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Chapter 21: The Line Between Truth and Lies

ผู้เขียน: A knight in skirt
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-01-28 22:17:56

Isabella barely slept that night. The cryptic message on her phone looped through her mind like a haunting melody. You’re in over your head. Walk away while you still can.

Who had sent it? And more importantly, how much did they know?

She paced her penthouse, her mind racing. Her mission to bring Ryan Byrne to his knees had always been dangerous, but now the stakes felt impossibly high. If someone else was onto her, her carefully constructed plans could unravel before she had the chance to execute them.

By the time the first rays of dawn streaked the sky, Isabella was determined. Whoever sent the message had made a grave mistake. She wouldn’t walk away—not when she was so close.

At Byrne Enterprises, the atmosphere was electric. Employees rushed about, murmuring about a critical meeting scheduled for the morning. Isabella arrived with her usual composure, though inside, her nerves were a tangled mess.

Victor was waiting for her outside Ryan’s office.

“Miss King,” he greeted with a cur
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  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 22: Shadows in the Boardroom

    The walls of Byrne Enterprises seemed to close in on Isabella as the pieces of her plan began to shift in ways she hadn’t anticipated. The anonymous note from the previous day still burned in her thoughts. Who else was after Ryan? And what did they want from her?Sitting in her office, she tried to focus on the mountain of work in front of her. The Hathaway deal was proving to be a labyrinth of lies, and every uncovered discrepancy only raised more questions. But it wasn’t just Hathaway she had to worry about. Ryan’s growing suspicion, the mysterious message, and Lara’s warning all loomed over her like a dark cloud.I’m not walking away, she reminded herself. Not until he pays for what he did to my family.Later that morning, Isabella attended a meeting scheduled by Victor. It was unusual for Victor to call her directly, and the cryptic tone of his email had her on edge.When she arrived at the conference room, she noticed an unfamiliar figure seated across the table—a man with sharp

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-30
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 23: A Game of Deception

    The moment Dominic stepped inside Isabella’s penthouse, the atmosphere shifted. A silent battle of wills sparked between them, an unspoken challenge hanging in the air.Isabella crossed her arms and leaned against the marble counter, keeping her expression cool. “You certainly have a way of dropping in unannounced,” she said, eyeing him cautiously.Dominic smirked as he surveyed her home, his sharp gaze flicking over the modern decor. “I find that impromptu meetings reveal more than planned ones.”She arched an eyebrow. “And what exactly do you hope to reveal tonight?”He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “The truth.”Isabella didn’t flinch. She was prepared for this. She had been playing this game far longer than he had.“What truth?” she asked, feigning confusion.Dominic tilted his head slightly, as if analyzing her every movement. “I’ve been following your work on the Hathaway case, and I must say, it’s... meticulous.”“Is that a compliment or an accusation?”“A little of both.”

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-30
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 154: A Shift in the Air

    The confrontation with Emma’s parents left an unsettling feeling in the air. Though Ethan had driven them away, their presence was a reminder of the ghosts from Emma’s past—the people who had always seen her as nothing more than a pawn. But this time, she wasn’t alone. She had Ethan by her side.That morning, Emma found herself lost in thought as she prepared breakfast. She hadn’t expected Ethan to stand up for her so fiercely, and the way he had shut down her parents with no hesitation had sent a strange warmth through her chest.She was used to fighting her battles alone, hiding her pain behind a calm façade. But now, Ethan was fighting for her. Protecting her.“Thinking about yesterday?” Ethan’s deep voice pulled her from her thoughts.She turned to see him leaning against the counter, his sharp eyes studying her. His presence alone was enough to make her heart race.“I just didn’t expect them to show up,” she admitted. “And I didn’t expect you to—”“To throw them out?” he finished

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-30
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 24: Unmasking the Truth

