All Chapters of DON'T MESS WITH THE HEIRESS : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

A month went fast. I spent most of my time in the hospital and in court. The courtrooms were where I had to fight my battles. I used lawyers to get what I wanted. I sat behind a glass wall in a courtroom. My face looked calm. Determined when I saw it in the reflection. On the side Mike Miller sat at a table. He was the one who did something. He wore a prison uniform. His hair was dirty and messy. His hands were shaking. He looked weak and small not like the man who used to walk around Vane Industries like he owned it.He looked at me through the glass. I could see how desperate he was. "Hannah please!" he said into the microphone. His voice was rough from yelling. "I will sign anything! Just tell the lawyers to drop the charges! I do not want to stay! The other prisoners know who my father-in-law Alex Vane is. They are targeting me!"I did not move. My eyes stayed steady and cold. "You are not my husband anymore Mike Miller " I said. I slid the divorce papers across the glass slowly.

It has been a year since the battle. Since Mike Miller and Jason Xander fell. It feels like all the chaos and lies happened in another life. I stand on the balcony of my villa in the South of France. The warm evening air surrounds me. I smell lavender from the gardens. It is mixed with the scent of the Mediterranean. The sun sets over the horizon. It casts a glow over the water. The waves gently hit the cliffs. They make a sound. It is like the life I have finally made for myself.My hands used to be raw and red from scrubbing floors and washing dishes. Now they are strong. They can create things. They can give orders. They are soft in some places and firm in others. They show the struggle I went through. They also show my victory. I wear a silk robe. The sun catches the fabric. It makes it shine like fire. My hair falls freely over my shoulders. It is loose and untied. For the time in ten years I feel free. I am not tied down by what others want me to be.My phone buzzes on the balco

Everything changed when I found out about Project Monarch. I went back to New York with a sense of purpose. I was not just fixing the company I was taking it back.I called a meeting with all the bosses from around the world. They looked at me from their screens in London, Tokyo, Dubai and Sydney."The old way of doing things is over " I said. I showed them the files from Project Monarch. "My father ran this company with secrets and lies. I am running it with honesty and control. If you work for my father you have one hour to leave. If you work for the future you will sign the rules I sent you."One by one they agreed to follow me. They saw the fire in my eyes. They knew I was not someone to mess with.Stephen stayed behind after the meeting. "That was a move Hannah " he said. "You just declared war on your father’s legacy.""My father’s legacy was a prison " I said. "I am building something.""The Wu Syndicate is moving " Stephen said, changing the subject. "They know their plan did

The helicopter ride to the Vane estate was cold and foggy. The trees looked like bones sticking out of the ground. I sat in the back with a folder of papers from Macau. It was the proof of Julian Vanes wrongdoing.Stephen sat across from me. He did not say a word. He knew this was not a business meeting. This was a showdown.When we landed the estate was quiet. My father was waiting in the solarium. It was a room of glass and iron that looked out over the lake. He looked smaller than before. His eyes were still sharp."You came back from the East " he said, his voice dry. "I heard you caused a scene in the casinos.""I did not go there to gamble " I said, walking to the center of the room. "I went there to find out about Julian Vane."I dropped the folder on the table. It made a sound."Julian Vane is not a businessman " I said, my voice shaking with anger. "He is a criminal. He worked with the Wu Syndicate for years. He did not build an empire. He built a trap for our family. If he t

I took a week off. Went to the countryside. I drove myself in a car. Wore regular clothes. I felt like a person, not a boss of Vane Industries. The house was old and quiet. I spent my days walking in the gardens and my nights reading by the fireplace. I thought about my past and the people who had hurt me. I also thought about how those experiences made me stronger. Stephen came to visit me and brought some food and wine. We sat outside. Talked about our lives. We did not talk about Vane Industries. We talked about our hopes and fears. "You are different here Hannah " Stephen said. "You are not the boss or the rich girl. You are Hannah. I like this Hannah." "I am still finding out who I am " I said. "For a time I was defined by the men in my life. Now I am free to be myself." Stephen took my hand. I felt happy. I did not think about what it meant or what I should do. I just felt happy. The sun was setting over the hills of the city casting a glow across the old apple orchard. I