The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 62

Chapter 62

She quickly caught herself, shaking her head. “But you’re a Scott, no blood relation to the Thole family at all. So technically, there’s nothing stopping you two from being together!”

Candy scooped up Hannah’s phone, her sapphire eyes sparkling with mischief as she pouted playfully. “Alright, spill it! Show me this mythical creature who actually managed to crack our ice queen’s heart. Just how gorgeous is this guy?”

With her sun-kissed waves, delicate features, and those impossible blue eyes, Candy looked like a life-sized Barbie doll escaped from its display case.

Most people would have folded instantly under such adorable assault, but Hannah remained unmoved as she calmly retrieved her phone.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hannah said, setting the device aside. “There’s nothing between us.”

“How can you be so sure?” Candy leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “From everything you’ve told me, he’s clearly into you. Don’t tell me you’re using that no early dating excuse?”

Hannah’s mind drifted to Barnaby’s recent behavior, the lingering touches and the intense stares.

‘If this is his idea of affection, it feels more like manipulation,’ she thought.

“He sees me as a child,” she said flatly, taking a sip of coffee.

“A child?” Candy snorted. “The last guy who pulled that ‘under-the-table’ move on me became my boyfriend. Well, until he became my ex,” she added, tapping the table for emphasis. “Oh, and there was that creep at the bar last month…”

‘Exactly,’ Hannah thought. ‘Barnaby’s exactly that type. All charm until he’s sneaking off with someone else.

“But your uncle’s different, right?” Candy’s voice softened. “Unless… you don’t actually like him?”

Hannah studied the dark swirls in her coffee cup.

She’d always cherished her childhood memories of Barnaby, that protective older brother figure she’d once adored.

But the man he’d become was different beneath the polished surface. There was a calculated coldness to him. now, a mysterious edge that both drew her in and kept her guarded.

Besides, he was still a Thole. Until she uncovered who framed Lysander and caused Rosalie’s death, every family member remained under suspicion.

“If you don’t care about him,” Candy continued, thinking aloud since Hannah stayed silent, “then why are you so invested? First, you’re treating his condition, now you’re bidding for the Obsidian Pearl?

“Do you know how many collectors are after that thing tonight?”

“I’m just honoring our professional arrangement,” Hannah insisted, her voice even.

“Really now?” Candy’s eyes narrowed skeptically.

“Really,” Hannah maintained her composure.

A soft ding from her phone announced an incoming WhatsApp message.

Hannah’s eyes flicked to the screen, and the moment she recognized Barnaby’s profile picture, she picked it up with reflexive urgency.

The message contained a mirror selfie that made her breath catch.

Barnaby held the hem of his white shirt between his teeth, one hand holding the phone, the other tugging his waistband low enough to reveal a narrow waist, sharply defined abs, and the sculpted lines of his Adonis belt.

Across his lower left abdomen lay a deep, faded scar, a stark contrast to the perfection of his form, yet somehow enhancing its raw, almost dangerous appeal.

The composition was deliberate, showcasing his body while keeping his face hidden behind the phone.

Anyone else might have thought it was a photo of some professional model, but Hannah knew that scar.

She’d seen his back once, marked with a history of wounds, each one telling a story she wasn’t meant to know.

Heat rushed to her ears as she stared, baffled by his intention. Why would he send her something like this?

“Wow. Is that even real? Let me see.” Candy peeked over, then made a grab for the phone. “Is that your uncle?

“Holy hell, Hannah. That’s not a man. That’s a fantasy. If you’re not interested, you have to introduce me. I’m not joking.”

“Come on, Candy, give it back!” Hannah’s ears flushed crimson as she made a grab for her phone.

Candy danced just out of reach, waving the device teasingly. “Not a chance! First, you tell me the truth. You like what you see, don’t you?”

“Fine, I do,” Hannah admitted, the heat spreading across her ears.

It was impossible not to appreciate a body like that, sculpted and stunning, almost unreal.

“See? Was that so hard?” Candy burst into laughter, triumphant. “And here you were, trying to convince me it was strictly professional.””

In their tussle for the phone, Hannah’s thumb slipped, accidentally sending a heart-eyed emoji in reply.

She pressed down to undo it, but before she could, the photo disappeared from the chat.

A moment later, his response came through.

Barnaby: [Wrong chat.]

Barnaby: [So you like it?]

Barnaby: [Ask nicely, and I might send it again.]

‘Wrong chat?’ The thought hit Hannah like a splash of cold water. ‘Was this meant for someone else? Daisy, maybe?’

A bitter weight settled in her chest, heavy, unwelcome, and undeniable.

On the other side of the screen, Barnaby studied the emoji Hannah had sent, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

‘Someone must have hacked her account,’ he thought.

The photo was no accident. He’d sent it with clear intention.

After their last meeting, a sudden military assignment had pulled him away from Brynlock. Though his duties left him no time to contact her, it irritated him that she hadn’t bothered to reach out either.

‘Heartless, he thought.

Just then, the “typing…” bubble appeared. He waited, watching with interest to see what she would say.

But a minute later, the typing indicator vanished, and the flirty emoji had been recalled.

That was all the confirmation he needed. No one had hacked her account.

A knock came at the study door. Percival entered. “Barnaby, the car’s ready. We should leave for the Scepter House.”

Barnaby didn’t look up from his phone. “Noted.”

Percival hesitated, then asked, “Should we offer Ms. Carter a ride?”

“No.” Barnaby rose without warning.

“Why not?” Percival frowned.

Given that Hannah was the one who’d asked them to search for the Obsidian Pearl, passing the news along seemed only reasonable.

Barnaby recalled her earlier words. “Once we find the Obsidian Pearl and cure you, this ends.”

And he wasn’t about to let that happen.