Chapter 11 – The Hidden Heiress%
I stared at the man in the chair. His face was bloodied. His hands shook against the ropes. He looked more dead than alive
My assistant stood beside him, holding the whip)
“That’s enough,” I said
My assistant dropped the whip.
The man let out a low groan. “Please…. please. I don’t know what I did. Why are you doing this to me?“%
I sighed.
“Who did you leak the information to?” I asked quietly.
His eyes widened. “I swear, I didn’t leak anything. I didn’t.“%
I walked over to the table and picked up the gun. Cold, heavy, familiar
“I’m going to ask you one more time,” I said, “Who?“)
He began to cry. “Please… I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to.
“Speak.”
“My family,” he sobbed. They threatened to kill my wife. My daughter… I had no choice.”
I tilted my head. “So you did leak it“..
He nodded slowly, trembling. “Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything. Just… don’t kill me.“%
“To whom?” I asked. “Who did you give the information to?”
“I’ll tell you. Just promise… promise you won’t kill me.”
I stared at him for a long second, then scoffed
I raised the gun…
“No! No! Wait, I–8
Bang.
A clean shot
Straight to the forehead.
He slumped, dead, Blood pooled beneath him,{”
The room went quiet.
My assistant froze. “Sic,“X
“Clean this up,” I said coldly. “And find out who the hell he gave the information to. I want names. Every single one.” “Yes, sir”
Just then, one of the security staff came running in, holding a laptop.
“Boss! We have a problem!”
“What now?”
He opened the screen, breathing hard. “The silent alarm was triggered… someone entered the lower level.”! “What?”
He turned the screen to me. “Here Look at the footage.”
I leaned in.X
A woman.
Slim build, Long hair. She looked terrified. She had no idea where she was going.
I watched her run. Stop. Look around. Then bolt out through the same door she came in.
My jaw clenched. “Who is she?“%
“We don’t know”
“Then find out. I want every camera in the building reviewed. Get her face scanned. I want her name, her number, her address, her blood type il possible No one walks into my private zone and leaves untouched”
“Yes, sir Right away”
My phone rang
I answered it Hunter I
“Mr Blackwell?” the voice on the line said. “This is St. Augustine Hospital. Your grandfather has suffered another heart attack. He’s stable but you should come
My heart stopped for a moment I’m on my way
When I reached the hospital, the nurses were already trying to hold my grandfather down
“I don’t want your drugs!” he yelled “Let me gor
“Sr, please-
#12 AM
I pushed the door open “Grandpar
“Calm down.” I said, walking over to him “Please, le hack. Let them freal you”
He struggled to sit up “No You listen to me.”
“Tam. But you need to rest–1
“I wouldn’t be in this damn hospital if you had done what I told you to dow
“What are you talking about?“k
He pointed a shaky finger at me “You know damn well what I mean: You’re thirty two Sull single Ho heir to wife Vilaut kind of legacy are you leaving?
“Grandpa-
“Don’t interrupt me!” he snapped “You’re too busy playing god in your office. What about the family? What about mai? What abral jy dying wish?”
I looked down.
Tve built this empire for you, he said, voice cracking. “And you can’t even give me a grandchild?
“Tm not ready for marriage
“You were never ready for responsibility either, but here you ara, acting like a king. If you’d marned like I told you, if you’d just settled. down.. maybe I wouldn’t be here,”
-bon’t say that”
“it’s true. My heart’s tired. Tired of waiting.”
I reached for his hand. “You need to calm down. Please”
His grip was weak, but his eyes still held fire “Marry Settle. Give me peace befom I leave this world”
I didn’t answer
But looking at him, looking at how broken and tired he looked. I didn’t know what to sayli
Just then, the door opened again.X
My assistant walked in with a tablet in his hand.
“Sir we have something you need to see,” he said to me
“What now?” Lasked.
He handed me the tablet.
“It’s about the woman who tripped the alarm.”
I stared at the screen
I was her again. The same woman. The terrified one. Running for her life
And now, finally, her name popped up on the screen.
Faye Berkeley
Berkeley?
My fingers tightened around the tablet
No way
Grandpa’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Hunter I need you to marry before I die.”
I kept staring at the name.
Faye Berkeley
The hidden Berkeley heiress?
A woman who had just unknowingly walked into my darkest secret
Hooked down at Grandpa again.
And then on the screen
“Maybe I said under my breath. “Maybe I had just found the answer”
