Home / Romance / Rise Of The Heiress / Chapter 1: The fall

Share

Rise Of The Heiress
Rise Of The Heiress
Author: A knight in skirt

Chapter 1: The fall

last update Last Updated: 2025-01-03 17:10:27

The grand chandelier above cast a warm glow on the glittering ballroom, a stark contrast to the icy storm raging inside Isabella Laurent's chest. Her fingers clutched the crystal glass of champagne so tightly that she feared it might shatter. Yet, the physical pain would pale in comparison to the anguish tearing her apart.

Her boyfriend, no, her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, stood in the center of the room, his arm dropped possessively around a woman who radiated smugness. The woman's designer gown sparkled almost as brightly as her malicious smile.

"Don't you think I'm totally out of your league now?" Ryan's words echoed in Isabella's mind, each syllable driving another dagger into her heart.

She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. How had it come to this? Just months ago, they had been partners in every sense of the word. She had sacrificed everything for him: her wealth, her status, her family. She had believed in him when no one else did. She had built his empire with her own hands.

And now, he dared to dismiss her as though she were nothing more than an afterthought, a stepping stone to greater heights.

"Isabella Laurent, the infamous gold digger," his fiancée sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "Did you think someone like Ryan would settle for someone like you?"

The room erupted in laughter, the sound clawing at Isabella's composure. She wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out. But instead, she stood tall, her spine straight and her chin raised. She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.

With a deep breath, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room. The sting of humiliation followed her, but so did a flicker of something else.

Anger.

For years, she had poured her life into Ryan's dreams, believing they were building something together. But she realized the bitter truth, she had been nothing more than a tool.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she exited the venue, each step fueling her resolve.

This wasn't over.

*****

The Laurent estate was as vast and imposing as she remembered, but it no longer felt like home. Not after she had abandoned it to chase a man who wasn't worth the dust on her shoes.

“Miss Isabella," the butler greeted with a look of surprise, his graying eyebrows raised. "We weren't expecting you."

"Neither was I," Isabella murmured under her breath as she stepped inside.

Her parents were seated in the drawing room, their expressions unreadable. Her mother's eyes scanned her disheveled appearance, lingering on the tear-streaked mascara smudges under her eyes.

"I assume this means your little adventure is over?" her father asked, his tone cold and clipped.

Isabella didn't flinch. She deserved that, as an unfilial daughter. She had walked away from them, from everything that had tried to offer her, for a man who had betrayed her in the worst possible way.

"I'm not here to ask for forgiveness," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "I'm here to rebuild."

Her father's eyebrows shot up. "Rebuild?"

Isabella nodded, a spark igniting in her gaze. "Ryan thinks he's won. He thinks I'm finished. But he had no idea who he's crossed."

Her mother tilted her head, a small approving smile playing on her lips. “And what do you plan to do? My dear Isabella."

"Take back everything," Isabella said, her voice cold and resolute. "And when I'm done, he will wish he'd never underestimated me."

For the first time in months, Isabella felt alive. Betrayal might have broken her, but it had also forged something stronger in its wake.

This wasn't the end of her story. It was only the beginning.

As Isabella retired to her old room, a letter on the dresser caught her eye. The bold signature at the bottom was unmistakable: Alexander Blackwood. The man her parents had once tried to set her up with, the man she had dismissed as too cold and calculating.

But now? Now he might be exactly what she needed.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Related chapters

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 2: The Proposal Of Power

    (Isabella’s POV) The Laurent estate was eerily silent at night, the kind of silence that pressed against my skin like an unseen force, urging me to reconsider every reckless decision that had led me back here. But regret was a luxury I could no longer afford. I ran my fingers over the envelope on my dresser, my pulse quickening. The name on it was one I hadn’t thought of in years. Alexander Blackwood. The last time I had seen him, I was still a naïve girl who believed love was more important than power. He had looked at me with cold amusement back then, as if he already knew I would come crawling back to the world I had tried so hard to escape. I tore the letter open, my eyes scanning the sharp, calculated handwriting: > Isabella, I hear your return to the Laurent family hasn’t been met with open arms. You need power, and I need a partner. We should talk. Alexander Blackwood A slow smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. So, he knew. I shouldn’t have been surprised. If there w

    Last Updated : 2025-01-03
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 3: The Rebirth

