All Chapters of The Heiress No One Wanted: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

52 Chapters

Ch21 - Your messes

Rosalie's POVI called in sick the next day and spent most of it flat in bed. By late afternoon the worst of it had lifted — my body finally felt like it belonged to me again.My pajamas were damp with sweat. I sat up, decided a shower was the first order of business.The hot water did its job. Opened everything up, cleared my head, and the body wash I grabbed — something rich and warm — took care of whatever was left of that heavy, suffocating feeling.I dried off, wrapped the towel around myself, and started working on my hair. I heard something outside — a door, I thought — and assumed it was Mrs. Ford. I kept rubbing my hair dry as I walked out of the bathroom, through the closet, looking around.Nobody there.I turned to head back to the closet."Walking around with wet hair?"I spun around. Lucian was right there, leaning against the wall, watching me with complete calm, waiting to see how long it would take me to notice him."You're definitely still sick. I was standing right n

Ch22 - Fire her

Rosalie's POVWhen the client walked in, the whole floor went stiff.Short guy, but absolutely dripped in gold and jewelry — chains, bracelets, two massive gemstone rings on each hand. Vanessa was right next to him, still apologizing.He waved her off. "I know it's not your fault. You can stop."He walked straight over to our side of the floor like he'd been here a hundred times, cleared his throat loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Who was responsible for quoting the stones on my order?"Kate stepped forward, visibly bracing herself. "Mr. Brown, I'm representing procurement. I'll take responsibility for this error on the department's behalf."He squinted at her. "I know who you are. I've been buying from this company long enough to know everyone in the building. What I'm asking is — who actually graded the stones?"Kate froze. "That's..."Celia stepped in, already holding the document up. "Who are you covering for? It's right here — the grading was done by someone named Rosalie

Ch23 - Super memory

Rosalie's POVCelia's words landed, and most of the room went with her — the consensus forming fast that my background wasn't good enough, that I had no business being in that role, or in the company at all."Even if you're the boss's daughter, that's not gonna save you this time." Celia shot me a look.Then someone pushed through the crowd.Finn.Kate nearly ran to him. "Oh thank god you're back."Finn looked completely lost — he'd been out at a lunch thing, and walked back into this. He took in the crowd, clocked Mr. Brown, and listened while Kate gave him the fastest possible version of what had happened.He went straight to Mr. Brown. "I'm sorry for the trouble this has caused you. This is on us."Mr. Brown waved him off. "I've already said — it's not about the money. It's about trust. Once that's gone, talking doesn't fix it."Celia turned on Finn immediately. "You knew Rosalie didn't have the experience for this role. Why did you put her there?"Finn looked genuinely puzzled. "H

Ch24 - Goodbye, liar

Rosalie's POVCelia noticed I hadn't answered and pushed harder. "What's wrong? Weren't you just so confident — said you'd explain the grading issue first, then address your qualifications? Or was that just a bluff? Too scared to admit you don't have the experience?"The room split."Does it even matter at this point? Rosalie remembered every single stone she'd touched. You still think she's not qualified?""Results speak for themselves. And I've been hearing from people in her department — they say she's talented and she works harder than anyone."On the other side: "For all we know she's been getting lucky, and her team's been covering for her. One year of training is still one year of training. That's not enough for grading.""I honestly don't feel comfortable working alongside someone like that."Finn raised a hand. "Everyone calm down. I can personally vouch that Rosalie's ability is not in question.""You're her manager — of course you're going to back her." Celia crossed her ar

Ch25 - Jaws drop

Rosalie's POVThe room was dead quiet, which made the phone ringing feel almost aggressive — like it was in a hurry about something.I answered it in front of everyone. Said a quick warm hello, then put it on speaker.The same voice that had just come out of Mr. Brown's phone filled the room.Elliot, sounding borderline frantic. "You said you'd come back and help me here! Why are you off working somewhere else? Don't tell me I've been too stingy with you?""That's not true. I didn't apply anywhere else.""Then why did some Mr. Brown call me asking if I know you? Different last name and everything — but didn't you tell me a little while ago you got married? Rav

