Reborn to Ruin Him: The Heiress's Game

LYRA

I sat down frozen in my office as I stared at the papers I had received. The cool night air blew in through the windows gently hitting my face but I wasn't cold.

Embezzlement? Fraud? How was that possible?

My law firm....my firm was suddenly under investigation. My name was on every file, every transaction, every stolen cent I had never touched.

I shook my head, forcing myself to breathe. Jason had been handling the accounts. He'd insisted on it after I gave him power of attorney on our second anniversary. He had managed the company well all these years but now-

Now the walls felt like they were closing in.

I grabbed my coat and headed toward the executive floor. His office light was still on. I just needed answers. A reason. This had to be a mistake.

But the second I stepped into the hallway, I heard it. Laughter.

My footsteps slowed as I reached his door, which was left slightly open. Inside, Jason sat down with Vanessa. Vanessa, my assistant.

Her legs were wrapped around his waist as he pressed her against his desk, shirt half open. His mouth trailed down her neck, and she was whispering something I couldn't hear and their laughter rang out.

I couldn't move.

"You're amazing," she said laughing.

"No," Jason replied with a grin, "I'm just smart. She's the one who gave me full control. Can you believe that? All I had to do was act like I was concerned. She signed the firm over to me like a fool."

Vanessa giggled. "So gullible."

Jason zipped his pants casually, not even bothering to close the door. "She's weak. She just wanted love and respect. I gave her just enough of both until

I didn't need her anymore."

Tears filled my eyes as I heard his words.

"Now she will take the fall for the embezzlement and I will be the one to save the company." Jason laughed.

I staggered back hitting the trashcan behind me.

Jason and Vanessa immediately fumbled with their clothing and I walked inside. Jason didn't seem to care or even look surprised as I walked in. It was as if he had finally decided to throw his mask away.

" Look who finally decided to crawl her way in here. The cops will be here anytime soon. You should be getting ready." Jason mocked while Vanessa stood by his side.

"How could you do this to me? I have loved you, given you everything you wanted and made all your dreams come true." I sobbed as I looked at the man I loved my entire life.

I barely recognized him anymore.

"Oh, come on, Lyra. What were you thinking? You were so submissive, so gentle, wanting to be the perfect trophy wife that the world would admire," Jason scoffed, stepping around his desk slowly like he was circling prey. "That's not how the world works. Power doesn't come from loyalty or love. It comes from control. And you handed me all of it."

I stared at him, my lips trembling as my hands dropped helplessly to my sides.

"You betrayed me," I whispered. "I built this firm from nothing. I trusted you."

Jason tilted his head. "And that's your real flaw. You trusted the wrong man."

Vanessa chuckled behind him. She didn't even try to hide her smug smile. "You were always too emotional. Too soft. That's why we knew this would work."

The room tilted. My knees weakened, but I didn't fall. I wouldn't give them that satisfaction.

"You'll go to prison," I said quietly. "When the truth comes out-"

Jason interrupted with a laugh that chilled me to the bone. "You still don't get it, do you? I made sure there is no truth left. Every account, every document, every signature, they all point to you. You'll take the fall and the world will thank me for 'cleaning up your mess.' You're already guilty, Lyra. In their eyes, it's over."

My breath caught as I heard his words.

" You will regret this. I won't let you win. Both of you. I am going to prove the truth about both of you. This recoding is going to prove it." I said raising my phone to show them.

I turned to leave when strong hands gripped me. My breath hitched as I looked back and saw Jason. Jason tried to grab my phone but I was quicker. I dodged pushing him and was almost at the door when something slammed into the side of my head.

A sharp, blinding pain cracked through my skull. I crashed to the floor, my phone skidding away across the rug.

Blood rushed to my ears. My vision pulsed.

Vanessa stood over me, gripping a heavy paperweight in her hand. The sharp edge was stained red.

"You should've stayed quiet," she said breathless as she stared at me with annoyance.

I reached out weakly, fingers stretching toward my phone. It was inches away. So close.

Just then, Jason stepped on my hand. I cried out, the bones in my fingers crunching under his heel.

He crouched down beside me, brushing hair from my face almost gently. "You just couldn't let it go, could you?"

Tears blurred my eyes. My head throbbed. I could feel warm liquid dripping past my temple. Blood.

"Please..." I whispered. "Don't..."

Vanessa leaned down and grabbed the phone. She tossed it onto the ground and smashed it under her heel. Again and again until the screen cracked, shattered, and died.

"Problem solved," she muttered smiling.

"I love you, babe." Jason said as he leaned down to kiss her.

