All Chapters of THE ABANDONED CHILD BECOMES THE BILLIONAIRES ONLY HEIR.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter 22: Breaking PointsMelissa leaned against her cracked kitchen counter, her fingers clutched the phone. The line had gone dead moments ago, but her heart still pounded in fear. Emma would deliver the message, she had to. Rico needed to know how close he was to stepping into the same trap Lydia couldn’t escape.But Melissa wasn’t sure if the warning would be enough. Rico has showed that he wasn’t the type to back down.The safe house felt smaller tonight, its shadows stretching longer than usual. She forced herself to breathe, pushing back the weight pressing against her ribs. She couldn’t afford to fall apart now. Not with everything she’d seen in those files.The screen of her laptop blinked again, showing the last transaction, the listed date was only three days earlier, money had exchanged hands, large sums moving through shell companies tied to both the Hawthornes and Alex. Melissa’s name appeared under “liabilities.” Her stomach knotted.A sharp knock at the door snapped

Chapter 24: More TroubleMelissa stood outside the poorly lit café, her eyes moving around toward the entrance as if expecting trouble. Rico had insisted on meeting her here again, but the longer she waited, the more uneasy she felt. The encounter in the abandoned church had left her shaken, Rico’s grief, his anger, and the undeniable guilt in his eyes still lingered in her mind.The door creaked open, and Melissa tensed up, but it wasn’t Rico who stepped inside.Her breath caught. “Justin” she saidHe looked different, sharper, and older, as if the weight of the world had settled on his shoulders. But the eyes were the same, piercing and unreadable.“Melissa.” His voice was low, steady.She stepped back instinctively. “What are you doing here?” she asked“Relax.” He raised his hands. “I just want to talk.”“How do you know I was supposed to be here?” she asked“I kind of eavesdropped on Rico, I am sorry” he said“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She turned, but he caught her wr

Chapter 26: SurvivalMelissa’s hand trembled as she tightened her grip on her phone as the ominous text lingered on the screen.“You’re running out of time.”The words kept repeating in her mind, sharp and unrelenting. She looked up at Justin, her pulse quickening.“What aren’t you telling us?” Her voice cut through the silence.Justin opened his mouth, but Rico stepped in front of him, his expression hard. “No more games. Either you talk, or you’re out.” Rico saidJustin’s shoulders tensed. “I didn’t send that text if that’s what you’re thinking, I am here and I haven’t touched my phone.” He said“I know, we are watching you, but something tells me you know who did so who did?” Rico demanded.Melissa’s eyes darted between them, her instincts screaming that this wasn’t random. “It’s a warning,” she said quietly. “And whoever sent it knows more than we do.”Justin exhaled sharply. “It could be one of Evelyn’s people, but if it is, we’re already being watched, maybe they are even outsid

Chapter 28: The Clock is TickingMelissa stared at the message glowing on her phone screen.“You have 12 hours.”Her fingers tightened around the device, her pulse racing. The poorly lit room felt and look way smaller now, the walls felt like they where closing in.Justin leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “We need to act now or not, is either now or we wait for the time to elapse.”Rico paced near the window. “Twelve hours isn’t enough time.”Melissa shot him a sharp look. “It has to be, our lives depend on it, Not you though, she wouldn't touch a Blackwood, she still need your family alliance.” She turned to Justin. “What’s Evelyn’s next move? You know her better than anyone.”Justin hesitated, "I have studied her, I don't know her" his usual arrogance dimmed by something closer to fear. “Evelyn doesn’t bluff. If we don’t give her what she wants, she’ll hit us where it hurts.”Melissa swallowed the feeling of fear forming in her throat. “Then we hit first.” she said.Rico stopp

Chapter 30: Deeper Secrets.The Blackwood estate loomed in the poor evening light, The pillars casting long shadows across the polished floors. The atmosphere inside was stiff, heavy with unspoken words and tension, Rico stood in the center of the living room, fists clenched, his eyes burning with unrelenting anger.Karen sat primly on the edge of the couch, her shoulders trembling, while Ray leaned against the fireplace, his hands gripping the mantle as though steadying himself. Maya leaned by the window, her fingers tugging nervously at her bracelet, her face pale.They had given all their staffs, a day off, to be ensure this conversation stayed strictly within them.Rico’s voice cut through the silence like a whip, “Are we just going to sit here and act like nothing happened?, I am sick and tired of you behaving as though Lydia was not a member of this family!”Karen flinched, but Ray’s gaze remained fixed on the flames. Rico took a step closer, his words dripping with venom.“Lyd