 31 章 - 第 40 章

The warehouse loomed out of the darkness like a wound.Isabella stood at the edge of the parking lot, her breath fogging in the cold night air, her eyes fixed on the figure standing beneath the flickering security light. Priscilla hadn't moved since Isabella arrived hadn't lowered the gun, hadn't smiled, hadn't done anything but wait.Damien was behind her, hidden in the shadows, his security team fanning out through the surrounding buildings. He had argued when she insisted on approaching alone. Had threatened to lock her in the penthouse. Had finally relented when she reminded him that Priscilla wouldn't talk to anyone else."If anything happens " he'd started."Nothing will happen." She'd kissed him, quick and hard. "I'll signal if I need you."Now, standing in the cold, watching the woman who had once been her best friend, Isabella wasn't so sure."Priscilla." She walked forward slowly, her hands raised, her voice steady. "I'm here. Just like you asked."Priscilla's smile widened.

The first week of Damien's recovery was a lesson in patience.Isabella spent every possible moment at the hospital, slipping past the security guards with coffee and contraband food, reading aloud from the business journals he couldn't focus on, holding his hand while he slept. The doctors said he was healing faster than expected. His body was strong, his will was stronger but she could see the toll it was taking on him.The pain. The boredom. The frustration of being trapped in a bed while Sebastian remained free."They still haven't found him." Damien's voice was flat, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was late, visiting hours long over, but Isabella had refused to leave."They will." She sat in the chair beside his bed, her legs tucked under her, a stack of reports on her lap. "His grandfather has every resource in the city looking for him.""His grandfather." Damien's laugh was bitter. "The man who made him this way."Isabella set down the reports. "What do you mean?"Damien was s

The days after Sebastian's death blurred together.Isabella moved through them like a ghost waking, eating, working, sleeping but none of it felt real. Damien was the same, his grief a mirror of her own, his silence heavier than any words. They held each other at night, two broken people trying to piece together something that resembled wholeness, but the cracks were still there.Sebastian's funeral was private. Family only. Isabella wasn't invited, and she didn't expect to be. She watched from a distance as Damien stood beside his grandfather, his face carved from stone, while the priest spoke words that meant nothing.Genevieve was there, dressed in black, her eyes dry. She didn't look at Isabella. Didn't look at anyone. Just stood beside Damien like the fiancée she was supposed to be, playing her part in the Thorn family drama.After the funeral, the invitations began.Dinner at the Thorn estate. A family meeting, Alexander called it. An opportunity to discuss the future of the com

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Damien's penthouse, painting golden stripes across the tangled sheets.Isabella woke slowly, her body aching in places she'd forgotten she had, a smile tugging at her lips before she even opened her eyes. She could feel Damien beside her the warmth of his body, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the weight of his arm draped across her waist.Last night had been... everything. Not just the physical passion, though that had been incredible. It was the way he had looked at her. The way he had whispered her name. The way he had held her afterward, like he was afraid she might disappear.She turned her head, careful not to wake him, and studied his face in the morning light.Damien Thorn was beautiful in the way that mountains were beautiful, imposing, breathtaking, and a little bit terrifying. His dark hair fanned across the pillow, free from its usual bun. His jaw, usually clenched with tension, was soft in sleep. His lips were p

The envelope arrived on a Tuesday.Isabella found it on her desk when she arrived at work creamy white paper, no return address, her name written in calligraphy so elaborate it took her a moment to decipher. Inside was a single card, embossed with the Thorn family crest.Miss Davenport,You are requested to attend dinner at the Thorn estate this evening at seven o'clock. Transportation will be provided. Dress formally.A. ThornIsabella stared at the card, her heart pounding. Alexander Thorn. The patriarch. The man who had built an empire on secrets and cruelty and the careful manipulation of everyone around him.He wanted to see her.Alone."You're not going."Damien's voice was flat, his jaw tight. They were in his office, the door closed, the blinds drawn. He had been pacing since she showed him the invitation, his hands clenched at his sides."I have to.""You don't have to do anything." He stopped, turning to face her. "My grandfather is dangerous, Isabella. He doesn't invite peo