My body grew cold. I tried to move, to fight, but I couldn't feel my legs anymore. My arms barely lifted from the floor. Everything was slowing down.

Jason pulled back staring at me. "We need to finish her."

"No," I croaked. "Jason-please..."

But he had already turned away.

Vanessa knelt beside me. Her perfume was too suffocating. Her fingers wrapped around the collar of my coat as she brought her face close to mine.

"You were never meant to last," she whispered. "You were always temporary. Goodbye, Lyra. I'll enjoy myself. I promise."

She lifted the paperweight again and struck it down hard on me.

Darkness.

*********************************

I was supposed to be dead. The way I died was not the way I had planned. Being betrayed, losing everything I ever had.

The sound of the fan turning echoed in my ears. Suddenly, someone tapped me lightly making me open my eyes.

"Darling," Jason smiled as he gave the bundle of flowers he had bought. "Happy anniversary."

My eyes widened as I sat up. I looked around. I was in our bedroom. Our wedding photos hung on the wall and our pictures were on the table near the nightstand. Everything looked the same.

Had it all been a dream?

Jason turned toward the mirror, fixing his cufflinks casually."Lyra, I was thinking we should do something special this year for our anniversary. The restaurant by the lake, its your favorite. I also have something to tell you." He turned to me smiling.

His phone rang beside me and I reached out to look at it. It was Vanessa calling. He had saved her number as "Associate".

" I have to go. There is a lot to do at the office." Jason said grabbing his phone as fast as he could.

Then he was gone.

I got up and quickly walked to the table looking at the calendar.

June 3rd, 2024.

Our second anniversary.

A full year before my death.

It wasn't a dream.

I had traveled back in time. A chance to make them pay.

I got to the restaurant by the lake that Jason had talked about. The scenery was amazing just as I had remembered it and the smell of the food hit me the moment I walked in. A waiter appeared and led inside guiding me to where Jason sat down. He had changed his clothes without coming home which told me he must have been with Vanessa.

" Thank you," I muttered as Jason pulled out the seat for me.

My eyes caught sight of the envelope on the table. I knew what it was, the power of attorney for the firm. In the past, he had deceived me by pretending to be concerned about me and my health. All he wanted was for me to hand him control of the firm.

I sat down slowly, my eyes never leaving the envelope. Jason took his seat across from me, the corners of his lips twitching in a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You look tired, love. Maybe you should take some days off." He said, his voice calm and smooth.

I didn't answer.

The waiter returned, poured water into our glasses and took our orders. I reached for my glass and took a sip. This time, I wasn't going to be naive.

"I don't want to take days off. I have a lot of cases and the firm is getting a lot of more clients." I replied shrugging my shoulders as I placed the glass back down, watching his expression closely.

Jason didn't flinch, but I saw the way his fingers tapped lightly against the table, the way his eyes drifted toward the envelope like it held more weight than gold.

"You're overworking yourself again, Lyra," he said gently, leaning forward. "You've always done that. This... this isn't good for you."

My lips curved into a cold smile. "Strange, considering you never seemed to mind it before. In fact, you encouraged it."

His jaw tightened for a second, then relaxed as he let out a soft laugh. "I just care about you, that's all. We built that firm together. You know I'd never let anything bad happen to you."

I looked down at the crisp white envelope again. My fingers itched to reach out and tear it in half. All these years, I thought I had a partner. Instead, I had a polished liar who smiled while stabbing me in the back.

"What's that?" I asked finally unable to hold back.

Jason handed me the envelope, his voice calm. "I had the company lawyers draw it up. It's just a transfer of power of attorney. I figured you might want a little break... some time to rest."

I opened it slowly, my heart already uneasy. My eyes ran over the pages. Everything looked just like before. The wording was flawless. Jason had made sure I still owned my shares, still held control. On paper, it seemed harmless. But I saw it now for what it really was. A trap. His plan had always been to make it look clean until the day he needed someone to blame.

He had no idea that I wasn't the same naive Lyra who couldn't tell the difference between a snake and a wolf.

" I'll read it over and think about it" I said putting the paper back into the envelope.

Our food finally arrived and the waiter served it to us. Jason's phone kept buzzing and I could tell he was uneasy as he tried not to look at us. The silence between us was far too stretched.

It had to be Vanessa checking up on him.

"How is the food? Do you like it?" Jason asked changing the subject as he smiled at me.

I gave him a polite smile and picked up my fork, cutting into the food without much interest. "It's alright," I said, keeping my voice even. "You were right. This place hasn't changed."

Jason smiled, looking almost relieved. "I knew you'd like it."

I nodded slowly, letting the silence settle between us. He thought I was calm, maybe even softening. But inside, I was replaying everything. Images of how he had lied to me, deceived me and made me suffer.

