All Chapters of THE HEIRESS IN OVERALLS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

75 Chapters

THE GLASS GILDED CAGE

Chapter 1: The Glass Gilded Cage The radiator in Avery's studio apartment made a hissing sound like a dying animal. It was blowing air and it seemed to be mocking her. She was four months behind on her heating bill. Avery didn't look at the eviction notice stuck to her door. She was leaning over the kitchen sink scrubbing the smell of cheap floor wax off her hands. Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text from the nursing home. Ms. Cole, Leo's physical therapy session for Monday has been canceled because we didn't get paid. Please call the billing office. Avery squeezed her eyes shut. Her wet hands were gripping the sink hard and her knuckles turned white. She had forty-two dollars in her bank account and some crackers in the pantry. She couldn't afford to be tired. She couldn't afford to be angry. Most of all she couldn't afford to mess up the interview tomorrow. She took a navy blazer off a plastic hanger and checked it for loose threads in the dim light. Tomorrow was a d

THE 5:00 AM EXECUTION

Chapter 2: The 5:00 AM Execution The sound of a boot hitting her door was all Avery needed to wake up. She quickly grabbed her bag making sure the cream-colored envelope was still inside. Her heart was beating fast like it was going to jump out of her chest. She had to get out of there in three minutes. The marshals would catch her. It was 4:12 AM. The world outside was dark and gloomy. The air smelled like wet streets and rain. Avery carried her suitcase down the metal stairs of her apartment in Brooklyn. She was basically homeless now. All she had was a card that might be worth a lot of money. She had to get to Thorne Industries in forty-eight minutes. If she failed she would lose everything. Sterling had a condition that she had to make it on her own in the business world. If she missed her day she would be in big trouble. At 4:58 AM Avery walked into Thorne Industries. Her hair was wet. She had pulled it back into a neat bun. She looked calm and professional. Inside she was a

THE VAULT OF SECRETS

Chapter 3: The Vault of Secrets The SUV cut through the morning fog of Manhattan like a sharp knife. Inside it was quiet. Silas sat in the back with Avery staring at his tablet though he hadn't scrolled in five minutes. Avery looked out the window, her hand holding the strap of her bag where the Sterling access card was. She felt nervous. "You are really quiet for someone who was talking about my 'ego' for twenty minutes, " Silas said, his voice cutting through the sound of the tires. Avery didn't look at him. "I am thinking about the chances of you firing me before we get to the bank." "If you are right about the mistakes you are too valuable to fire " Silas said, finally looking at her. "If you are wrong you are too dangerous to let out of my sight. Either way you are staying close." The SUV stopped in front of the Zurich-Manhattan Bank, a building that looked old and rich. As they got out the cool morning air hit Avery's skin. She felt the eyes of the security guards on her—a

THE OXYGEN OF TRUTH

Chapter 4: The Oxygen of Truth The silence after the vault door closed was total. It was a silence that pressed on your ears making it hard to breathe. Above them the red emergency lights flashed like a slow dying heartbeat casting jagged shadows on the rows of gold safety boxes. "Twenty minutes, " Silas said, his voice calm. With a hint of panic as he checked his watch. He didn't look at Avery; he was already at the terminal typing fast on the keypad. "The air cleaners have been shut off remotely. Julian isn't just locking us in. He's getting rid of everything." Avery felt a sweat on her back. She leaned on the steel of the Sterling box, her mind racing. "Your own uncle is trying to kill you? You're a Thorne. You're his favorite." "I was his tool " Silas corrected, his jaw tight. "The moment you walked into my office with those changes to the Sterling value you made me a problem. If I don't buy the company at his price his secret accounts will collapse. He can't let me know the t

THE ASHES OF AMBITION

Chapter 5: The Ashes of Ambition The world inside Thorne Plaza was a contrast to the chaos on the TV screen. The news anchor was talking about an electrical fire at Brooklyn Medical Center but the marble floors here were cold, silent and didn't care. Avery slumped against the elevator wall, her phone slipping from her fingers. "Leo " she whispered, the name of a prayer. "He can't move. He's in the high-dependency wing. He wouldn't have been able to get out." Silas was already moving. He caught the phone before it hit the floor, his eyes darting between the screen and Avery's crumbling face. The tough CEO who had trapped her in a vault was gone; in his place was a man who acted fast and precisely. "Marcus!" Silas barked at his head of security. "I want a team at Brooklyn Medical now. If Leo Sterling isn't in an ambulance in ten minutes don't bother coming back." "Silas he's my brother " Avery gasped, rushing for the door as it opened into the penthouse suite. "I have to go. I don'

THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Chapter 6: The Ghost in the Machine The big leather chair at the head of the Sterling boardroom did not feel like a seat to Avery. It felt like a chair that could hurt her. Avery sat still, her eyes fixed on the caller ID on the monitor. Alistair Sterling. The name of her father was on the screen in white letters. Silas stood next to her his hand on her shoulder. His fingers got tighter as he thought about what was happening. "It's a trick " Silas said quietly. "Julian must have set up a number to scare you before they took him away." Avery reached out. Pressed the 'Accept' button. The speakers in the room made a noise like someone breathing. "Avery?" The voice was weak and rough like it had not been used in a time.. Avery knew the voice. It was the voice that used to read her bedtime stories about stars. "Dad?" Avery said, her voice shaking. "The vault and the biometric bypass worked because you are my daughter, " the voice said, getting stronger. ". Silas is right about one

THE SATELLITE'S CHOICE

Chapter 7: The Satellite’s ChoiceThe elevator made a noise, its metal cables screaming as it went up to the penthouse. Inside the space the air was getting thick and the vents started to give off a sweet smell. The first sign that the Halon gas was being let into the lower parts of the building.Silas stood over the control panel, his knuckles white as he forced the override. He looked at Avery, his chest moving up and down. "The satellite uplink in my office is not connected to the server. If we can plug that chip in we can stop the countdown.. Alistair’s encryption is very good. It’s not a password, Avery. It’s a puzzle based on the history of the Sterling family.""I know how he thinks, " Avery said, her voice shaking but sure. "He raised me on codes and secret notes. I spent my childhood finding my birthday presents by solving riddles."The doors opened. The penthouse was filled with a glow from the city lights below the emergency shutters stuck halfway. Silas quickly went to the

THE GHOSTWRITER'S SHADOW

Chapter 8: The Ghostwriter’s ShadowThe silence of the penthouse was now more terrifying than the sirens. Avery stared at her phone, Nora Vale's name glowing on the screen. That name didn't belong here; it belonged to her stories. She had used it when writing to survive hungry nights in Brooklyn."Avery?" Silas's voice was rough as he steadied her. He looked at the screen, his brow furrowing. "Who is Nora Vale?""It's me, " she whispered, her voice trembling. ". Rather it's who I am when I'm not Avery Sterling. It's my writing name. Silas no one knows that name. Not even Leo."Silas stood up his protective instincts taking over. He grabbed the phone analyzing the text. "If they know your pen name they've been in your apartment. They've read your thoughts. This isn't about the company; it's personal."The penthouses' private elevator chimed. Marcus entered his tactical gear scorched and his expression grim."Sir, we have a problem, " Marcus said, glancing at Avery. "We moved Leo Sterli

THE SACRIFICE OF SILAS THORNE

Chapter 9: The Sacrifice of Silas Thorne The air in the penthouse got really thick and heavy. The words "The Sacrifice of Silas Thorne" were still on every screen. Avery looked at the screen. Her mind started to think about what it meant. In a romance story a sacrifice usually means the hero has to choose between what's important to him and the person he loves. Avery whispered to herself "They are trying to make the story more exciting." She thought about what she would write in her story. "In my stories this is where the hero does something to show his love is real." Silas did not look scared. He looked upset. He fixed his jacket, which was black. It looked nice with the red lights in the room. "I have worked hard to build this company and make it strong," he said. "If they think I will give up my life for a story they do not know me." The person telling the story was already ahead of him. Silas's phone rang. It was a video call from Julian Thorne. He was in a police car. He was

THE REWRITE BEGINS

Chapter 10: The Rewrite BeginsThe flashing red lights of the police cars bounced off the penthouse ceiling. They cast shadows on the walls. Avery stood by the glass window watching the police take Silas away into the Manhattan night. The silence that was left behind was really loud.She turned her gaze back to the computer terminal. The screen still showed a prompt waiting for her to accept her role as the heiress."You want a tragedy?" she said to the room. Her fingers hovered over the glowing keys. "Then you shouldn't have given the story to a writer."Avery pulled the micro-chip from the console. Turned it over in her hand. Her father had made this chip to hurt the Thorne family. But he didn't think about one thing: Silas Thorne wasn't her father. Silas was a man who had risked his life to save her brother, Leo.If her writing was used as a plan she needed to look at her files. She closed the encrypted software. Opened her private cloud drive. She pulled up the master file for her

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP