Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 357

Chapter 357.

AUTHOR’S POV.

The ride back to the safe house was thick with tension.

The engine hummed beneath them, the sound too loud in the enclosed space, too sharp against the silence that pressed in from all sides. The city lights blurred past the windows, but none of them paid attention to the view.

Ace’s hands were locked around the steering wheel, his knuckles pale, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might crack. Every turn of the wheel was precise, controlled…too controlled. The kind of control that came from barely restrained anger.

Lucian sat in the passenger seat, rigid, one elbow braced against the door, his fingers pressed hard against his temple. His foot bounced restlessly against the floor. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, but he wasn’t really seeing the road.

Violet sat in the backseat.

Silent.

She hadn’t said a single word since they’d gotten into the car. Her posture was straight, her hands folded in her lap, her face unreadable. The city lights reflected faintly in her eyes, but whatever was happening behind them stayed locked away. Ace finally broke the silence.

“Next time,” he said tightly, eyes still on the road, “I don’t care who it is. I’m tackling first and asking questions later.” Lucian let out a short, humorless breath. “You think I didn’t try?”

Ace shot him a quick glance. “I know you did.”

Lucian’s jaw flexed. “I should’ve caught him.”

“You couldn’t have known-”

“I should’ve,” Lucian snapped, cutting Ace off. He dragged a hand through his hair, fingers gripping hard for a second before dropping back to his lap. “I hesitated. Half a second. That’s all it took.”

Ace said nothing after that.

The rest of the drive passed in strained silence.

When they finally pulled into the safe house garage, Ace cut the engine and immediately got out of the car. Lucian was already moving, shoving the door open and striding toward the entrance with purpose, anger radiating off him in waves. Inside, the lights flicked on automatically, illuminating the familiar space…maps, still pinned to the wall, documents spread across the table, coffee cups abandoned from earlier.

Lucian didn’t stop walking.

“Ace,” he barked, shrugging out of his jacket. “Get the men. I want the entire area canvassed. Start with the streets around the library, widen the radius if you have to. He couldn’t have gone far.”

Ace was already pulling his phone out. “On it.”

“Wait.”

Both men froze.

They turned toward Violet.

She was standing just inside the doorway now, calm, composed, her voice steady.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Lucian stared at her. “What?”

He took a step toward her, frustration flashing across his face. “Violet, now is not the time for games. Time is out of our hands. We need to get a move.”

Ace nodded in agreement. “We can still catch him if we act fast.”

“There’s no need for that,” Violet said evenly. “Because I have the key.”

The room went dead silent.

Ace let out a short, incredulous laugh. “What a

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “Violet.”

Successfully unlocked!

“We saw the thief snatch the key from your hand,” Ace said slowly. “We all did.”

Chapter 357.

Violet sighed, a small sound, almost tired. Then she reached up and unhooked the thin chain around her neck.

She lifted it.

A key dangled from the chain, catching the light as it swayed gently between her fingers.

Ace’s mouth fell open.

“Wait,” he started, taking a step closer. “Is that…?”

Violet nodded, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“But I don’t understand,” Ace said, running a hand over his head. “We saw the key being taken away.”

“That,” Violet said simply, “was the wrong key.”

Ace blinked. “You were holding the key in your hand.”

Lucian, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke.

“Explain.”

Violet met his gaze. “I noticed him in the library.”

Ace frowned. “Not the guy at the counter?”

“No,” Violet said. “Someone else.”

She took a breath, then continued.

“He was wearing a hoodie. Standing near the shelves at the far end. At first, I thought he was just browsing, but he wasn’t reading anything. He kept looking at us. Listening.”

Lucian’s expression sharpened. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” Violet said firmly. “He pretended not to notice me watching him, but every time you or Ace spoke, his head tilted slightly. Like he was memorizing everything.”

Ace swore under his breath. “Son of a-”

Violet continued, her voice calm but precise.

“When we were saying goodbye to the elderly woman, I saw him again through the shelves. He was closer that time. Close enough to hear.”

Lucian’s shoulders tensed. “And you didn’t say anything.”

“I didn’t want to draw attention,” Violet said. “I wasn’t sure yet.”

Ace leaned against the table, arms crossed. “So what changed?”

“When we started leaving,” Violet said. “You and Lucian walked ahead. That’s when I decided.”

She gestured to the key on the chain. “I unhooked my necklace, put the real key on it, and slipped it back on. Then I pulled another key from my pocket.”

Ace stared at her. “You just… happened to have another key?”

Violet smiled slightly. “I grabbed it from the drawer in the study before we left. I didn’t know why at the time. Just felt like I should.”

Lucian let out a low breath, shaking his head slowly. “You switched them.”

“Yes.”

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