The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

“Over a hundred million? That’s insane!” Lauren thought, not anticipating Raven would demand such an outrageous amount.

She immediately reported this to Gemma.

“Jesus! He might as well just rob a bank!” Gemma snapped.

“These so-called hackers are just greedy basement dwellers with zero professionalism. You offering ten times. the original price upfront? That was like waving a red flag at a bull.

“Of course they’d get greedy and demand more.” Her tone made it clear she was blaming Lauren for mishandling the negotiation.

“I did my homework before making the offer. When others tried tripling the price and got rejected, I thought tenfold would definitely get his attention,” Lauren explained.

She had been proactively strategizing with Gemma, eager to prove her competence to show that during family emergencies, she could be more valuable than Jasper, who always seemed to be Gemma’s favorite.

That was precisely why Lauren had confidently authorized the maximum budget during negotiations, never anticipating the hacker would respond with such ingratitude.

“But with both our home and corporate security systems under constant surveillance and vulnerable to attacks at any moment, we’re in a critical situation.

“Perhaps we should consider increasing the offer by another thirty percent?” Lauren ventured cautiously.

“Out of the question. Ten times is our final offer. If he declines, we’ll find someone else, If domestic options fail, we’ll look overseas. I refuse to believe our family can’t afford some mediocre hacker,” Gemma declared.

Though she had asserted just yesterday that cost was no obstacle, the prospect of paying over a hundred million now struck her as profoundly unreasonable.

Ultimately, businesspeople always let profitability override sentiment.

“Okay.” Lauren nodded.

She shared Gemma’s conviction that their proposed compensation was more than sufficient to recruit talent comparable to Raven’s caliber.

*****

The morning light filtered through the windows as Hannah descended the stairs, finding Barnaby emerging from the kitchen with a cup of milk.

“Morning,” he greeted, his voice still husky with sleep.

He wore tailored black silk loungewear beneath a gray linen apron that accentuated his lean frame. The

combination created an intriguing contrast, aristocratic elegance mingled with domestic warmth.

The dining table displayed an impressive spread: seared shrimp, crispy bacon, French sausages, and most notably, a perfectly cooked steak, all her favorite breakfast foods.

“You made all this?” Hannah’s eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. “I didn’t take you for someone who could cook.”

In the Thole family tradition, girls were educated in various arts to become accomplished hostesses, while boys were groomed strictly in management and finance.

A wry smile touched Barnaby’s lips. “When you’re not the favored son in a family like mine, you learn to be self-sufficient.”

Had this been a week ago, Hannah might have believed his self-deprecating act.

But after witnessing Magnus defer to him at Scott Villa, she knew better than to buy into his humble pretense.

“Try the steak,” Barnaby said, pulling out her chair with an expectant look.

Hannah obliged, cutting into the medium-rare beef. Her eyes widened slightly as the flavors unfolded, a perfect crust giving way to tender, juicy interior.

Seeing her appreciative expression, Barnaby made a sudden move. As she reached for another bite, he gently slid the plate away.

“Well?” he asked, a playful gleam in his eyes.

“That’s… remarkable,” she admitted. “The perfect sear.”

“Want another bite?” Barnaby’s voice was warm and coaxing, like an adult tempting a child with candy.

Hannah had only sampled a small portion, its delicate flavor still lingering on her tongue. The promise of more made her nod eagerly. “Please.”

“Then call me Barney,” he teased, already anticipating her usual cool demeanor would earn him nothing more than an indifferent glance.

Yet, disarmed by the temptation of food, Hannah surrendered all restraint. Without a trace of hesitation, she softly murmured, “Barney.”

Barnaby’s hand gave an almost imperceptible tremble as his throat went dry.

He had asked Hannah to use the nickname on a mere whim, yet hearing it uttered in her soft voice sent an unexpected tremor straight to his core.

A faint dizziness washed over Hannah as she uttered the name. Had she really been so easily beguiled by food that she’d walked right into Barnaby’s little game?

Though her mind churned with conflicting thoughts, her expression remained perfectly composed as she accepted the steak from him and continued eating with measured calm.

“This steak is truly exceptional, she told herself, ‘and the bacon is equally remarkable. I’m only humoring him for the sake of the food. Nothing more.’

They sat across the table, two private worlds orbiting in unexpected harmony throughout the meal.

When breakfast concluded, Hannah began gathering the dishes.

“Leave them,” Barnaby said. “The housekeeper will handle it later. I need you to accompany me tonight to

meet someone.”

“Who?” Hannah asked, still collecting plates while keeping a wary eye on Hedy, who might sneak scraps from unattended dishes.

“Daisy Reese.” Barnaby delivered the name deliberately, watching for her reaction.

Her hands stilled mid-motion. She looked up and asked, “Why would you want me to meet her?”

She recalled Daisy vaguely from an international medical conference, a prodigy hailed as the medical world’s wunderkind since her teenage years.

Barnaby considered his response before offering, “I value your opinion of her medical capabilities.”

A realization dawned on Hannah, cooling her tone. “You don’t think I’m capable of treating you?”

“I have complete faith in you,” he clarified. “This was Edmund’s arrangement, not mine.”

His rich voice trailed off with carefully measured vulnerability, a masterful performance of helplessness.

“I refuse.” Her response came sharp and final, the earlier compliance vanished without a trace.

Satisfied and nourished, she now showed no inclination to humor him further.

“Trust me, I’m not exactly thrilled about this either,” Barnaby continued, his voice dripping with theatrical melancholy. “But a man in my condition, with no allies in the Thole family…

“If I want to stay alive, I have to follow the patriarch’s orders. It’s not like I have a choice.”

His carefully crafted performance was abruptly interrupted by a loud crash from the entrance.

They turned to find Ronin sprawled across the foyer floor, surrounded by rolling fruits and shattered porcelain.

He had come to collect Barnaby, bringing along some groceries as usual. Having maintained a key since the days when he regularly looked after Hedy during Hannah’s absences, he had developed the habit of letting

himself in.

Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the scene he walked into. The moment he heard Barnaby’s dramatic delivery, he stumbled over his own feet in shock.

The sharp pain from his hard landing confirmed this was no dream and certainly no auditory hallucination.

To his own astonishment, he overheard the usually icy Barnaby coaxing a young girl in a tender, almost plaintive tone, playing up his misfortunes.