The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 92

hapter 92 What Hurt More Than Hate

He shoved the thought away violently. No. That was the lie his treacherous heart wanted to tell him. Elera had betrayed him. She’d made a fool of him in front of everyone. She’d chosen a dying man over him. She deserved everything that was coming to her.

Sarah’s breathing had evened out against his chest. She’d fallen asleep mid–kiss, the way she sometimes did when the medications kicked in. Xan carefully extracted himself from her grip and laid her down on the sofa, covering her with a soft blanket.

He watched her sleep for a moment. She looked peaceful like this, almost innocent. You’d never know from looking at her that she was capable of the cold, creative cruelty she’d displayed in planning their revenge. You’d never know she was damaged in ways that couldn’t be fixed.

But then again, weren’t they all?

Xan pulled out his phone and walked to the far end of the cabin, as far from Sarah as he could get without leaving entirely. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. Andrew Webb. Private investigator. He is the type who didn’t ask questions and didn’t care about legality as long as the check cleared.

He typed out a message: “Need you to investigate an incident from five years ago. Vehicle accident, two fatalities. The victims were Charles and Margaret Lyros. The official report blamed their daughter, Sarah Lyros, who was subsequently institutionalized. I need to know what really happened. All police reports, witness statements, medical records, anything you can find. Money is no object. Discretion is essential.”

His finger hovered over the send button. This was dangerous. If Sarah found out he was investigating her story, she’d see it as a betrayal. She’d probably never forgive him. But he had to know.

Because something didn’t add up.

Elera Nethys, or Elera Vex as she was now, was a lot of things. A bestselling author who plays her games well. A woman with more talent and intelligence in her little finger than most people had in their entire bodies. But one thing she wasn’t was reckless. Everything about her was pre–planned, controlled and strategic. She didn’t make mistakes.

So why would she have gotten drunk or high at a teenage party and caused a car accident that killed two people? It didn’t fit. It didn’t fit at all.

And if it didn’t fit, if Sarah’s story wasn’t exactly what she’d always claimed it was, then everything Xan had done for the past three years was built on a lie.

He hit send before he could talk himself out of it

The message whooshed away into the digital ether There. It was done. In a few days, maybe a week, he’d have answers. He’d know the truth.

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