Chapter 7 - THE HEIRThe words remained suspended above the ring.
WELCOME, HEIR OF BLACKWELL.
No one breathed.
I stared at the hologram.
“That has to be a mistake.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
“My mother founded Blackwell.”
“Yes.”
“Then I'm not its heir.”
He looked at me.
“You are.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
The hologram expanded.
A map appeared.
Six names.
Six founders.
One name was highlighted.
ELENA ASHFORD.
My mother's.
Then another.
JULIAN ASHFORD.
My father's.
Then a third.
MARCUS VALE.
I looked at him.
“You were a founder?”
He nodded.
“Before I realized what Blackwell was becoming.”
Then a fourth.
A fifth.
A sixth.
The final name appeared.
ALEXANDER VALE.
Adrian's father.
Adrian stared at the screen.
“My father.”
“Yes,” Marcus said.
The hologram changed again.
A legal document appeared.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
My stomach dropped.
The legal heir to Blackwell's assets wasn't my father.
It wasn't my mother.
It wasn't Marcus.
It was me.
“Why?”
My mother appeared on screen again.
“Because I knew they would come for you.”
“Why would you make me the heir?”
“To destroy it.”
I looked toward Adrian.
He seemed unable to process any of it.
“Then why did Blackwell want me married?”
My mother's expression darkened.
“Because they believed Adrian could control you.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“They were wrong.”
I looked at him.
“Were they?”
He flinched.
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“You betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“You let them destroy my life.”
His voice broke.
“I know.”
“And you stood there while Vanessa humiliated me.”
He couldn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Why should I ever believe you again?”
“Because I killed the man who came to take you.”
“That doesn't erase anything.”
“I know.”
He lowered his gun.
“Nothing can.”
Before I could respond, the hologram changed.
A countdown appeared.
02:59:48
“What is that?”
Marcus's face changed.
“The Blackwell Protocol.”
“What does it do?”
“It transfers every asset connected to Blackwell to the heir.”
“So that's good.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the transfer also exposes the heir's location.”
My blood ran cold.
“Meaning?”
“Everyone in Blackwell knows exactly where you are.”
The countdown continued.
02:58:13.
Marcus looked at me.
“You have three hours to decide.”
“Decide what?”
“Whether to take control.”
“And if I don't?”
“Blackwell remains hidden.”
“And if I do?”
“It becomes yours.”
I stared at the ring.
Then at my mother's face.
“Why didn't you tell me sooner?”
“Because I wanted you to have the choice.”
“You let me marry Adrian.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe Dad had protected me.”
“Yes.”
Tears appeared in her eyes.
“I was wrong.”
The transmission abruptly ended.
The room fell silent.
Adrian stepped forward.
“We need to leave.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because there's someone coming.”
“Who?”
He pointed toward the security monitor.
A convoy was approaching the building.
Dozens of vehicles.
At the center was a black armored car.
Adrian whispered:
“My father.”
I watched the convoy stop outside.
The building shook as armed men entered the lower level.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice came through.
“Hello, son.”
Adrian froze.
The voice continued.
“I hear you finally met your wife properly.”
Adrian whispered:
“Dad?”
The man laughed.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
“Tell her I want my daughter-in-law alive.”
I looked at Adrian.
“Why does he call me daughter-in-law?”
Adrian stared at the phone.
His father's voice returned.
“Because she isn't the heir.”
The line went silent.
Marcus's face drained of color.
“What?”
I whispered.
“He said I'm not the heir.”
Marcus stared at the ring.
Then the hologram flashed red.
A new message appeared.
SECOND HEIR DETECTED.
Adrian looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
Before anyone answered, Vanessa screamed.
Everyone turned.
She was standing in the doorway.
One hand on her stomach.
The other holding a small silver device.
“I know what it means,” she said.
May you like
Her expression had completely changed.
“The baby is the heir.”