    Ryan’s words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken intent.You.Isabella held her ground, even as the weight of his gaze sent an unsettling sensation down her spine. Ryan Byrne was not a man to be underestimated. He was a king in his own right, ruling the corporate world with an iron grip. If he was here, standing in her penthouse in the dead of night, it meant one thing—he had uncovered something.Or at least, he suspected.She kept her face composed, a knowing smile playing at her lips. “That’s quite vague, Mr. Byrne. Care to be more specific?”Ryan took a slow step forward, eyes never leaving hers. “Tell me, Isabella—who are you really?”Her heart pounded.She could lie. She should lie.But lying to Ryan Byrne was like playing chess against a grandmaster with only half the pieces.Still, she wasn’t about to fold just yet.“I believe my résumé speaks for itself,” she said lightly, moving to pour herself another glass of wine. “Unless, of course, you’ve found something interesting tha

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-02-01
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 25: A Dangerous Gamble

    The moment Ryan Byrne walked out of her penthouse, Isabella felt the weight of the flash drive in her palm as if it carried the weight of her entire past.She had always known that the deeper she played this game, the more enemies she would make. But Ryan? He wasn’t just an enemy—he was a hunter. And right now, she was his prey.She moved to her desk and plugged the flash drive into her laptop, her fingers steady despite the turmoil raging inside her. The screen flickered, and a single folder appeared.“Who is Isabella King?”Her breath hitched. Ryan had named the file after the very question that could undo everything.She clicked on it.Inside were documents, images, and surveillance logs. Each file opened a new piece of a puzzle she thought she had buried years ago. There were background checks, financial records, and—her stomach clenched—a blurry security footage still.Her.From years ago.Not as Isabella King, the ambitious and cunning strategist of Hathaway Enterprises.But as

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-02-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 26: The Game Begins

    The city was alive with the hum of late-night traffic, neon lights reflecting off the rain-slicked streets. Inside Isabella’s penthouse, however, the air was thick with a suffocating silence.She sat at her desk, staring at the note in her hand.I KNOW EVERYTHING.The words burned into her mind, a silent threat wrapped in ink and paper.Her mind raced.Who?It couldn’t be Ryan—he was too controlled, too calculating. If he had this kind of leverage, he would use it directly, not leave anonymous threats.Then who else knew about Camilla Laurent?Her past had been buried—every trace of her old identity erased with painstaking precision. She had spent years ensuring no one could connect Isabella King to the girl who had once lived under a different name.Yet someone had.A sharp knock on the door made her jolt.She quickly folded the note and tucked it beneath the laptop before moving toward the entrance.She peered through the peephole.Ryan.Of course.Taking a deep breath, she schooled

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-02-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 27: Unmasking the Shadows

    The night stretched on, the tension in Isabella’s penthouse thick enough to suffocate. Ryan’s words lingered in the air between them, a silent challenge neither was willing to back down from.“The truth is relative.”Her own words echoed in her mind, but Ryan’s unwavering stare told her he wasn’t buying it.Not tonight.Not anymore.She took another slow sip of wine, careful to keep her expression unreadable. “You’re a persistent man, Mr. Byrne.”Ryan leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the counter. “And you’re an exceptional liar, Miss King. But even the best liars slip eventually.”She smirked. “Then you’ll be waiting a long time.”Ryan chuckled, but there was no humor in it. He picked up his phone, swiping at the screen. “The person watching us tonight… they’re professionals. Not just some corporate spy or curious reporter.”Isabella’s stomach tightened. She knew that already, but hearing it confirmed out loud made it feel more real.More dangerous.Ryan turned his scr

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-02-04
  • Rise Of The Heiress    Chapter 29: No More Running

    The room felt smaller. The walls were closing in. Isabella—Camilla Laurent—stared at the glaring headline on Ryan’s phone, her heart hammering against her ribs."The Return of the Heiress: Camilla Laurent Is Alive."Her worst nightmare had just become reality.Her cover was blown.Someone had known where she was. Someone had planned this.And now, they knew too.The powerful people she had spent years escaping—the ones who would rather see her dead than let her reclaim what was hers.Ryan was already moving. His focus was razor-sharp as he started gathering their things. “We’re leaving. Now.”But Isabella wasn’t moving. She just stood there, staring at the words that had shattered her carefully built world in an instant.Ryan stopped, watching her closely. His voice softened, but only slightly. “Isabella.”She clenched her fists. “They found me.”“I know.”“They won’t stop.”“I know that too.”For the first time since the call, she let out a breath. She had always known this moment wo

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-02-05

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  • 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

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