    The night was colder than I expected as I stepped out of Blackwood Tower, the weight of the proposition Alexander had laid before me still heavy on my shoulders. His words echoed in my mind: "Revenge." The allure of it pulsed through me, awakening something deep inside that had long since been buried beneath the hurt. I had been broken, humiliated, but now? Now, I was ready to take back what was mine. The city streets were bathed in a soft, golden light, the hustle and bustle of late-night traffic doing little to quiet the storm inside me. My hand clutched the phone in my pocket, my fingers tingling from the cold but also from anticipation. I had a plan now—no more playing the helpless victim. But there was something else, a slight unease I couldn’t shake, gnawing at the back of my mind. I hadn’t expected Alexander to want a partnership. But here I was, caught in the web of a man who was just as dangerous as Ryan—if not more. He didn’t offer kindness or promises of loyalty. He offere

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 4: The Plan

    The next few days felt like a blur, my life moving at a pace I couldn’t fully grasp. But that was exactly what I needed. Control. Focus. Power. It had been years since I had felt so sharp, so aware of every decision I made. Everything I had once taken for granted—love, family, comfort—had now been replaced by something darker, something that burned in my chest with an intensity I could no longer ignore. And Alexander Blackwood, as much as I loathed to admit it, was the key to unlocking it all. The first morning after our meeting, I woke up in my old room at the Laurent estate, the sun barely creeping through the heavy curtains. The quiet stillness felt suffocating, but I didn’t have time to waste on sentimentality. I needed to get to work. I walked over to the dresser, where I had left the file Alexander had given me. The business acquisition documents were still there, staring back at me, daring me to take action. I ran my fingers over the crisp pages, each line of text feeling lik

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 5: The First Move

    The morning air was crisp as I stood in front of Orion Tech’s glass tower, my reflection staring back at me like a ghost from the past. My heart pounded, but not from fear. No, this was adrenaline—the rush of reclaiming what was stolen from me. I took a deep breath and walked through the revolving doors. Inside, everything was just as I remembered: sleek, modern, efficient. Employees bustled about, their conversations filled with numbers and strategies. It was my world, the one I had helped build. And today, I was one step closer to taking it back. David Reyes had agreed to meet me in a small café a block away from Orion’s headquarters. As I entered, I spotted him at a corner table, nervously stirring his coffee. He looked older than I remembered, the stress of working under Ryan showing in the lines on his face. When he saw me, he straightened, his unease evident. "Isabella," he greeted, setting his cup down. "I wasn’t sure you’d actually show." "I always show up when it matters,"

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 6: The Engagement Contract

    The Laurent estate was unusually quiet that morning, but a storm was brewing within me. I sat in the grand dining hall, absently stirring my coffee as my parents exchanged knowing glances from across the table. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable, but it carried weight—anticipation, perhaps. They were waiting for me to speak first. I exhaled slowly, setting my cup down. "So… when exactly were you planning to tell me that my engagement to Alexander Blackwood was still valid?" My mother’s lips curved into an unreadable smile as she gracefully dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "We never canceled it, darling. We assumed you would come to your senses eventually." My father, ever the businessman, leaned back in his chair with an approving nod. "And it appears we were right." I resisted the urge to sigh. Of course, they had anticipated this moment. The Laurents weren’t just wealthy—they were strategic, always thinking ten steps ahead. Unlike me, who had foolishly throw

    Last Updated : 2025-01-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 7: The Rules of the Game

    The contract lay heavy in my hands, its sleek paper mocking me with its crisp, clean edges. I could almost feel the weight of the words written on it—words that promised power, revenge, and a future I never thought I’d embrace. But here I was, standing in Blackwood Tower, on the verge of stepping into a life I had once left behind. Alexander’s gaze never wavered as I held the document, his eyes cold yet calculating, watching me closely as I considered the next move in this game we were about to play. "So, what now?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. My heart raced in my chest, but I wasn’t about to let him see it. I was Isabella Laurent—no longer the naive girl who had once foolishly believed in love. Now, I was a woman who would use everything in her power to get what she wanted. Alexander’s lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. "Now, we begin." He turned and walked to the side of the room, where a sleek wooden table stood, set up with two chairs. He gestured for me to ta

    Last Updated : 2025-01-20
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 8: Unraveling the Web

    The room was swarming with reporters, photographers, and curious onlookers, all eagerly waiting for the announcement of the engagement that had been whispered about for days. Blackwood Tower’s grand conference hall was bathed in soft, warm lighting, and the podium stood at the center of it all, a gleaming symbol of the future that awaited me. But as I stood backstage, watching Alexander, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was about to step into a storm. The tall glass windows overlooked the city skyline, and for a moment, I let my gaze drift toward the distant horizon. The world was a blur beyond the glass, but the reality I was about to enter was crystal clear: it was a game of power. Alexander Blackwood and I were about to make history, but it wasn’t going to be a smooth ride. There would be enemies, power struggles, and battles for control. And I had to be prepared to fight. “You’re staring again,” Alexander’s voice broke my thoughts, his tone the usual cold, almost detached one

