The True Heiress Reborn And Slays (Alicia Delaney) novel Chapter 562

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Chapter 562 A Web of Deceit

The second the words left his lips, Riley froze completely. It was as if time had stopped inside the car.

A heartbeat later, a terrifying clarity sliced through the fog in her mind like a boit of lightning. She whipped her head around, her gaze sharpening instantly as the name tumbled from her lips without a second thought. “Melissa?!”

In that split second, every jagged piece of the puzzle seemed to snap together, forming a complete picture.

Elsie’s role was never about her own self–worth–it was always about the woman standing behind her, the one who pulled the strings yet still carried the Harper name: Melissa.

As the reality settled in, Riley’s heart plummeted.

“If that’s the case, then Melissa is sitting right at the epicenter of this storm, and she’s completely oblivious?”

Sebastian seemed to sense the trajectory of her thoughts. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and spoke with steady resolve. “Try not to worry. I’m dispatching additional security personnel immediately to keep a close watch on her.”

Then, his demeanor shifted, his tone turning colder, more detached. “But you need to understand something, Riley. Even if Elsie is so consumed by greed that she’s willing to stab Melissa in the back after years of being taken care of–that is ultimately the result Melissa’s own indulgence. Some consequences are hers to face alone.”

Sebastian’s words were harsh, yet they rang undeniably true.

Riley felt a jolt of shock at the betrayal Melissa was about to endure, but sympathy? Not a flicker.

Her father was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and Melissa had never shown a shred of genuine remorse.

Now, the woman she had raised like her own daughter was preparing to betray her. Riley wondered if this brutal lesson would finally be enough to snap Melissa out of decades of catastrophic judgment.

Riley gave a slight shake of her head, pushing the chaotic thoughts aside. “In the end, she set all of this in motion herself. So she has to deal with the fallout.”

The sedan glided to a stop at the hospital entrance moments later.

Outside the ICU, Raymond was leaning against a bench in the corridor, eyes closed as he caught a brief moment of rest. He opened them at the sound of approaching footsteps.

He had clearly been holding down the fort all night.

Riley walked up to the observation window and gazed through the thick, reinforced glass into the room beyond.

Her father lay motionless on the bed, but the monitor beside him displayed a heart rhythm that was stronger and more stable than the day before. It allowed her to finally draw a full, steady breath.

Raymond joined them in a quieter alcove of the hallway, keeping his voice low. “Last night, not long after you two took off, Melissa showed up here with Elsie in tow.

“But I didn’t let them in. I stopped them cold at the door.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed into icy slits. “They got the word fast. That means there’s a mole inside this hospital feeding them

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“information. We need to root them out before this blows up in our faces at a critical moment.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it.” Sebastian said concisely. He pulled out his phone and relayed hushed, sharp instructions to his team

By nine a.m., the attending physician arrived with a squadron of specialists for another comprehensive round of evaluations.

Following the consultation, the doctor delivered a promising update.

Zavier’s vital signs had stabilized sufficiently to permit his transfer out of the ICU and into a private, high–security recovery suite equipped with top–tier medical support.

Once the nursing staff and doctors had safely moved him to the new room, Raymond finally felt comfortable enough to head back to the office to tackle the mountain of paperwork awaiting him.

Only Riley and Sebastian remained. Knowing he had barely slept the night before, Riley urged him gently, “I’ve got things covered here. You should head back to the office, too. Don’t give Aiden a single opening to exploit.”

Sebastian knew that dealing with a predator like Aiden required patience–you had to lay the groundwork meticulously and strike only when you could finish the job for good.

He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Riley’s forehead, his voice softening. “Alright. Call me the second anything comes up?

Sebastian hadn’t been back to the corporate headquarters in quite some time, but with Miranda and Wayne holding down the fort, there shouldn’t have been any major catastrophes.

Yet, even the usually unshakeable Torres Group was beginning to show signs of strain.

He hadn’t been settled in his corner office on the top floor for half an hour when his assistant knocked and entered, looking grim. Two major commercial development projects–one on the East Side, the other downtown–had been flagged simultaneously for severe quality and safety violations. Both sites had been issued immediate cease–and–desist orders pending full federal investigations.

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