Ready to Rule: The Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 508

Connor watched Lydia with narrowed eyes. “I’m not totally sure yet. Let me deal with this, okay?”

Lydia could tell Connor had a plan, so she just nodded. “Alright. They missed their chance this time, but they’ll definitely come after you again. Maybe more than once. You really need to be careful.” Her warning was gentle but clear.

They both had their secrets, but it all came from a place of protecting each other. Connor didn’t want Lydia getting dragged into his mess, while Lydia knew about the Blood Oath assassins. She never said anything, but she had her own ways to help him get out of danger.

Since Connor had just had surgery and needed time to heal, Lydia and the whole Norwood family pushed back their plans to return home. Three days later, two private jets left Paris, heading one after the other for the Capital.

The night before they left, Iceblade found Lydia and said he wanted to go home with her. Instead of talking it out, Lydia just fought him. They ended up in a tie, neither one winning. Iceblade only shrugged and said, “If you won’t bring me, I’ll just catch another flight.”

That pretty much meant Blood Oath’s assassins were probably coming to the Capital, too.

Connor’s injury was kept under wraps. Chris told Mikey, but not Grandpa Samuel. The old man was getting up there in years, and they worried the news would be too much for his heart. So after Connor got back to the Capital, he didn’t go to the Jefferson family estate. He went straight to his own villa.

The villa was three stories, tucked away in the middle of the city. It wasn’t huge, just a little over 600 square meters. Every space had a purpose. Besides the bedrooms and bathrooms, there was a study, a music studio, a gym, and more. Outside, the garden had a pool, a barbecue setup, and plenty of spots to relax in the sun.

Lydia told Aiden to upgrade all the security and surveillance in the villa. She wasn’t taking any chances. Blood Oath’s people could show up at any time.

“Aiden, how’s it going?” Lydia asked.

“All set. The whole villa’s covered with infrared detectors, and every corner has a 360-degree camera. Everything’s connected and working together.”

If the detectors picked up anything, the system would automatically pull up the right camera feed for live monitoring and recording. That way, they could react right away.

The last time, Jenson and Milana had given Grandma a hard time over company shares. Connor hadn’t told Lydia, afraid she’d worry.

“Just get some rest and heal up, okay?” Lydia said, already getting to her feet.

Connor called out quickly, “Lydia.”

She paused, turning back with a raised eyebrow.

He said, “Before you left for France, I heard your adoptive parents were bothering Mrs. Smith. I stepped in and taught them a lesson. With her permission, I also left two men to keep an eye on her and make sure she’s safe.”

Lydia’s brows knitted together, her eyes turning cold. She’d been so busy abroad that she hadn’t checked the surveillance every day, but every night before bed, she would look in just to make sure her grandma was alright.