    Last Updated : 2025-01-20
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 9: A Game of Power and Revenge

    The phone rang as Isabella sat at her desk, staring out of her office window at the bustling city below. It had been a few days since the press conference, and her mind was still processing the whirlwind of events that had followed. The engagement with Alexander Blackwood was no longer just a public spectacle—it had become a chess move in the game she had been playing her entire life. But even as she moved through this new reality, there were remnants of her past that refused to let go. The phone continued ringing, and without a second thought, Isabella reached for it. The number on the screen was one she hadn’t seen in months, but the name made her heart skip a beat. Ryan. She hesitated, her fingers lingering over the screen for just a moment longer. The memories of their time together—the passion, the plans, the promises—flashed through her mind. But those were all in the past now. She had buried those feelings deep within her, and nothing, not even his voice, could bring them bac

    Last Updated : 2025-01-21

Latest chapter

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 150: A New Beginning

    The battlefield was silent.Ryan exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as he surveyed the wreckage. The bodies of Black Sun operatives lay scattered across the tarmac, their reign of terror finally over. The jet they had planned to use for their escape was now a smoldering heap of metal, rendered useless by Lena’s sabotage.Sophia stepped up beside him, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She was covered in dust and sweat, her breathing still ragged, but her eyes held the same fierce determination he had always admired.“It’s over,” she whispered.Ryan nodded. “Yeah. It is.”But deep inside, he knew that nothing truly ended.There would always be another enemy lurking in the shadows, another mission calling his name. Yet, for the first time in years, he felt a sense of completion. A war had been fought—and won.Dante approached, wiping blood from his knife before sliding it back into its sheath. “I counted twelve bodies. I think that’s a record for me.”Sophia shot him a

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 149: The Final Betrayal

    The air was thick with tension as Ryan stood over Catherine, her wrists bound with zip ties. She glared at him, defiant even in defeat. The gunfire had stopped, and the only sounds in the dimly lit compound were the echoes of footsteps and the ragged breathing of his team.Sophia stood beside him, her expression unreadable. Lena and Dante secured the exits, ensuring no one else would escape. They had won this battle—but the war wasn’t over yet.Ryan knelt in front of Catherine, his voice dangerously calm. “Start talking.”Catherine scoffed, her lip curling in amusement. “You’re still as stubborn as ever, Ryan.”He grabbed her by the collar, pulling her closer. “You leaked our location. You set us up. Tell me who you’re working for.”Her smirk didn’t waver, but her eyes darkened. “You already know, don’t you?”Ryan’s jaw tightened. He had his suspicions, but he needed confirmation.Lena stepped forward, her laptop open in her arms. “I traced her communications. She’s been in direct con

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 148: The Hidden Enemy

    The night had fallen with a heavy silence, but it wasn’t the kind of quiet that calms the mind—it was the kind that gnawed at the edges of reality, reminding Ryan that everything was still unraveling. Every corner, every shadow could be hiding something worse than what he had already faced.They had just left the warehouse, Viktor Petrov’s body now nothing more than a dark memory behind them. Still, Ryan’s heart raced with the knowledge that something bigger was brewing. He could feel it in his bones.Sophia, sitting in the passenger seat, was unusually quiet. He had expected her to ask more questions, but the calmness in her voice when she spoke broke the tension between them.“Do you think he was lying?” she asked, her voice soft yet steady.Ryan’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, ensuring they weren’t being followed. “No, I think Petrov knew exactly what he was saying. There are bigger players, and they won’t just vanish because we killed a few of their own.”She turned her hea

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 147: Unfinished Business

    The mansion’s eerie silence was broken only by the distant wail of sirens. Ryan exhaled slowly, the weight of the past hour settling in his chest. Nikolai Volkov was dead. The man who had tormented them, orchestrated attacks, and played with lives like a puppeteer—gone.And yet, the fight wasn’t over.Sophia clung to Ryan’s arm, her breath uneven. “Is it… really over?”Ryan glanced down at her, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “For now.”Lena approached, scanning the scene. “Cops will be here in less than five minutes. We need to disappear.”Dante nodded. “No way we’re explaining this mess.” He gestured toward Nikolai’s lifeless body.Ryan agreed. There was no time to linger. “Let’s move.”Sophia hesitated. “But… what if they come after us?”Ryan’s grip on her tightened. “They won’t.”He would make sure of it.---The EscapeGetting out of the mansion was easy; avoiding the police wasn’t. Sirens grew louder, blue and red lights flashing through the trees.“Shortcut,” Dan