He reached for his glass. "You should rest, Lyra. I really mean it this time. The firm is doing well. I can take care of things for a while."

"Maybe you're right," I said gently. "A few days might not be so bad."

Jaosn's shoulders relaxed as he leaned back, the worry leaving his face for a moment. That was all he needed, a small opening. He didn't know that this time, it was going to be different.

I picked up the envelope again, slipping it into my purse without another word.

" I have to go back now. I have to be court tomorrow." I said standing up. "Happy anniversary, my love" I said with a smile.

"Happy anniversary." Jason replied.

I walked back to my car, my heels clicking softly against the pavement. The night air had cooled, brushing against my skin like a warning. I paused for a moment beside the car, gripping the door handle, letting everything sink in.

The game had just begun.

*****************************

" Lyra, you have someone waiting to see you." Vanessa said smiling at me as she stood dressed corporately in her suit.

I walked past her not paying her any attention as I headed towards my office.

"It's the client from before. The one with the real estate case."

I didn't reply and kept working. Vanessa followed behind pretending to be the worried about me but I knew it was just an act. I would soon have my time to deal with her.

I opened the door to my office and stepped inside before slamming the door just as Vanessa was about to enter.

He was already seated.

Vincent Vale.

He stood when he saw me, tall and sharp in a dark suit that matched the cold edge in his eyes. Calm. Collected. The kind of man who didn't waste time with small talk.

"Mrs. Douglas," he said with a nod. "Thank you for seeing me."

"You're here about the waterfront property." I said walking over to my desk.

He smiled faintly. "Among other things."

I sat down and opened the file Vanessa had left on the table. His case was a huge one and I remembered it in my past life. He had been tricked by his own girlfriend into buying some properties and got sued. He had no idea that his precious girlfriend behind it. He thought it was just a simple fraud but it was much larger than that. By the time he realized everything, I had lost the case and he had gone to jail.

That wasn't going to happen this time.

"This isn't just about a bad land deal," I said, flipping through the documents again. "It's a setup. The paperwork looks clean, but the real ownership doesn't match. Delmar Group never had full rights to sell that land."

Vincent's face stayed calm, but his eyes sharpened. "They had environmental clearances, zoning approval, tax records. Everything."

" I'll do my best to help you. However it's not going to be easy. I can deal with Delmar Group. I'll file an emergency injunction today. Asset freeze, contract breach, and fraud." I said closing the file.

But that wasn't going to be enough. How was I supposed to convince him that his girlfriend of three years wanted to take everything from him?

Vincent's phone rang and I watched as he was about to pick it up. It was his girlfriend, Hailey.

"Don't-" I started.

I rushed stopping him before he could answer and tripped, my heels giving out before I could stop myself. I yelled just as I was about to hit the floor and Vincent caught me.

His phone fell to the floor.

I was pressed against his chest, his hands firm around my waist. His cologne was rich and expensive clouding my thoughts for just a beat too long. My breath caught as his eyes locked with mine, sharp and unreadable.

Time slowed.

He didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice low. "I just didn't want you to answer that call."

His grip tightened slightly. "Why not?"

I looked up at him.

"Because she's the one trying to ruin you."

Vincent let me go, making me fall to the ground.

I groaned as I hit the floor, the shock rushing through my body faster than the pain. My palms scraped against the carpet and I looked up at him stunned. His face was cold and unreadable.

As if nothing had happened.

He bent slowly, picked up his phone and checked the screen. Hailey was still calling.

"I don't like games," he said, slipping the phone into his pocket. "Especially not from the people supposed to be helping me."

I pushed myself up, brushing off my dress. "That isn't a game. You were about to walk into a trap and I stopped you. You're precious girlfriend isn't who she says she is."

Vincent's expression changed as he walked up to me. "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that. I'm going to find another law firm to represent me."

I stood still, even as the sharp sting in my knees pulsed through me.

"I'm telling you the truth," I said quietly, steadying my breath. "You can go find another law firm. That's your right. But it won't change what's coming."

He paused just a few inches from me, towering, his jaw tight, eyes hard. "You don't know anything about her."

"I know she's the reason you went to jail," I replied, meeting his gaze without flinching. "She is the one that persuaded you into buying those lands, am I correct? It's not in your file."

" How do you know about that?" Vincent asked stunned as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Trust me. If you want to win this case, don't say anything to your girlfriend. Not a single information. Delmar Group is using her to get information on you." I said staring at him.

Vincent stared at me, his brows drawn tight, eyes dark with something between disbelief and suspicion. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. I could see it in his face. The war between logic and loyalty.

