All Chapters of DON'T MESS WITH THE HEIRESS : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The work from my apartment to the corner of 5th and Main was like walking into a world. The city air was cold. I did not shiver. The cold feeling inside me was worse. I looked at my shadow on the ground. It was like a picture of a woman in a dress holding a phone that held a lot of power.Fourteen minutes later, a black car stopped at the curb.It looked out of place in this neighborhood. The back door opened before the car even stopped."Miss Hannah " Arthur said quietly. His eyes were still sharp. He did not look at my shoes or my rough hands. He looked at my eyes. "You look like yourself again.""I look like a woman who has been asleep for ten years Arthur " I said. I got into the car. The smell of leather hit me hard. It smells like my childhood, like power. "Lets go. I want to see my father before I lose my courage."The Vane Industries building is a tower of glass. For ten years I walked past it with groceries. I tried not to look. I pretended the gold 'V' on the front was not mi

By Wednesday you could feel the tension in our apartment. It was thick. Mike came home late; his tie was loose. His eyes looked bad. He did not even say hello; he went to the liquor cabinet. Poured himself a shot of bourbon."The Architect is a pain " he said. He slammed the glass down. "She sent back my Q3 projection. She said the math did not make sense. Who does she think she is? I have been running this department for five years.""Maybe there was a mistake in the data?" I said. I wiped the counter with a rag. Kept my eyes down."There are no mistakes in my data, Hannah! You stay out of this and stick to the laundry " he shouted. He stomped into the bedroom. A moment later I heard his phone ping.I waited until I heard him sleeping then I crept into the hallway. I did not need his phone; I had already copied his drive to my tablet. I sat on the bathroom floor; the cold tile was against my legs. I scrolled through his folder.It was worse than I thought. Mike was not just cheating;

I walked into my house that evening. Mike was running around like crazy throwing all his clothes into a bag. He didn't care how they were folded. His face was white. His hands were shaking. I asked Mike if he was going on a trip for work trying to sound calm as I stood in the doorway with a cup of tea. But I was really upset inside and every time Mike said something I felt my chest get tight.Mike told me he had to go to the Hamptons for a meeting. I didn't believe him. I knew what Mike was doing. He was going to that house he rented with our money, where Mike and Sophia could plan their escape. The thought of Mike and Sophia together made me feel bad.Soon as Mike left I followed him in a car. The car was black and quiet and I made sure Mike didn't see me. The city lights were blurry. The streets were wet from the rain. I had a feeling that something was wrong.After two hours I parked my car near a restaurant by the sea. I watched Mike and Sophia through the window. Mike was pouring

The Vane Plaza was filled with lights; it was a sight. Big crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling shining down on the floors. The citys important people were in the ballroom. There were executives, investors and media people. Each one of them wore clothes that showed how rich and powerful the Vane Industries people were. Diamonds sparkled under the camera lights. It all sounded fake. This was a room where powerful Vane Industries people came to show off. Tonight it was about me, Hannah Vane. Across the room Mike stood with Sophia on his arm wearing a dress that was trying too hard to get attention. It was bright and flashy. It was clear she didn't belong at the Vane Plaza. Mike on the hand acted like he owned the Vane Plaza. He walked around shaking hands with Vane Industries people laughing loudly and taking credit for things he didn't do. I watched him from afar without him noticing me. Mike said to the Vane Industries people around him "I am telling you Alex Vane is lucky to

I stood frozen as the video ended. The last words from Mike and Sophias voices disappeared into silence. The guards had already taken them away. Their voices were gone, swallowed up by the walls of the ballroom.Nobody said a thing. Nobody moved. Then I turned to Jason Xander. He used to be a deal in the company. He stood beside my father when Vane Industries was just starting out. Now he looked smaller not as powerful as he used to be. His shoulders were tight He did not seem like the person he used to be.He was trying to sneak to the side exit like he did not want anyone to notice him. I took a step forward. My heels clicked loudly on the marble floor."Do not try to leave by the side exit Jason Xander " I said. My voice filled the room. "The police are waiting for you in the lobby."The whole room stopped. Nobody moved."I have been tracking the money you took from Vertex Marketing " I said. I was calm. "I know about every transfer, every hidden account and every single cent of th