Chapter 16 – The Heiress
ROSE
The room fell silent. My gaze met Jacob‘ s, and I saw his face drain of color. The
smugness, the confidence–everything about his posture deflated as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks.
Jenna, too, seemed taken aback. Her eyes darted between me and the assistant, confusion clouding her face. But it was Jacob’s reaction that was the most satisfying. The discomfort on his face, the way his lips parted as if he was searching for words that wouldn’t come–nothing
compared to the satisfaction I felt in that
moment.
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“Well, isn’t this interesting?” I said, my voice quiet but thick with satisfaction. “I guess you didn’t know who you were messing with after all, Jacob.”
He shook his head, disbelief clear in his eyes. “No… no, that’s impossible.” He scoffed and looked from the assistant to me, then back to the assistant. “I’ve known Rose for five years. She’s poor. I’ve been with her long enough to know she’s not some heiress.”
I couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled up inside me. It was mocking, cutting.
“You really think you know everything about me, Jacob? You don’t have a clue.” I stepped forward, closing the space between us. “Let me make it crystal clear for you. All
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those deals you think Jenna helped you secure? They were nothing. I helped you with all of them. You‘ ve been riding on my coattails for years, Jacob.”
His face twisted with confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I shook my head, unable to keep the bitterness from creeping into my voice.
“Jenna wasn’t the one getting those deals. She was too busy sleeping with the CEOs to actually work for them. The few she managed to secure for you came after she slept her way to the top. But me? I’ve been pulling the strings from the shadows. Everything you thought you accomplished? It’s all me.”
Jacob took a step back, his face paling. He turned toward Jenna, his expression a
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mixture of fury and disbelief. “Is this true?
Did you-”
Jenna flinched, but she quickly recovered, crossing her arms defensively. “I did it because I love you, Jacob!” she exclaimed, her voice rising. “I was trying to help you! You don’t understand, I was just doing what I thought was necessary!”
Jacob’s hand shot out, pushing her away from him, as if the very touch of her was a betrayal. “You‘ ve ruined my life, Jenna,” he spat, his voice shaking with anger.
“You‘ ve lied to me, manipulated me, and used me. I regret letting you into my life.”
The room was thick with tension as the truth hung in the air. Jenna looked as if she might break down, but I couldn’t bring myself to
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feel sorry for her. She had made her choices, and now she was facing the consequences.
Suddenly, Xander stepped forward. He pulled out a small device from his pocket and pressed a button, causing a video to start playing on the screen in the corner of the
room.
Jacob turned to the screen, his expression hardening as he saw the footage. The image on the screen was clear: it was when Jenna had faked a fall in Jacob’s office.
Jacob’s face twisted in shock as the reality of
the situation set in.
“Look at this, Jacob,” my voice was steady. “She lied. You let her lie, and you allowed a doctor to kill our child because of it. She faked that fall, and you let them take my
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blood, all for nothing. It was never about saving her–it was about her revenge.”
13
Jacob‘ s face went ashen. He looked from the screen to me, then back to the footage, his mouth working, but no words came out. He was too shocked to speak, too shaken by what he had just learned.
Jenna, realizing her own downfall, turned to Jacob with desperation in her eyes. “Jacob, please,” she cried, her voice trembling. “I love you! I was doing it all for you. I never meant for it to go this far.”
Jenna fell to her knees, her hands trembling as she reached for Jacob. “Please, I love you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Don’t leave me.”
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But Jacob, for the first time in years, seemed to snap out of his daze. He shoved her hands away and stood up, his expression cold. He turned to me, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite place–remorse, guilt, or perhaps regret.
He dropped to his knees, his voice breaking as he spoke. “Rose, I’m sorry. I’ve ruined everything. Please, take me back. I’ll do anything. I can’t live without you.”
I looked at him, my heart hardening with every word. There was no pity in my eyes, no sympathy. I had spent years loving him, forgiving him, and putting his needs before my own. But I was done.
“You don’t get to do this, Jacob,” I said, my voice steady but sharp. “You don’t get to
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–
beg now, after everything you‘ ve put me through. I’m done with you. Don’t you dare come near me again.”
Xander stepped forward, his hand resting on my shoulder in quiet support. I met his gaze, and for the first time in a long time, I felt the strength to stand my ground.
“Security,” I called out, my voice loud and clear. “Please escort them out.”
Two security guards stepped forward, quickly and efficiently grabbing Jacob and Jenna. Jacob tried to protest, but his words were drowned out by the firm hands pulling him
away.
“Let go of me!” Jacob yelled.