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 146: Checkmate

    The air in the warehouse turned suffocating. The sight of Sophia—bound, helpless, and at the mercy of Nikolai Volkov—sent a dangerous fire surging through Ryan’s veins.Lena swore under her breath, stepping closer to the laptop. “That bastard…”Dante clenched his jaw. “This was his play all along.”Ryan didn’t respond. His entire focus was on the smirking man on the screen.“Let her go, Nikolai,” Ryan’s voice was calm—too calm. A sign of the storm brewing beneath.Nikolai chuckled. “Oh, Ryan. You know it’s not that simple.” He adjusted his cuffs, as if they were discussing business. “You came for me. But I’ve had my eyes on you for much longer.”Ryan’s fists clenched. “What do you want?”“An exchange,” Nikolai said smoothly. “Your life… for hers.”Silence.Dante swore. “This guy is insane.”Lena folded her arms. “And what? You expect Ryan to just walk in there and hand himself over?”Nikolai smirked. “Yes.”Ryan’s expression remained unreadable. But inside, gears were turning. He wasn

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 145: A Dangerous Game

    The city never slept, but tonight, it felt like a ticking time bomb. The attack on the safe house had proven one thing—Nikolai Volkov wasn’t just making threats. He was moving. Fast.Ryan stood by the broken window, staring at the burning wreckage below. The acrid scent of smoke clung to the air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. His jaw tightened. If Nikolai wanted war, he’d get one.Lena tossed a spent magazine onto the table, loading a fresh one into her gun. “We need to relocate. Now.”Dante, leaning against the counter with a cut on his cheek, smirked. “And go where? It’s not like we have a long list of safe houses left.”Ryan turned to them. “We’re not running.”Lena arched a brow. “Then what’s the plan?”Ryan’s grip tightened around his gun. “We take the fight to him.”---Hunting the HunterTracking Nikolai was no easy feat. He was a ghost, but ghosts always left shadows behind.Ryan called in a favor. A hacker named Felix.They met in a rundown bar, the kind where nobod

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 144: A Reckoning in the Shadows

    The weight of the revelation settled like a storm cloud over the safe house. Nikolai Volkov. A name no one had heard before, yet it now loomed over them like a death sentence.Ryan stared at the name on the screen, his mind already racing ahead. If Nikolai had been waiting in the shadows all this time, what was he waiting for?Lena paced the room, her expression tight. “We need to move. Staying here is a mistake.”Dante sighed. “I second that. We’re sitting ducks.”Ryan didn’t respond immediately. He was still processing Sophia’s warning. She wouldn’t have come unless the threat was real.Lena stopped pacing and turned to him. “Ryan, we have to do something.”He finally looked up. “I know.”Dante leaned forward. “Then what’s the plan, boss?”Ryan’s jaw clenched. “We make the first move.”---A Meeting with the DevilTracking down Nikolai Volkov wasn’t going to be easy. Unlike his late brother, he wasn’t a man who enjoyed the spotlight. He was a ghost, a name whispered in the underworl

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 143: A Fractured Peace

    The city was on edge.With Volkov gone, a power vacuum had been left in his wake. Rival syndicates had wasted no time moving in, each one vying for control over his crumbling empire.Ryan had no interest in the fight.He had spent years building his own world—one that wasn’t dictated by the endless cycle of bloodshed and betrayal. But now, standing in the dimly lit safe house, he realized that escape was never truly an option.Lena sat at the table, absently twirling a knife between her fingers. Dante leaned against the wall, his usual smirk absent for once.The air was thick with unspoken words.“We need to decide our next move,” Lena said, breaking the silence.Ryan exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. “We stay out of it.”Dante let out a low whistle. “That’s cute, but you do realize that’s not how this works, right?”Ryan shot him a look.Dante lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying—people are already looking to you as the next big player.”Lena’s gaze dark

  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 142: The Aftermath of a War

    The world felt strangely silent.Ryan stood at the edge of the ruined shipping port, the scent of smoke and gunpowder lingering in the air. The waves crashed against the docks, a rhythmic contrast to the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago.Volkov was dead. His empire shattered.And yet, the weight on Ryan’s shoulders refused to lift.Lena stepped beside him, arms crossed. She had patched up the wound on his shoulder, but he could tell she was still watching him with concern.“You’re quiet,” she said.Ryan exhaled, his grip tightening on the railing. “Just thinking.”Dante walked up behind them, rubbing his neck. “We should be celebrating. We pulled off the impossible.”Lena shot him a tired look. “We barely made it out alive.”Dante smirked. “That’s kind of our thing, isn’t it?”Ryan shook his head. “There’s still one loose end.”Lena’s expression darkened. “The leak.”Someone had sold them out before the attack on Volkov’s hideout. Someone had warned him they were coming.And Rya

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status