The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

This is totally cheating! Barnaby thought, his mind spinning

Barnaby had always prided himself on his ironclad self-control, even with gorgeous women throwing themselves at him during missions, he never wavered.

But this time, he finally slipped up.

He quickly shifted his right leg, hoping Hammal wouldn’t catch on to his reaction.

Hannah worried she’d touched his injury, so she went still, afraid to move.

She lay against his strong chest, his faint tobacco scent surrounding her.

Even through his shirt, she could feel the heat of his body and the firm muscles of his chest and abs.

Suddenly, she remembered that photo Barnaby had accidentally sent her, the sight of those ripped muscles made her fingers itch to touch him.

‘God, I really want to touch him… Hannah thought, her heart pounding.

But then Hannah snapped out of it, embarrassed by her own thoughts. She quickly tried to shake them off, her mind a total mess and her cheeks burning up.

The air between them felt hotter and hotter, their breaths mixing in the charged space. Hannah’s heart was pounding so loud she couldn’t tell if it was hers or Barnaby’s.

They stayed like that for what felt like forever.

Finally, Barnaby spoke, his voice low and a little rough. “I need to take a shower.”

‘A cold one,’ he added silently.

Hannah sat up quickly, clearing her throat. “No way, your wound can’t get wet!”

She hesitated, knowing how Barnaby was about cleanliness, he probably couldn’t sleep without a shower. Reluctantly, she said, “If you really can’t stand it, maybe just give yourself a sponge bath…”

‘I could help him wipe down,’ Hannah thought, her cheeks burning.

Barnaby’s mind was suddenly flooded with images, his throat going dry. “No, thanks,” he replied, his voice hoarse.

‘Please, just spare me… Barnaby begged silently.

‘She’s underage. I can’t be playing with fire, Barnaby warned himself, forcing his thoughts back in line.

Just then, the doorbell rang, shattering the awkward vibe in the room.

Hannah quickly turned and went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, then went to answer the door.

At the door was a delivery guy, holding a huge bouquet of champagne roses.

“Hi, these are for Ms. Carter. Please sign here,” the delivery guy said.

Hannah was speechless.

‘He really did send me flowers to make up for it!’ Hannah thought, her heart skipping a beat.

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Chapter 89

The crazy thing was, she absolutely loved the color of these roses.

Back inside, Hannah shot a quick pic of the roses and sent it to Candy.

Her phone lit up with a WhatsApp video call from Candy almost instantly. Hannah didn’t answer right away, she headed upstairs to her room first, then finally picked up.

“Ahhh! Hannah, who gave you those champagne roses?” Candy was practically screaming the second the call connected.

Her face took up the whole screen, Barbie filter cranked up to max, and she could barely contain her excitement.

“Barnaby bought them.” Hannah said, thinking about saying “sent” but going with “bought instead.

“Oh ho, Barnaby?” Candy grinned, her face full of mischief, like she’d just uncovered a juicy secret.

Last time they hung out, she’d called him by his full name.

It suddenly hit Hannah, she’d called him Barnaby without even thinking. Her mind went fuzzy and her face felt hot.

She’d always been cool and unflappable, but lately, Barnaby kept messing with her head.

“We’re not even related, so I can’t just keep calling him Uncle Barnaby and let him take advantage of it,” Hannah explained, trying to play it off.

‘Exactly, that’s all there is to it!’ Hannah reassured herself, trying to keep it simple.

Candy beamed at her like a proud auntie. “Yeah, yeah, I get it! So, did you say yes to his proposal or what?”

“Keep talking nonsense and I’m hanging up,” Hannah huffed, half-joking, half-embarrassed.

“Girl, don’t tell me you don’t know this! Champagne roses aren’t just some random flowers, they mean ‘you’re the one and only,’ like ‘you’re my forever. It’s basically a sneaky way to propose!” Candy squealed.

Hannah froze, her cheeks burning and her heart skipping a beat. ‘Wait… was Barnaby actually doing this on purpose?’ she wondered, flustered.

*****

Ronin had just finished packing his bags. With some unexpected time off and nothing better to do, he decided to head back to his hometown and check in on his parents.

