THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET HEIR
img img THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET HEIR img Chapter 8 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR
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Chapter 14 SHADOWS BEHIND THE CROWN img
Chapter 15 THE SCANDAL CARD img
Chapter 16 THE WIFE'S WAR img
Chapter 17 THE RECKONING img
Chapter 18 WHISPER'S IN THE SHADOWS img
Chapter 19 THE GHOST NAMED EMILY img
Chapter 20 THE STORM BEFORE THE RECKONING img
Chapter 21 THE QUEEN BEHIND THE THRONE img
Chapter 22 THE BEGINNING OF THE END img
Chapter 23 THE VAULT OF TRUTH img
Chapter 24 POISONED CROWNS AND HIDDEN QUEENS img
Chapter 25 GHOST'S DONT STAY BURIED img
Chapter 26 THE CALM BEFORE THE CHAOS img
Chapter 27 THE FACE OF THE ENEMY img
Chapter 28 BENEATH IRON BARS AND BITTER TRUTH'S img
Chapter 29 THE BLOODLINE TRAP img
Chapter 30 THE SINCLAIR HEIRLOOM img
Chapter 31 FRACTURES IN THE FRAME img
Chapter 32 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR II img
Chapter 33 VEINS OF DECEPTION img
Chapter 34 THE BROTHER'S GAME BEGINS img
Chapter 35 CRACK'S IN THE THRONE img
Chapter 36 THE COUNTERSTRIKE img
Chapter 37 A MIND UNDER SIEGE img
Chapter 38 THE TRAP IS SET img
Chapter 39 LOYALTIES AND LIES img
Chapter 40 BLOOD ON THE THRONE img
Chapter 41 THE ISLAND OF NO RETURN img
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Chapter 8 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR

The cabin was silent, save for the rhythmic tick of the old wall clock and Caleb's soft breathing in the next room. Leah sat by the fireplace, the photograph and Adrian's note resting in her lap. Her fingers traced the words again.

"Find the music box. She hid it where love bloomed and war ended."

She hadn't slept. Couldn't. Something about the picture unnerved her-especially the eyes of the man whose face had been slashed out.

There was a knock at the door.

Not loud.

Just... deliberate.

Leah's breath caught.

She crept to the peephole.

A man in a long coat and fedora stood under the porch light, half his face hidden in shadow.

"Who is it?" she called out.

The man didn't answer.

Instead, he slipped a white envelope under the door and walked away into the woods, vanishing into the darkness.

Leah hesitated, then picked up the envelope. No name. No return address.

Inside was a single sheet of paper with bold, jagged handwriting:

"They know. Leave now. You're not safe."

She barely had time to process the words when her phone rang.

Adrian.

"Leah," he said, voice sharp. "Is Caleb okay?"

"Yes, but-"

"Pack a bag. I'm sending someone for you both. Don't argue."

"Adrian, what's going on?"

"I found the music box. And a letter. Everything we thought we knew is a lie."

Leah's grip tightened. "I got a warning. Someone came here."

"Then we're out of time."

---

Meanwhile...

In a glass tower that scraped the clouds, Sebastian Devereux poured himself another drink. Across from him stood a woman draped in black, her features sharp and ageless.

"He found it," she said simply.

Sebastian turned slowly. "Already?"

She nodded. "You underestimated his memory."

He exhaled slowly. "No matter. Let him believe he's winning. Soon, he'll lead us to the rest of the inheritance."

"And the girl?"

Sebastian's lips curled. "She's emotional leverage. She'll come to him. They always do."

The woman raised a brow. "Unless she learns the truth first."

His gaze darkened. "She won't."

---

Back at the Cabin

Leah packed quickly, shoving clothes and essentials into a duffel bag. Caleb stirred in bed.

"Mama?"

Her heart squeezed. "It's okay, sweetheart. We're going on a little trip."

"To Daddy?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, baby. To Daddy."

A black SUV pulled up moments later, headlights cutting through the trees. Marcus stepped out, all business.

"No time," he said. "Get in."

Leah secured Caleb in the back seat, then slid in beside him.

As the SUV pulled away, Leah looked out the window one last time-just in time to see the cabin door swing open on its own.

And a pair of eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.

---

Hours Later...

Adrian stood on the balcony of a safehouse overlooking the sea. The music box rested on the table beside him, still playing its eerie tune.

Leah stepped out, her eyes filled with unanswered questions.

"Tell me everything," she said.

Adrian turned to her. "My mother wasn't just a maid. She was protecting something. Me. From my family."

"And now?"

He looked at her, voice low. "Now they want Caleb. And they'll use you to get to him."

Leah took a step closer. "Why? What does Caleb have to do with this?"

Adrian's jaw tensed. "Because... he's more than just my son."

He turned to her fully.

"He's the rightful heir. And they know it."

Adrian's words hit Leah like a bolt of lightning.

"He's the rightful heir. And they know it."

She stared at him, her mind racing, her lips trembling. "What do you mean? How can Caleb be the heir? You're the Devereux heir. Not him."

Adrian turned away, running a hand through his tousled hair. The sea winds whipped around them, but the silence between them was louder.

"I'm not the legitimate heir," he said, voice rough. "My birth was hidden. My mother... she wasn't married to my father. The board never recognized me. But Caleb... he was born under legal conditions. And now that my father is dead, the will names my son as the successor. Not me."

Leah stumbled back. "But... but how? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't know until recently," he said, stepping toward her. "The music box wasn't just a keepsake. It held the original copy of the will. My father's handwriting. Witnessed. Sealed. Undisputable."

Her knees nearly gave out. "So your family wants him... because of power?"

"They want him because controlling him means controlling the empire."

Leah's eyes burned. "They're coming for our child. My baby."

Adrian stepped closer, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Which is why we need to fight back. But we can't do it from the shadows anymore."

Tears filled her eyes. "What are you saying?"

He hesitated. "We get married. Legally. Publicly."

She pulled away, stunned. "You want to use marriage as a shield?"

"No. I want to use it as armor. It's the only way I can protect you both in court and in the media. If we're united, no one can touch him without going through us."

Leah's heart thudded in her chest. "This isn't how I wanted things. Not again."

Adrian's voice dropped. "I know. But I can't lose you. Or him."

Before she could respond, Marcus appeared at the door, tense.

"They know you've moved," he said. "We found a tracker under the SUV."

Adrian's expression darkened. "They're getting bolder."

Marcus handed him a file. "And there's more. I found the woman who sent the envelope to Leah."

Leah's head snapped up. "Who?"

Marcus opened the folder. A grainy photo inside showed a woman with sharp green eyes and dark auburn hair.

Adrian's face paled.

Leah watched him carefully. "You know her."

He nodded slowly. "That's my aunt. Victoria Devereux."

"Your aunt?" Leah echoed.

"She was supposed to be dead."

---

            
            

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