The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Lauren lowered her head in shame, knowing she had only made things worse.

Winston, irritated, felt his nicotine craving kick in again. He lit a cigar in silence, smoking one after another until the office was filled with a thick haze. The ashtray on his desk was already overflowing.

Lauren coughed uncontrollably from the smoke and opened a window, urging him to smoke less, but her pleas were in vain.

Just then, the office door was knocked on, followed by Jasper entering from outside.

“Dad, why are you smoking in the oflice again? Ugh.” He choked and coughed violently from the dense smoke

in the room.

Winston immediately stubbed out his cigar and stood up. “Jasper, how did it go?”

“Here, have some water first. Catch your breath and take your time,” Gemma said, handing him a glass of

water.

“No luck,” Jasper replied after taking a sip. “He refused to see me.”

That night at Nexus Tower, after Jane got herself thrown out, Cole Hex, her guest for the evening, was unceremoniously kicked out along with her.

The public humiliation infuriated Cole so much that he immediately cut all ties with the Dross family.

Jasper waited a couple of days for things to cool down before reaching out, but Cole still refused to see him.

“What’s his problem? I thought guys in the black market were supposed to be all about the money,” Winston remarked.

But that was exactly why they avoided dealing with people like Cole unless they had no other choice. When someone has nothing to lose, they’ve got everything to gain.

“That’s because…” Jasper explained exactly what went down at Nexus Tower that night.

Gemma’s expression turned icy the moment she heard it.

While black market operators did prioritize profit over personal relationships, they were also notoriously proud individuals who valued face above all else.

Being escorted out of Nexus Tower was essentially a public ejection, a direct insult to Cole’s reputation. His furious reaction was completely predictable.

But Gemma caught another critical piece of information. Hannah had managed to attach herself to Ronin.

“Hannah. That woman again,” Gemma muttered through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing with venom.

A contemptuous smirk then crossed her face. “Some people never rise above their roots. The best she can

apter 60

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aspire to is an assistant’s position.”

She thought to herself, ‘Does she really believe attaching herself to Barnaby’s personal aide will protect her? I could crush her as easily as stepping on an ant.’

Jasper felt a distinct discomfort hearing her words.

“Given our situation, we have no choice but to hire Raven at a hundred times the original price,” Winston declared. “Lauren, make the arrangements. Ideally, Raven should resolve this for us by tomorrow. Our useless corporate team can’t hold out much longer.”

After all their efforts, they were not only facing the same exorbitant cost but had also burned bridges in the process. Gemma shot Lauren a look of quiet disappointment.

Yet as she considered Raven’s influence, a new idea began forming in her mind.

“Send me the contact details. I’ll take over the negotiations,” Gemma said, extending her hand toward Lauren.

“But…” Lauren stared back in astonishment.

She was the one who had established contact with Raven and negotiated the inflated price. Even with earlier setbacks, securing this deal would have earned her recognition from the company’s shareholders.

But now, at this critical moment, Gemma was stepping in to claim the credit even from her own daughter.

“Is there a problem? Or are you questioning my authority?” Gemma’s gaze turned sharp and dismissive.

Swallowing her resentment, Lauren replied stiffly, “Not at all. I’ll forward the contact information immediately.”

*****

Hannah remained at Scott Villa until the National Day holiday came to an end.

On the morning of her return to school, she was finishing breakfast when her phone began vibrating persistently. She glanced at the screen to see a series of messages from Piggy.

Piggy: [Raven, the Bakers have agreed to pay a hundred times our original asking price.]

Piggy: [Though it’s Mrs. Baker reaching out this time, not Lauren.]

Piggy: [Should I make her wait a few hours before “reluctantly” accepting?]

Raven: [No need.]

Piggy: [You’re right. Better to get it sooner than later. I’ll confirm right now.]

Raven: [The hundred-fold offer has expired.]

Raven: [It’s two hundred times now. Or nothing.]

Piggy: [My goodness!]

Piggy: [Just messing with her?]

Piggy: [Or are we strategically turning the screws?]

Piggy: [Not that I’m complaining. I love it.]

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Hannah’s lips as she imagined Gemma’s reaction. Setting her phone aside, she calmly finished her meal.

As breakfast concluded, Dorian rose and picked up his car keys.

“The driver’s off today,” he said with an overly eager smile. “Since I’m free, I’ll take you and Lucian to school.”

His tone carried none of his former authority as head of the household, only a thinly veiled attempt to curry favor.

Hannah met his offer with a detached silence, fully aware he had some hidden agenda.

Before she could respond, however, Lucian voiced his own protest.

“I’d rather walk to school than share a car with her,” he declared, hoisting his small backpack and marching out with an air of theatrical defiance.

He was still embroiled in his one-sided grudge over Hannah’s refusal to use his old study as her bedroom.

Once outside, he lingered in the courtyard, pretending to adjust his shoelaces.

Perhaps if she asked him nicely, he might reconsider and maybe even grant her the favor of riding together.

But Hannah barely glanced in his direction before sliding gracefully into the passenger seat.

Without so much as a word of persuasion, Dorian started the engine and drove off, leaving Lucian alone in the yard wondering, not for the first time, whether he was actually the biological son.

During the drive to school, Dorian found himself stealing glances at Hannah in the rearview mirror.

She sat absorbed in her mobile game, her posture as composed and detached as ever. Yet the balance between them had irrevocably shifted.

“Hannah,” he began, breaking the silence, “if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is your relationship with Mr. Thole?”

He’d been wanting to ask this for days. Had he known about her connection to Barnaby sooner, he might have avoided his current predicament.

At the mention of the name, Hannah’s fingers hesitated over the screen. It had been days since their unpleasant parting, with no contact since.

“Not your business,” she replied without looking up.

The dismissal stung. In the past, he would have erupted at her tone. But he’d learned to swallow his pride. Anger served no purpose now.

“Of course.” He backtracked hastily. “It’s just… given our family ties, would you consider putting in a word with Arthur? Help me get a position at his company?” He forced humility into his voice. “Really, any position would do.”

When Arthur had made it clear he wanted no part of Dorian in the business, Hannah had become his last resort. Anything beats actual manual labor.

Hannah finally looked up, her gaze cool and assessing. “Even as a janitor?”

Dorian faltered, momentarily speechless.

“I’ll mention it to Arthur,” she said evenly.

He nearly choked. “Surely we could aim for something in management? I still represent the Scott family name in public, after all…”

The thought of cleaning floors after running a company was humiliating.

Hannah didn’t blink. “Janitorial supervisor?”

Dorian fell silent. It was a blow to his dignity, but technically, he supposed, supervision was management.

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