But just as he finished booking his flight, his phone rang, it was Barnaby.

“Get to Skycrest House, now,” Barnaby ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Ronin was stunned. “Huh?”

“Barnaby, you gave me time off,” Ronin protested.

“Cancel it,” Barnaby said, his tone brooking no argument.

Ronin was speechless.

‘I’m pretty sure the boss is just messing with me, but I can’t prove it,’ Ronin thought, rolling his eyes at his own bad luck.

Early the next morning, Hannah was jolted awake by her phone ringing.

It was Ethan Clarke, the detective in charge of Yvette Hollow’s case, calling to tell her to come down to the station at 2 PM.

Chapter 89

He didn’t mention any details about the case, just said he’d talk to her in person when she got there.

Hannah couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

After getting ready, she headed downstairs, and just as she reached the first floor, the doorbell rang.

05 vouchers

When she opened the door, there was a guy in a Deaxen Hotel uniform, holding a fancy food box with intricate carvings.

“Hi, I’ve got the breakfast order for Mr. Thole,” the guy said.

“Thanks,” Hannah said, taking the box. As she walked back to the living room, she glanced toward Barnaby’s room.

Is he up already?’ Hannah wondered, a little surprised.

She thought back to last night, and those roses. Shaking her head, Hannah forced herself to clear out all those messy feelings, acting like nothing had ever happened.

She opened the food box and found most of it was her favorites, with a few pastries and some light, nourishing soup.

She ate a little, then set the rest on a tray, planning to bring it to Barnaby.

In his room, Barnaby was propped up against the headboard, Bluetooth headphones on, his right knee propping up his laptop.

His face was blank as his long fingers danced over the keyboard, lines of white code flashing across the black screen.

Finneus’s voice crackled in his ear. “There’s a mole in the hospital. News about your accident leaked, that’s why they’re getting so bold.”

“Heh, I’m not even dead yet and they’re already acting like kings. If I really croaked, would they think they’re invincible?” Barnaby sneered, his voice low and cold, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Finneus could sense Barnaby’s anger. “So, you still planning to let them walk free?” he asked.

“What, you want me to save them for a party?” Barnaby replied coldly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Barnaby’s fingers hesitated for a split second, then started flying even faster over the keyboard. Thirty seconds later, the screen flicked back to the desktop.

“Pull the rug out from under them. Wipe them out,” he said, voice low and icy.

He hung up, slipped off his headphones, snapped his laptop shut, and set everything down on the nightstand.

“Come in,” he called. As the door opened, he quickly lay back, masking all traces of his earlier intensity and slipping right into his sickly patient act.

Hannah walked in carrying a small table and saw Barnaby lying on the bed, already changed into sleek black pajamas. He wasn’t even bothering with the covers, making it clear he’d already gotten up at some point.

She propped the little table over his lap, then headed out to grab the breakfast tray.

“Is Ronin back from his break already?” Hannah asked.

Barnaby just replied with a question, “What’s up?”

“I saw him here last night,” Hannah said. “He left pretty late.”

11:00 Mon, Dec 22 GJO

Chapter 89

Barnaby thought back to last night, coughed lightly, and said, “He just swung by to drop something off. It was kind of urgent.”

“Oh, have him drop by later. Once you finish breakfast, I need to swing by the Scott Villa, got something to handle there! Hannah said.

Last week, she’d promised Felicity she’d go with her to visit her grandma in the hospital this weekend.

When Barnaby heard she was heading over to the Scott Villa and might not be back tonight, he said it with total calm. “Ronin’s still on leave. He left for his hometown early this morning”

“What about Percival?” Hannah asked.

After the hospital, she still had to stop by the police station, so she probably wouldn’t be back for a while. She’d feel better if someone was around to keep an eye on Barnaby while she was out.

“He’s back at Reese Manor for a family dinner,” Barnaby replied.

“Do you have any other assistants or friends who could come over and look after you?” Hannah asked.

“No.” Barnaby answered, not missing a beat.

He didn’t even pause, his reply was crisp and final.

Hannah was speechless.

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11:00 Mon, Dec 22