Ch26 - Hot spring

Rosalie's POVIt was still early, so I unpacked a little and went to find Eleanor, and the three of us took a walk down to the lake nearby.Back at the villa, we settled into the tea room — little snacks, hot tea, some chess. I'd brought a board game and taught them how to play. Victor sat there with his lips pressed together at first, said he wasn't interested in that kind of thing. Then Eleanor started laughing and that was it — curiosity got the better of him and he pulled up a chair."Grandpa, you're genuinely scary good at this. I explained it once and you're already destroying us at Rummikub."Victor looked completely smug about it. "My memory's fine. Age hasn't gotten to me yet."Eleanor leaned toward my ear. "You usually see him with that serious face all the time. Look at him now."Victor cleared his throat. "My hearing is also still fine. And there's nothing strange about being in a good mood. I'm not some kind of tyrant."Eleanor gave me a look — see what I mean?The window

Ch27 - Still husband and wife

Rosalie's POVEleanor and Victor basically shooed us back to the room. I was still standing in the entryway trying to get my bearings when Lucian had already shrugged off his coat. Then the jacket. Then the shirt. I heard his belt come undone as he walked further into the room, and the second I saw his hands go to his waistband I looked away fast.I waited. When the sounds stopped I turned back around — he was gone, and the shower was running from the bathroom on the right.I took off my own coat and hung it up, caught my reflection in the mirror without meaning to. Stood there staring at my own face for a second. It looked like I'd been standing next to a fire.Then the mirror showed Lucian behind me.He'd just gotten out of the shower, a towel wrapped low around his waist, water still on his skin — not really dried off, just roughly toweled, droplets tracking down along the lines of his chest and abs and disappearing somewhere south of that."What are you spacing out for? Weren't y

Ch28 - Our first

Rosalie's POVLucian pulled back from my lips and moved to my ear, his mouth warm against it, the sound of his kisses filling my head. His hands were on my waist — big, rough palms moving over my skin, and when they started sliding upward my whole body shivered.I couldn't put words to what I was feeling. Just that my heart was going so fast I thought it might give out.When he bit down gently on my earlobe, his thumb hooked under my bikini top, his hand slipping beneath the fabric, cupping and kneading. A sound escaped me before I could stop it.A low, uneven exhale from him — something satisfied underneath it.His thumb grazed my nipple and a jolt ran clean through my nerves.His other hand came around to my back, and the ties came undone like it was nothing. He dipped his head and took my nipple into his mouth.Every pull of his lips made my lower stomach clench — a feeling I had no reference for.When he bit down lightly I gasped again, my hands landing uselessly on his shoulders.

Ch29 - Not a big deal?

Rosalie's POVLucian didn't say anything. Just let go and kept walking.My fingers curled. His warmth was still on them. We went inside, went to our separate floors, and everything went back to exactly how it was before.The following week, Christopher came back from a business trip to Australia — he and Helen had tagged on a little vacation at the end. The moment he heard what had happened at the company while he was gone, he wasn't happy.He called both me and Vanessa to his room."Why didn't anyone tell me?" His face was tight, expression serious.Vanessa stepped forward first. "You were traveling, and it got resolved, so we figured we'd just fill you in when you got back. It wasn't a big deal.""Not a big deal? Mr. Brown came down in person. You call that nothing?""Daddy—" She dropped onto the couch next to him, voice going soft and sweet. "I told my team not to blow it up the way they did. They didn't listen. I was honestly stressing out the whole time trying to figure out how t

Ch30 - We're both victims

Rosalie's POVI smiled, said a few words to my father, and headed out.On the way back to the grading room, I caught Vanessa and Celia talking around a corner.Celia, clearly heated: "No, seriously — what the hell? He's just giving Rosalie her own design position, outside the department entirely? Who does that?"She kept going. "Who even is she? The boss is bending over backwards for her, and even you — his own daughter — are getting pushed aside for her?""I don't know." Vanessa sounded like she'd bitten into something sour.They went quiet when they noticed someone was nearby.I kept walking, went back to my desk, and spent a few days wrapping up everything in grading before packing up my things and moving to the space the secretary had set up for me.It was a small room, not far from design.Jenny handed me the laptop. "Come find me if you need anything.""Thank you." I smiled.She paused, like she was debating something, then said it anyway. "You look like the boss's wife when you

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