However I couldn't tell him anything. He wouldn't believe me.

"How do you know all this?" he asked again, his voice lower now. "No one outside my inner circle knew she was involved in that deal. Not even my secretary."

"I told you," I said, my voice calm. "This isn't the first time I've seen your case. I know how it ends. And I'm trying to make sure it doesn't happen again."

His hand ran through his hair as he stepped back, pacing the edge of my office. He wasn't the type of man to show confusion but right now, I could see the cracks.

"You really believe she's working with Delmar?"

"I don't believe," I said. "I know."

"Prove it," he said finally. "You have twenty-four hours. Show me one real piece of evidence linking her to Delmar Group."

"Deal," I said.

He turned to leave but paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder. "If you're lying-"

"I'm not," I said.

Vincent gave me one last look, then walked out, leaving the door open behind him.

I stood alone in my office, the ache in my palms dull now. Twenty-four hours wasn't much and I needed to find the truth.

*********************************

Walking into the house, I paused as I stared at the two women on the velvet couch.

Margaret Douglas. My mother-in-law.

And beside her was my sister-in-law, Clarissa. The same Clarissa who had looked down on me since the day I married her brother. The same woman who, in my past life, helped destroy everything I built.

But now, I wasn't that naive girl who sought approval.

Margaret turned her head, eyes scanning me from head to toe. "Well, look who finally decided to show up."

"Didn't realize I had guests." I said smiling faintly as I stared at them.

Clarissa stood, arms folded. "You weren't answering your phone. We were starting to think you were avoiding us."

"Should I have left a key under the mat instead?" I asked casually, walking past them to the kitchen. "Wait-never mind. You already let yourselves in."

Margaret's eyes narrowed. "Don't get smart with me, Lyra. We're family. Or have you forgotten that now that you wear designer suits and pretend to matter in court? Don't forget that you were nothing before you hired my son. Jason is the true talent of the law firm." She said proudly.

I clenched my hand angrily as I tried to hold back. In my past life, Margaret and Clarissa had done all sorts of things to me in the space of one year. From burning my face with iron to making me lose my baby. They had even gone as far as to humiliate me in public stripping me naked and calling me a jinx.

This time, I was going to take care of all of them. One after the other.

"You should just get to the point. No matter what talent Jason has, I am still the owner of the law firm. I built it from the ground to what it is." I said holding Margaret's gaze.

Clarissa walked up to me ready to strike me across the face. She always wore a gold ring that had some spikes. It had injured me before.

I didn't flinch. Not this time.

I caught her wrist mid-air, my fingers closing tight around her arm. The metal from her ring scraped against my palm, but I didn't let go.

"Try that again," I said, my voice low. "I dare you."

Clarissa's eyes widened. Shock. Fear. A flash of something that almost looked like doubt. She hadn't expected me to fight back.

"Let go of me," she hissed.

I shoved her hand away.

She stumbled back a step falling to the ground. Her body hit the ground with a loud thud making her groan in pain.

In my past life, I would have held out my hand to help her. Now, I wanted her to stay down.

Margaret rose from the couch slowly, like a queen. "How dare you?"

The door opened and Jason walked in, holding a couple of grocery bags. He stopped dead when he saw his mother standing tense and angry while Clarissa was sitting on the floor. His eyes landed on me.

"What's going on?" he asked sharply, dropping the bags.

"She pushed me," Clarissa whimpered, holding her elbow. "She just snapped."

I said nothing. My silence was louder than any words I could say. I didn't care.

Margaret stepped toward Jason, placing a hand on his arm. "She's lost it. We came here to talk like a family, but look at what she's turned into."

Jason stared at me for a long second. "Lyra, is that true?"

I met his eyes. "Ask her why she tried to hit me first."

Jason turned to Clarissa whispering something to her but I didn't care. I walked back to the living room and grabbed my bag heading to the door.

" Where are you going?" Jason asked as I opened the door.

I didn't answer him.

I was just about to walk to my car when someone pushed me from behind. Gasping, I lost my balance about to fall when strong arms caught me.

"Mrs. Douglas, are you okay?"

The familiar smell of rich and expensive cologne hit me making me look up at the man who had caught me. It was Vincent Vale.

What was he doing here? Our deal wasn't up yet.

Jason rushed out of the house and stood as he saw me in the arms of another man. Jason's jaw tightened as his eyes locked on Vincent's hand still wrapped around my waist.

Vincent glanced at him, then leaned closer to me, his voice calm but dangerous.

"We need to talk," he said. "Privately."

Then without waiting for permission, he pulled me toward his car right in front of my husband.

For the first time, I didn't resist.