PROOF TO RUIN: 10 STEPS TO KILL A BILLIONAIRE のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

I pulled into the hospital driveway and quickly texted Jo.Just entered. Let me see if Mum’s out of surgery then I’ll call.The antiseptic smell barely registered today. My hopes rode too high for anything else to matter. I stepped into mum’s ward. It was empty. At the site thread of unease slipped down my spine, but I pushed it aside and headed straight for the nurses’ station."Recovery wing, third floor. She’s still in theatre.” the kind nurse said sympathetically Still? It was past five, and hey had started since the morning.I turned the corner and found Aunt Viv standing alone, arms wrapped tightly around herself.“Hey,” I said, rushing over. “What’s wrong?”Aunt Viv looked up, her eyes tired and red-rimmed. “I don’t know, dear,” she whispered. “They’ve been in there since this morning. Every doctor that comes out refuses to tell me anything.” Her lips trembled. “You don’t think something happened… do you?”“No,” I said quickly, taking her arm. “I doubt it. These surgeries can

I set my bag down, looked at my desk, and smiled.It took me a second to realize I was doing it. My mother was stable. The surgery had gone well. Heath hadn't lied to me—not completely. And for the first time since stepping into Moore Holdings, I didn't feel like I was bracing for impact every single time. The realization settled in my chest, unfamiliar and a little dangerous.Which was precisely why I decided to go bother him.I walked into his office without knocking. Heath was already at his desk, sleeves rolled up, focused on his screen. As I entered, he glanced up, and the corner of his mouth twitched."Wow.""What?""You are not frowning today… Should I be scared?" I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips."Well… I have a reason to smile," he said, his eyes looking at me intently. I couldn't help the heat that started to rise up my body.He glanced up. The corner of his mouth twitched. "You're early. And apparently in a mood."Ahem."So what are we doing today?""We aren'

The cab’s tyres hissed over wet tarmac as it pulled up outside the Brixton address Heath had texted at one in the morning. I stepped out, heels clicking against the pavement, and immediately regretted every life choice that had led me to wear them. The building was a three-storey grey brick building, with high windows reflecting the sky. A plain white van sat parked at the kerb, no markings, no driver visible. At first I thought it was an old warehouse, then I spotted the brand-new security cameras tucked under the eaves, the ‘construction worker’ who had a bulge on his hip side, and knew that this was just a cover.Vito leaned against the car, arms folded, watching me. Heath had switched from his usual limo to a Mercedes, which did nothing to hide his wealth, so why bother?“Don’t even dare,” I muttered, glaring at him.“You’ll regret those in twenty minutes,” he said dryly, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.I was regretting them even now, but I didn’t bother to dignify that

HEATHThe chessboard sat untouched in my office.I hadn't moved a piece in three days—not since I'd sent Katherine the address for Brixton and watched her walk through that warehouse to meet Gerald, asking questions she had no business asking.Why am I here, Heath?Because I needed to see if she'd notice. If she'd push. If she'd write it down and keep it somewhere I couldn't reach. She did all three.I reached for the queen, the most powerful piece, and stopped. My fingers hovered. Then I pulled back and pushed the pawn instead, one square forward. It was small, so it was disposable The door opened behind me, and heavy footsteps entered. Not Vito's. It was lighter, and more measured."You're late," I said without turning."You gave me six hours' notice and an address with no context."I almost smiled at the echo—Katherine's voice from earlier, still fresh in my head. But this wasn't Katherine. This was someone who'd been dead to me for three years, and yet here he was, standing in my

Jo declared an early night, and I didn't argue. We'd both been running on fumes anyway. She stayed beside me on the bed, and I fell asleep hearing her soft breaths on the pillow. I woke up to sunlight slicing through the curtains and the clock blinking 2:39 PM.Yep, she's back at it, I thought with a sleepy smile. Jo and her ironclad Sunday schedule were officially in the building again.I padded out of our shared bedroom in my old nightie, yawning wide enough to crack my jaw, and collapsed onto the couch. My lazy morning had turned into a lazy afternoon, and I was here for it.Jo was already up, of course, looking fresh in leggings and one of my hoodies, legs tucked under her as she sipped coffee. She grinned when she saw me."Sleeping beauty finally decided to join the living?""Shut up," I mumbled, pulling a throw blanket over my legs. "Some of us needed the coma."She set her mug down. "While you were busy snoring, I remembered something. During my gap year I binge-watched Dear Za