The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

“Does that sound like someone’s hiring a hitman?” Hannah looked up at Van.

“Even if it’s not a hit, they’re definitely up to no good,” Van said with certainty.

Hannah stayed silent, replaying the whole thing in her mind.

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It all started when she got Yvette’s scheduled email. Hannah had double-checked the code and the sender, no one else had gotten it. From what Yvette wrote, that box must’ve held something that could put both her and her mom’s lives at risk.

But when Hannah rushed to Linxire, she was too late. Someone had already taken the box, and the signs at the scene showed it had been taken not long before she arrived.

‘That means whoever took it found out about the box not long after I did. But Yvette only sent the email to Ethan, Hannah thought to herself.

‘And Ethan went to Vincent. So either one of them leaked the info, or there’s a mole in the group,’ she continued thinking.

Second, if this memory card really was the thing from the box in the woods, Yvette would probably know what was on it, but now the recording was incomplete.

At best, the recording just proved Gemma was secretly making some shady deal with someone else, but without the people involved to verify, there was no way to know exactly what the deal was.

Still, it wasn’t a dead end.

Hannah snapped back to reality and called Ethan, but his phone was off. She frowned and hung up.

She almost missed a crucial detail, Ethan was Barnaby’s man.

Thinking about Ronin standing guard outside and how Barnaby had been watching her every move these past few days, a bad feeling hit her.

‘If Barnaby’s behind all this, did I fall right into his pretty boy trap from the very beginning?’ Hannah wondered.

Barnaby was supposed to be into guys, but he kept teasing her, tempting her, making her let her guard down, until she was so into him she couldn’t get out.

The thought sent a cold shiver down Hannah’s spine, like she’d just fallen into an icy abyss.

“Do you want to call the cops, or maybe hire a detective? Oliver has got some connections, and I can help you get in touch,” Van asked, noticing how pale she looked.

“Thanks. If I need anything, I’ll let you know,” Hannah said. She made a copy of the memory card, ejected it, and handed it to him. “Go to her place yourself and give this back to her in person.”

Van took it. “And then?”

Hannah crooked her finger at him, and he leaned in. She whispered something in his ear, and he nodded. “Got it.”

*****

In the café lobby, Gemma walked out of a private room with a few reporters, her face beaming.

“I’ll be counting on you all,” she said with a smile.

These were reporters from major media outlets, covering finance, entertainment, and gossip. They were always chasing after the next big story, and today, the Baker family, who were at the center of the storm, had reached out to them for help.

Even though the Bakers were providing the press release and the reporters just had to publish it, it was still a huge win for them.

“Of course, Mrs. Baker. Thank you for having us,” the reporters replied, grinning and nodding.

The reporters all smiled and nodded in agreement.

After seeing them off, Gemma’s smile grew even more confident.

After Lauren was wanted by the police, Gemma’s name was cleared and even her travel restrictions were lifted.

Now, it was time for her to bring the Baker family back to its former glory.

Just then, she spotted Ronin sitting in the lobby, sipping his coffee, and her eyes

lit

“Mr. Vale, long time no see,” Gemma said, walking over to greet him.

“Mrs. Baker,” Ronin replied, nodding at her.

Gemma noticed Ronin just sitting there, not even making a move. She felt a twinge of irritation, most people would fall over themselves to curry favor with her.

If he wasn’t Barnaby’s loyal right-hand man, she wouldn’t bother being so friendly.

She glanced at the empty coffee cup on the table, then at the door to the nearest private room, and smiled. “Barnaby’s here too, isn’t he?”

Ronin frowned slightly. “Is there something you need, Mrs. Baker?”

“I’m actually here to see Barnaby. I hope he can make it to the Baker Group’s annual party,” Gemma said, turning around. Her assistant immediately took out an invitation and handed it over.

“This is the one, right? I’ll just pop in and see Barnaby,” Gemma said, about to knock, but Ronin jumped up and blocked her way.

“Sorry, Mrs. Baker, you can’t go in,” Ronin said, not budging.

Right then, the door to the private room swung open.

Hannah walked out, spotting Gemma and Ronin. She frowned, looking a little annoyed.

Gemma’s smile dropped the second she saw Hannah. She snuck a peek inside before the door shut, noticing someone else in there, but it definitely wasn’t Barnaby.

‘What is that girl doing here?’ Gemma wondered, her mind spinning.

She’d heard Hannah had escaped into the mountains, and the cops had only just managed to find her in time. She was supposed to be recovering in a hospital in Linxire.

But now she looked totally fine, like nothing had ever happened.

‘And wasn’t Barnaby supposed to be hurt? How is he still playing bodyguard for her?’ Gemma thought, annoyed.

Gemma didn’t buy for a second that a country bumpkin like Hannah could have any tricks up her sleeve. She glanced at Ronin, Jasper had told her Hannah was cozying up to him.

If it was Ronin, that might actually be possible.

She’d heard Barnaby let his people do whatever they wanted and wasn’t much of a hands-on boss.

Hannah glanced between Gemma and Ronin, a sly smile on her lips. “Mrs. Baker, you came all the way out here just to stretch your legs? Guess being locked up for so long really got to you, huh?”

Her words hit Gemma right where it hurt. Gemma was so pissed she could’ve ground Hannah to dust. She gritted her teeth and snapped, “I just wanted to see if you were still alive.”

“Don’t worry. If the Grim Reaper’s coming for someone, he’ll start with the ones already halfway in the coffin. You should live it up while you still can,” Hannah replied coolly, then strode out of the café.

Ronin quickly followed after her.

‘Is she seriously calling me old?’ Gemma fumed, jaw clenched tight.

She narrowed her eyes like a snake, glaring at their backs as they left.

‘That brat. Just because she knows how to flirt doesn’t mean she can swagger around Brynlock like she owns the place. Does she really think Ronin, that bootlicker, can protect her? She won’t even know what hit her when she goes down,’ Gemma seethed.

*****

As soon as Hannah stepped out of the café, Ronin flagged down a cab for her.

Once they were inside, Ronin asked, “Ms. Carter, are we heading back to Skycrest House? Or to Scott Villa?”

“Where’s Barnaby?” Hannah shot back, dodging his question.

Ronin paused, wondering if he was imagining things, Hannah was acting kind of different today.

“He’s at the office,” Ronin replied.

“Take me there,” Hannah said, her tone short and to the point.

Ronin was taken aback. Barnaby really was at the office, but it was at Xenith Systems Group, not at the usual Ascent Ventures. If he took her straight to Xenith, wouldn’t that expose Barnaby’s real workplace?

“Barnaby’s in a meeting right now, so it’s probably not a good time to drop by. After that, he’s got another event lined up. Why don’t we head back to Skycrest instead? Hedy’s probably missing you,” Ronin suggested, trying to change her mind.

Hannah’s frown deepened. His reluctance only made her more suspicious.

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