All Chapters of Fake Heiress, Real Desire: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

103 Chapters

The Rumor That Set Everything on Fire

If there was ever a morning that felt too bright, too loud, too revealing… it was this one.The Hawaiian sun was blazing over the resort, but inside me everything felt cold and trembling. My lips still tingled from the near-kiss with Alan on the beach. My body still felt the imprint of his hands. And my mind—God—my mind wouldn't stop replaying his whisper against my lips:"This isn't over."I walked into the conference lounge trying to pretend my heart wasn't a wild animal beating against its cage.But the moment I stepped inside, the air shifted.People were looking at me.Some with curiosity.Some with judgment.Some trying too hard not to stare.My stomach dropped."What…?" I whispered under my breath.Before I could figure anything out, Kai rushed toward me, expression tense."Julia," he said quietly, leaning close, "whatever you hear today, don't react. Okay?"I blinked. "Kai… what are you talking about?"He exhaled like he was bracing for impact.But he didn't get the chance to ex

The Call That Shattered Paradise

Hawaii was supposed to be a reset.The ocean breeze, the turquoise water, the soft crash of waves—everything felt like a temporary escape from the storm my life had become. I told myself I needed this business retreat, that it would help me refocus… but deep down I knew I was running.Running from the mess in my life. Running from Kai’s unreadable eyes. Running from Alan’s spiraling emotions. Running from the ache I had been ignoring for too long.I stepped out onto the balcony of the resort suite, breathing in the salt air. Below, the staff prepared for the afternoon meeting—banners, glass tables, and far too many polite smiles. Hawaii always made everything feel deceptively beautiful.Even when your world was falling apart.“Julia,” a voice called from behind me—my assistant, Hawaii. It still felt strange having someone named Hawaii while actually being in Hawaii. “The investors from Tokyo just landed. They’ll join us in fifteen minutes. Kai and Alan are already downstairs.”“Grea

The Sky Fell Without Warning

(Julia — First-Person POV)The flight I managed to book was overbooked, chaotic, and not even the one Hawaii originally tried to secure."Miss, we can only get you on the connecting flight through LA," the airline staff had told me.I didn't care. I took it.I didn't tell Kai or Alan.I didn't have the strength to explain.I just… boarded.My phone was at 3% when I got on the plane.Dead by the time we took off.For once, silence felt like mercy.No calls.No tension.No questions.Just me and the terrifying thought that I might lose my father forever.I closed my eyes as the plane rumbled into the clouds.Meanwhile — Back in HawaiiKai stood in the hotel lobby, nearly vibrating with frustration. "She should've landed by now."Alan paced steps away, his jaw clenched so tight it could shatter. "Her phone is still off."Hawaii (the assistant) rushed in, her face white as chalk, phone trembling in her hands."Kai… Alan…" she whispered.They both snapped their eyes to her."There's been a crash.

The World Thinks I’m Gone

(Julia — First-Person POV)The moment my plane touched the ground in LA, my entire body went weak with relief. People were already unbuckling, grabbing bags, talking loudly — but I couldn't move.My hands were trembling so badly that I had to grip the armrest to steady myself.The first thing I did was press the power button on my dead phone.Nothing.I plugged it into a power bank with shaking fingers. The screen blinked once. Then again. Finally, it lit up.124 missed calls.71 messages.22 voicemails.My breath vanished.Most were from Kai.Some from Alan.Some from Hawaii.Some from unknown numbers — news, probably.Then a breaking-news notification popped up on my screen:"HONOLULU–BOUND COMPANY RETREAT FLIGHT CRASHES. NO SURVIVORS CONFIRMED YET."My heart dropped into a numb, hollow silence.The plane I was supposed to take.The plane Alan and Kai thought I was on.The world thought I was dead.I squeezed my phone, vision blurring. My father was dying. My life was on fire. Everything

