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 would come, but she had foolishly thought she’d have more time.

Ryan stepped closer. “We don’t have time for shock. We need to move.”

Her head snapped up. “You think running will solve this?”

Ryan narrowed his eyes. “Right now, staying here is a death sentence.”

Something inside her shifted at the certainty in his voice.

He was right.

She had spent so long being careful, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to take back what was hers. But her enemies had made their move first.

It was time to stop hiding.

She took a slow step forward, her voice cold and steady. “I’m not running anymore, Ryan.”

Ryan’s expression tightened. “Then what’s the plan?”

Isabella turned to him, her eyes burning with the fire she had buried for years.

“We fight back.”

---

Thirty minutes later

They sat in Ryan’s sleek black car, parked in an underground garage far from the city center. The dim lighting cast long shadows across Isabella’s face as she stared out the window, lost in thought.

Ryan watched her from the driver’s seat. “Who do you think leaked it?”

Isabella exhaled. “Could be anyone.”

“Not just anyone,” Ryan said, tapping a finger against the steering wheel. “Who knew about you? Who had the resources to track you down?”

Her mind raced through the possibilities. The list was long—but only a few had the power to pull this off.

“My uncle.” Her voice was cold, certain. “Or someone working for him.”

Ryan let out a low curse. “Jonathan Laurent.”

Isabella’s grip tightened. “He took everything from me. My father’s company. My inheritance. My life.”

Ryan’s jaw flexed. “And now he knows you’re alive.”

A bitter smirk played on her lips. “He won’t stop until he buries me for good.”

Ryan met her gaze. “Then we hit him first.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you’ve been waiting for this.”

Ryan smirked. “Let’s just say I’ve never been a fan of Jonathan Laurent.”

Isabella studied him for a moment. There was something about the way he spoke about her uncle—something personal. But she didn’t press. Not yet.

“Fine,” she said. “Then we start with his weaknesses.”

Ryan nodded. “Where do we begin?”

She took a breath. “The ledger.”

Ryan stilled. “You still have it?”

A slow smile spread across Isabella’s lips. “Of course I do.”

It was the one thing that could destroy Jonathan Laurent. A book filled with the secrets of every corrupt deal, every bribe, every name tied to his empire.

Ryan’s gaze darkened. “Then we have our next move.”

Isabella met his eyes. “We bring him down.”

For the first time in years, she wasn’t just surviving.

She was taking back what was hers.

And this time, she wouldn’t stop until her enemies were in the ground.