Heaven or Hell: Loving My Twisted Billionaire novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Hannah’s POV

The familiar rhythm of chalk against blackboard soothed me as I wrote out the day’s lesson. Three weeks had passed since Finn’s unexpected visit to Sunshine Special Education Center, and my life had settled into a predictable pattern. Mornings teaching at the school, evenings back at Sterling Estate–a routine that brought some normalcy to my increasingly complicated existence.

But normalcy was a fragile illusion in the Sterling world.

Finn had been conspicuously absent from the estate most nights, returning only occasionally and always ignoring me when he did. His warning that day at school–fingers tight around my wrist, promising to watch how long I maintained my loyalty–still echoed in my mind. I found myself absently rubbing my wrist, remembering the

intensity in his face.

“Miss Hannah, I finished!” Jeremy, a seven–year–old with autism, proudly held up his math worksheet.

I smiled, pushing thoughts of Finn aside. “That’s excellent work, Jeremy! Your counting is getting so much better.”

This was my sanctuary–a classroom filled with special needs children who didn’t care about Sterling politics or

family legacies. Here, success was measured in small victories: a completed worksheet, a new word learned, a

social skill mastered.

As I moved between desks, helping students with their work, I noticed that Sophia had been unusually quiet lately.

After her failed attempt to recruit me as her spy, she hadn’t approached me again. The silence worried me more than her threats. In my experience, people like Sophia didn’t simply give up–they retreated to plan something

worse.

At least Victoria had arranged reliable transportation. Martin, my assigned driver, was a middle–aged man with salt–and–pepper hair who, unlike the other Sterling drivers, always greeted me with a warm smile. He seemed genuinely pleased to drive me, making small talk about the weather or asking about my day.

“Miss Hannah?” Lisa tugged at my sleeve, her round face serious. “Can you help me with this letter? It doesn’t look right.”

1 knelt beside her desk. “Of course, sweetie. Let’s work on that ‘R‘ together.”

As class continued, my thoughts occasionally drifted to that day when Finn had appeared in these very halls. Had something changed in him since then?

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Chapter 69

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The classroom clock showed 2:45 PM–fifteen minutes before dismissal–when I noticed Martin standing at my classroom door. His usual smile was gone, replaced by a tense expression I’d never seen before. He caught my eye and made a small gesture indicating urgency.

I nodded to my assistant teacher. “Sarah, could you take over for a minute? I need to speak with someone.”

Martin was checking his watch repeatedly as I approached, his eyes darting around the hallway.

“Mrs. Sterling has an urgent message for you,” he said, voice low and strained.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, concern growing at his unusual behavior.

Martin glanced at the children and other teachers nearby. “It’s… confidential. Not for public ears.”

Something felt off. Victoria typically called me directly or had James relay messages. Why send Martin with something confidential?

“We can talk in the observation room,” I suggested, pointing down the hall. “It’s private.”

The observation room was one of the school’s unique features–a space with one–way glass that allowed therapists and parents to observe children without disrupting classroom dynamics. From inside, you could see everything happening in the adjacent playroom, but from outside, it appeared as a simple mirrored wall.

Martin followed me down the corridor, his footsteps too quick, too eager. As we walked, I noticed his hand repeatedly touching something in his jacket pocket.

The moment we entered the observation room and the door clicked shut behind us, everything changed. Martin’s friendly demeanor vanished. He spun me around, one hand clamping over my mouth while the other produced a

small knife that now pressed against my throat.

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