The Moment He Found Me

(Julia — First-Person POV)I barely slept.The hospital chair was stiff, my back aching, but I refused to leave my father's side. His breathing was shallow, his skin cold, and every second felt like sand slipping through my fingers.Around dawn, I stepped out to get some water.Just five minutes.Just to breathe.My phone buzzed, but I ignored it.I wasn't ready to face anyone.Not Alan.Not Kai.Not the world.When I pushed the vending machine button, my reflection looked terrible—swollen eyes, messy hair, dark circles.I was raising the bottle to my lips when I heard footsteps. Fast. Sharp. Desperate.My heart stuttered.I turned.Alan was standing at the end of the hallway.His hair was disheveled, shirt wrinkled, eyes bloodshot like he hadn't slept at all. His chest rose and fell in ragged, almost violent breaths.For a second, he didn't move.He just stared at me with something between disbelief and heartbreak."Julia…" he whispered.My throat closed.He took one step—then another—then

The Heart That’s Fading

First-Person POV — JuliaThe hallway outside my father's room felt colder than the rest of the hospital. Maybe it was the fluorescent lights. Maybe it was the fear squeezing my lungs. Or maybe it was the two men standing on either side of the doorway, both refusing to leave me alone, both refusing to look away.Alan stood stiffly to my right, arms crossed, jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscle twitch.Kai was on my left, holding the bouquet of lilies like he was afraid they'd fall apart if he breathed too hard.And I?I was trapped between them—emotionally, physically, painfully.Alan spoke first, voice low but shaking with restrained emotion."You should've told me you were leaving Hawaii. I would've—"Kai cut in sharply. "You would've what? Controlled her more? She didn't need you yelling at her when she was trying to save her father."Alan turned slowly, dangerously."Say that again.""Gladly," Kai snapped. "She needed support, not anger."Their voices started rising.Pressure

Shattered, Unraveled, and Claimed

The hospital room felt smaller than it had before. Everything smelled like antiseptic and sorrow. My legs were like jelly. Every heartbeat felt like it would shatter me into a thousand pieces.I could barely stand. The sight of my father—so fragile, so quiet—made me want to collapse, scream, and cry all at once. My chest ached, my stomach turned, and the world felt like it was spinning faster than I could keep up with."I… I can't…" I whispered, voice trembling.Alan was there instantly. His hands were on my arms before I even realized I'd started to fall. He didn't just hold me. He anchored me. He was solid, terrifying, and protective all at once."You don't get to fall, Julia," he said, voice low, rough with emotion. "Not in front of me. Not ever."I swallowed hard, tears blinding me. "Alan… I…"He cut me off, pressing a hand lightly to my cheek—a sharp, almost accusatory tap that made me flinch. But it wasn't violent. It wasn't cruel. It was his way of waking me up, of reminding me

The Secrets Buried in Blood

Julia — First-Person POVThe world felt different after my father’s last words.Sophia Bennett.My mother.I kept repeating the name silently, like it might eventually start to feel real instead of impossible. But it didn’t. It only made everything inside me more chaotic.Alan stayed with me through the night. He didn’t leave, not even when the nurses insisted I rest. Kai hovered outside the room for most of it, restless, tense, like he didn’t trust the silence.By morning, everything shifted again.A call came for me.The executor of the Bennett estate.Me.Not the girl who had spent her life surviving paycheck to paycheck. Not the daughter who had watched her father fade away in a hospital bed. Not the assistant who had learned how to disappear in crowded rooms.But the heir.The Bennett heir.I didn’t even feel strong enough to sit up properly, but Alan insisted on coming with me. His hand stayed firm at my back the entire time, like he was afraid I might vanish if he let go. Kai i

A Warning in the Shadows

Julia — First-Person POVThe Bennett mansion felt different now.Not grand anymore. Not impressive.Just cold.Like the walls had finally stopped pretending they were safe.Alan and Kai had left minutes ago, both claiming they needed to “secure the perimeter,” but even their footsteps had felt like a clash—two different storms refusing to share the same sky.Now I was alone in my mother’s study.The room was perfect in a way that didn’t feel real. Polished wood. Neat shelves. Dustless surfaces like no one had dared disturb it in years.But nothing about it felt warm.I pressed my fingers against the edge of the desk, trying to steady my breathing.My mother was murdered.My father hid me.Someone still wants me dead.The thoughts didn’t feel like thoughts anymore. They felt like pressure closing in from all sides.A knock broke through it.I flinched.“Julia,” Mr. Lennox called gently. “There’s a delivery at the gate.”“A delivery?” I echoed.He nodded, uneasy. “No sender. No record.

Alan’s Discovery

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP