inheritance

Raisel’s POV

We stood there—four of us—staring at the screen in stunned silence.

My eyes blinked, struggling to process the words. The will... the property hadn’t been left to Soren. Or any Dalton. It had been left to me.

Me? Why?

Mr. Beau never liked me. I could feel the questions spiral in my chest, one after another, tightening like a vice.

“This poses a problem,” Jace said grimly.

“Davina will come after Raisel,” Fiora added, her voice low with worry. “She’ll try to take the property—illegally.”

“Damn,” Hazel muttered under her breath.

“Let’s grab this information and head back to the penthouse,” Jace said, already dialing Killian. I narrowed my eyes. Jace always acted like he didn’t trust Killian—so why call him now?

As soon as we left, the car sped up, tires gripping the road with urgency.

“What’s going on?” I asked, tension creeping into my voice.

“We’re being followed,” Jace muttered, eyes locked on the rearview mirror.

I turned, heart racing. A black car was trailing us. All I could make out was a figure behind the wheel.

“Who could that be?” I asked.

“Not a friend. That’s for sure,” Jace said, voice tight.

“Assassins!” Fiora screamed just as the driver of the black car leaned out, gun raised.

A shot rang out.

Jace jerked the wheel and hit the gas. The bullet missed—barely.

“Shit,” Hazel whispered.

“What do we do?” I asked, breath coming in short, shaky bursts. “I don’t want to die…”

“You won’t,” Jace said firmly, trying to reassure me.

Then—sirens.

A police cruiser screamed up behind us, lights flashing. It swerved after the assassin’s car, forcing it into another lane.

I finally exhaled.

“That was… fast,” Hazel said. “Thank God for that.”

“Or maybe it was Mathew,” Jace added. “I have a feeling he’ll be meeting you soon.”

I glanced over at him, feeling a chill run through me. My heart hadn’t stopped racing—not just from the chase, but from everything. I needed to stay strong. For Soren. I wanted Soren back. I wanted us to reunite. To raise our child together.

As soon as the building came into view, a sense of relief washed over me.

Jace parked, and we all climbed out. He stepped aside to take a call, Fiora and Hazel walking ahead with me. But as we approached the elevator, a man stood there—waiting.

He smiled at me.

“Good evening, Miss Smith,” he said.

“Do I know you?” I asked warily.

“Mathew—” he began, but paused as Jace approached from behind. My heart thudded louder.

“You saved us,” Jace said.

“So… you know me?” Mathew asked, clearly surprised.

“Yes. Mathew—the senior officer. One of the best in this town,” Jace replied. Still, Mathew narrowed his eyes.

“What makes you think I saved you?”

“Your car was tailing us. Right behind the assassin. And when you turned off, the police showed up just seconds later,” Jace explained. “Figured it wasn’t coincidence.”

Mathew smirked. “You’ve got sharp eyes, kid.”

“I try,” Jace replied coolly.

“I need a word with you, Miss Smith,” Mathew said, turning back to me.

“About what?” I asked cautiously.

He glanced around—definitely looking for privacy.

“We’ll give you two a moment,” Hazel said, motioning for Fiora and Jace to follow her toward the elevator.

Mathew’s eyes flicked between me and the door, disappointment flashing briefly. Was he hoping I’d invite him inside? Maybe he didn’t expect me to be surrounded by people. But if he’d been watching me, he should’ve known.

“How are you holding up?” he asked softly. “Losing someone you love… it’s not easy.”

“I’m coping,” I said quietly. “Is that all?”

“I’m working on the Soren Dalton case,” he admitted. I kept my face neutral.

“You don’t believe he’s dead?” I asked.

“No. I think something’s being hidden. I need answers. Like… why is all the property in your name now?” He took a step closer. “Did you plan his murder? The crash looked staged. Maybe you had help—Killian, perhaps? Maybe Soren found out about the affair and came after you, and you acted first.”

“You’re full of crap,” I snapped. “How dare you accuse me without a shred of evidence?”

He was way off—but I couldn’t let my guard down. If he kept digging, he might uncover more than I was ready for.

“You have nothing,” I said firmly.

He held up his hands, retreating. “I’ll take my leave. But you should stay alert. I hear Davina might be getting out of prison.”

“Maybe you should focus on that case,” I shot back. “We both know she’s bribing her way out. Why don’t you stop real criminals like her?”

Mathew didn’t say anything more. He just turned and walked away.

I headed upstairs, completely drained. After updating my friends, I finally collapsed into bed, my mind racing.

How long will I have to stay away from Soren?

How long can I keep this up?

It’s getting harder by the day.