All Chapters of Rise Of The Heiress : Chapter 71 - Chapter 78

8:15 PM – The Gala’s IllusionThe crystal chandeliers bathed the ballroom in soft golden light, casting shadows over the marble floors. Waiters moved like ghosts between guests, carrying trays of champagne and fine wine. Conversations murmured beneath the slow rhythm of a string quartet.But beneath the glittering surface, death waited.Ryan adjusted the cufflinks of his black tuxedo, the cold metal pressing against his wrists. The small vial of undetectable poison rested in his jacket pocket—his weapon for the night.He scanned the room, cataloging exits, guards, and hidden cameras. Everything had to be perfect.Isabella walked at his side, her navy blue gown drawing more than a few lingering gazes. Her eyes never stopped moving, locked onto every threat in the room.Dante’s voice crackled through the hidden earpiece.“Our target is heading to the VIP lounge on the second floor.”Ryan’s fingers twitched. Lorenzo De Luca—the second-in-command of Valeria Devereaux—was finally within re

12:30 AM – The Silent DriveRyan sat in the back of the blacked-out SUV, fingers drumming lightly against his knee. The city lights blurred past, neon streaks cutting through the darkness. Everything was too quiet.Dante, seated beside him, exhaled sharply. “This is a mistake.”Ryan smirked. “Since when have I cared about that?”Dante didn’t bother answering. They both knew the answer.In the driver’s seat, a man dressed in black remained eerily silent. One of Valeria’s men. Her escort.The moment Ryan had agreed to the meeting, a car appeared outside the safe house. No address. No instructions. Just ‘get in.’Isabella had protested, of course. But Ryan wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge.Especially not hers.---1:00 AM – The Queen’s LairThe car pulled up in front of a grand estate—old money, untouched by time. The wrought-iron gates parted smoothly as if expecting him.Ryan stepped out, adjusting his cufflinks. The cool night air smelled of expensive cigars and something

Midnight – The WarehouseThe air inside the warehouse was thick with tension. The dim, flickering lights cast eerie shadows over the five men seated at the long metal table. They were the heads of the last remaining crime families, and tonight, they were forced into the same room—not by choice, but because Ryan Calloway demanded it.Ryan leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed. His presence alone was suffocating, his sharp blue eyes scanning the room like a predator studying its prey. Beside him stood Dante, his second-in-command, silent and watchful. Isabella, their strategist, sat at the table, tapping her nails impatiently.“Let’s not waste time,” Ryan finally spoke, his voice cold. “You know why you’re here.”A deep chuckle came from Marcos Diaz, a burly man in his late fifties with scars decorating his knuckles. “Yeah, we know. You think you can waltz in and take the city from Valeria. That takes either balls or stupidity.”Ryan smirked. “Or both.”A younger man, Nico Moret

6:30 AM – On the RunThe city streets were still shrouded in pre-dawn darkness as Ryan and his men navigated through the wreckage of the dockyard attack. Smoke curled into the sky, mixing with the scent of burning metal and gunpowder.Dante drove like a madman, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. Isabella sat in the backseat, flipping through surveillance footage on her laptop.Ryan, sitting in the passenger seat, pressed a cloth against his temple where blood trickled from the gash Valeria's men had left. His jaw was tight, his muscles coiled with barely contained rage."Status," Ryan ordered, his voice sharp despite the pain.Isabella barely glanced up. "We lost three men, two injured. Safehouse is compromised. Valeria played us hard."Dante let out a bitter chuckle. "No kidding. And now she’s probably laughing her ass off, thinking she won."Ryan’s eyes darkened. "Let her. For now."Dante shot him a glance. "You’ve got something planned, don’t you?"Ryan smirked the kind