The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 195

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He knew Kieran’s habits. “He’ll have a camera on the main approach, probably hidden in that broken streetlight. But he won’t have full coverage. He’s arrogant. He thinks no one would dare come for him. His blind spot will be the old sewer access on the north side. It’s grimy and undignified. He’d never consider it.”

He even knew the man’s schedule. “He gets impatient. If he said twenty–four hours, he’ll start checking his watch after eighteen. He’ll be distracted, making calls about the document transfers, watching the news for your press conference setup. That’s your window. When his attention is split.”

It was invaluable. The plan shifted, refined, becoming sharper.

Elera’s role was the digital overwatch. While Frost’s team moved on the ground, she would be their eyes in the sky. She split her screens, diving into the city’s traffic camera network with a series of elegantly brutal code strings.

“Okay, I’m in the Department of Transportation mainframe,” she announced, her fingers a blur. “It’s about as secure as a screen door on a submarine. Give me two minutes.”

Clara peered over her shoulder. “You’re just… typing. And now you own all the stoplights?”

“Not all of them. Just the ones around the factory grid. And the security feeds for the electrical substation that powers the area.” Elera brought up a control panel. “See this? At Frost’s mark, I can kill the power to the entire block for thirty seconds. Long enough for his cameras to reboot and create a blind spot. Then I can turn every traffic light within a mile red, creating a natural roadblock if we need to slow any response.”

“That’s… kind of hot,” Clara admitted. “Illegal and terrifying, but hot.”

Drakonius watched Elera work, a faint smile on his face. “My wife, the civic menace.”

The plan was precision, not force. Frost would lead a team of three of his best through the sewer access. They would move to the soundproofed room, extract Margaret, and exfiltrate via the loading bay, where a nondescript van would be waiting. Elera would handle all digital interference, creating pockets of silence and confusion. Xan would remain at the command post, his knowledge on tap for any unforeseen complications.

It was clean. It was smart. It leveraged their unique skills.

Then Clara cleared her throat.

“So, my job is to… sit here and look supportive?”

“Your job is to stay safe and out of the way,” Frost said, not unkindly, as he checked the sight on

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12:28 Wed, Apr 15 M…

Chapter 195 Scribe Takes The Mic

a compact, suppressed pistol.

Clara stood up. “No.”

Everyone stopped and looked at her.

“Clara,” Elera began.

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“No,” Clara repeated, her voice firmer than any of them had ever heard it. She walked to the center of the room. “I’ve been the comic relief. The editor in the tower. The one who brings snacks and makes jokes while you people save the world. And I love that role. It’s fun. But Margaret is my friend too. And this isn’t a book. This is real. And I’m not just the editor anymore.”

She pointed to the comms setup. “You need someone to run communications. A single, calm voice in everyone’s ear, coordinating. Frost, you’ll be busy leading, clearing rooms, carrying Margaret if you have to. You can’t also be monitoring six different radio channels and talking to Elera about traffic lights. You need a dedicated comms person.”

Frost’s expression was granite. “Absolutely not. You have no training. Under stress and untrained personnel freeze. Or chatter. Both get people killed.”

“I won’t freeze,” Clara said, crossing her arms. “And I can promise not to chatter. I’ve managed author meltdowns, publisher deadlines, and printing press disasters. I can manage radio discipline. What’s the protocol? Clear, concise, codewords only. I can do that.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Drakonius said, though he looked more thoughtful than dismissive.

“It’s more dangerous if Frost is trying to do two jobs at once!” Clara argued. “Look, I’m not asking to carry a gun or kick down a door. I’m asking to sit in this very safe, very secure room and talk into a headset. It’s the one thing I’m actually qualified for! I talk for a living!”

A small, unexpected laugh escaped Xan. Everyone turned to stare at him. He shrugged. “She’s not wrong. In my… previous line of work, a good comms person was worth three extra shooters. And she’s got the right temperament. She’s bossy.”

“I’m not bossy, but I am authoritative,” Clara corrected, but she shot him a grateful look.

Elera looked at Clara, really looked at her. Her best friend, who’d always been there with a joke or a cookie or a brutally honest edit. She saw the steel underneath the glitter now. The same steel that had made Clara a powerhouse in publishing. She wasn’t just asking to help. She was demanding to be part of the team.

“Frost,” Elera said quietly. “Can you give her a crash course? The bare minimum. Call signs, emergency codes, how not to get us killed?”

Frost looked like he’d rather swallow his own tactical knife. But after a long, tense moment

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