The Stolen Heiress: Claimed by her Father's Ruthless Enemy.

It was the evening of the second day after the divorce argument. I was lying on the bed, staring at the vintage ceiling.

It had only been two months and two weeks since the fake marriage. It still had about four months left before it ended. And I didn’t want to stay any longer. But where in heaven would I get seven billion dollars from?

The more I thought about it, the more this dark realization sank deeper into me.

What if a miracle happened and I suddenly had seven billion dollars... Could I really just leave?

Alexander was using all his resources to find my mother’s killer. The second I pay him and get a divorce, he would drop the investigation immediately.

And where would that leave me? I didn’t even know what happened to her in that hospital room. I didn’t know where to get information or who to look for. And about the chandelier incident... If it was really planned like I thought, then the person could still come after me. Alexander needed to find who it was, only then would I be really free, and if I leave now, none of that would happen.

And Victoria, I wouldn’t be seeing her anymore. She was the only person I could count on now and strangely I kind of felt connected to her.

Suddenly, a thought crept its way to my heart, making me quickly sit up on the bed. I remembered the day of the party. Victoria had said she had a bad feeling about me going to the gala. And truly, I was almost smashed by a chandelier. How was that possible? How could she have sensed it when she barely knew me? Or could it be that she was part of it and was indirectly warning me?

No... I shook my head in denial. That couldn’t be. She looked... kind. She wouldn’t do such a thing. But what if...

"Ma’am." Before I could think further, a voice came into the room, and the door opened. It was Ethan.

What was he doing here? I thought, turning my head to the door where he was standing.

Though, we weren’t friends, Ethan was always decent to me. He gave me a nod or said hello whenever we passed each other in the hallways. He was a lot better than his boss, Alexander.

"You are needed in the study," Ethan informed.

My eyebrows drew together. "For what?"

"He has something to show you." He stepped back into the hallway to leave the door open. "Come."

I sighed heavily. What did he need me for after he threatened me with seven billion dollars?

Getting out of bed, I slipped into my house shoes and followed Ethan down the hallway to Alexander’s study.

Upon reaching there, Ethan opened the door for me and I walked in, clenching my fists.

The room was dark as always. The only source of light was coming from the lamp on the desk. And there was Alexander. He was sitting with a laptop in front of him. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge how angry I was.

He just reached out, turned the laptop so the screen faced me, and slid it across the desk.

"Do you recognize the person on that footage?" he asked.

I took a step closer, looking down at the grainy video paused on the screen. It was the security tape from the hospital hallway, the exact day my mother died.

And wait... Didn’t he say I wasn’t entitled to a chair at the table? Why did he need me to verify this for him?

"Ethan managed to get this from the deleted files," Alexander added. "The main footage was wiped after Irene’s visit, but the system keeps a backup copy."

I glanced at him, then leaned forward, my hands gripping the edge of the table as I played the video. The camera showed a woman walking down the hospital hallway. She was wearing that same brown coat and expensive wide-brimmed hat I was very familiar with. It was Irene’s style of dressing. And I didn’t need to see the face before I knew it was her. The figure walked just like her.

My grip on the table tightened that my fingers dug into the wood. So, I was right this entire time. She had killed my mother. But for what reason? Just what reason? She wouldn’t go unpunished. This was the very last evil she would ever commit again.

Leaning straight, I tried to pause the video. I didn’t want to watch anymore. But something caught my attention. The woman stopped briefly as she reached for the door knob, then she turned her head slightly towards the camera before walking into the room.

The breath froze in my lungs.

It wasn’t Irene.

Even with the grainy quality, I recognized her face. How could I ever forget that round face and thin lips. It was Margaret. One of our housemaids from back home. She had served the Steele family for over ten years.

I stood there frozen, my skin turning pale.

Alexander leaned back into his chair, his dark eyes fixed on my face with no expression.

"Who is she?" he demanded.

"It’s Margaret," I whispered. "She is one of our housemaids."

A subtle frown settled on Alexander’s forehead. He glanced at Ethan who was standing quietly somewhere in the room.

"A maid," he repeated, turning his gaze back to me. "Dressed like Irene Steele? Is that what you’re saying?"

"Yes. The coat, the hat... it’s exactly what Irene wears. But Margaret... She had worked for our family for more than ten years. This is hard to believe."

It was really hard to believe. Margaret had never caused trouble for my mother and I. She was always quiet. So why her of all people? None of it made any sense. If my mother was poisoned and healing in a hospital, why was our Margaret sneaking into her room, dressed like my stepmother? Did Irene send her? Or was she acting on her own just to frame Irene? But for exactly what reason?

Alexander rose from his seat and began unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"Ethan," he ordered, taking off the jacket. "Find out anything you can about this maid. Track her down and find out where she went after that day. I want every detail about her on my desk before the week ends."

"Right away, boss," Ethan nodded, turning towards the door.

Now it was just the two of us. I opened my mouth to ask a question, but suddenly, my head spun. My vision blurred, and my knees felt as though they couldn’t hold my weight anymore. I stumbled backward, losing my balance. Oh God... I was falling. What was suddenly happening to me?

Before I could hit the floor, I felt a hand firmly grab my upper arm, yanking me upright. Alexander. He kept his distance, holding me steady until my feet found their balance again.

When my dizziness cleared, I quickly pulled my arm out of his grasp, stepping back as fast as I could. He let go of me right away, his expression turning back into that same soulless look.

My heart was beating faster, and my cheeks burned with pure embarrassment.

"I need to go," I muttered, unable to bear the awkward silence anymore.

He didn’t respond. Turning on my heel, I hurried out of the study.

I entered my room, and before I could breathe a sigh of relief, my phone pinged. I went to pick it up, wondering what it was this time. And to my surprise, it was Noura.

"Long time, no see, sister."

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