Chapter 5: The Setup
Leah walked out of the Mercer building feeling like the gravity had been turned off. The streets of the city felt different. The people rushing past her with their briefcases and coffees looked like aliens.
She was a billionaire heiress.
Her father was alive.
And her mother had lied to her for her entire life to keep her safe.
Julian had told her to go straight home, pack a bag, and wait for his private security team to pick her up. He was setting up a secure safehouse. "Eleanor will not let this go," he had warned her. "She will try to ruin you."
As Leah turned the corner toward the subway, she heard footsteps behind her. Heavy. Synchronized.
She sped up, weaving through the crowded sidewalk. The footsteps sped up too.
She ducked into a narrow alleyway that cut through to the next avenue, hoping to lose them. But halfway down the alley, a black SUV pulled up, blocking the exit. The doors opened, and two men in suits stepped out.
Leah spun around to run back the way she came, but Hayes was standing there, blocking her path.
"Miss Moreno," Hayes smiled. "You should have taken the check."
Leah’s heart pounded against her ribs. She looked around frantically, but the alley was completely empty of pedestrians. "Get out of my way."
"We just need one little thing from you," Hayes said, stepping closer, his eyes dropping to the pale-green brooch on her chest. "Hand over the pin, and you can walk away. No one gets hurt."
"This belongs to me," Leah said, covering the brooch with her hand.
"Not anymore." Hayes lunged forward.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the alley. A metal garbage can came flying out of nowhere, smashing into Hayes’s legs and sending him sprawling to the pavement.
"Hey! Back off!"
Leah gasped as Mateo—the server from the hotel—sprinted down the alley, wielding a heavy metal pipe he must have grabbed from a construction dumpster. He didn't look like a scared cater-waiter anymore. He moved with a practiced, lethal confidence, stepping between Leah and the men in suits.
"Who the hell are you?" Hayes grunted, scrambling to his feet.
"I'm the guy who’s going to break your kneecaps if you don't get back in that car," Mateo growled, swinging the pipe with a terrifying whoosh.
The two other suits hesitated, looking at Hayes for orders. Hayes wiped a smear of dirt from his suit jacket, his eyes narrowing at Mateo.
"You're making a mistake, kid. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"I know exactly who you work for," Mateo sneered. "Tell Eleanor that her days of bullying people in alleys are over. The police are already on their way. I called them three minutes ago."
Right on cue, the faint wail of police sirens echoed from the main avenue. Hayes cursed under his breath. "This isn't over, Moreno," he spat at Leah. He signaled to his men, and they piled back into the SUV, speeding off before the cruiser could turn the corner.
Leah collapsed against the brick wall, her knees finally giving out. She was shaking uncontrollably.
Mateo dropped the pipe and rushed over, catching her before she hit the ground. "Hey, hey. I've got you. You're okay."
"Why..." Leah gasped for air. "Why are you following me? Who are you?"
Mateo looked at her, his dark eyes softening. "My name isn't Mateo. It's Mateo Sterling. My father is the Chairman of the Board at Mercer Enterprises."
Leah stared at him in shock. "You're a board member's son? Why were you working as a waiter?"
"Because I know Eleanor Mercer is a crook," Mateo said, helping her to her feet. "I've been trying to prove she's embezzling money for years, but she covers her tracks perfectly. Last night, when I saw how terrified she was of that locket... I knew you were the key to taking her down."
He looked at the pale-green brooch pinned to her chest.
"I heard Julian tell you about the Heirloom Trust," Mateo said quietly. "If you really are his daughter, Leah... you are the only one with the power to fire Eleanor. But we have to move fast. She’s currently pitching a medical proxy to the board to declare your father insane and strip him of his power."
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Leah’s fear suddenly evaporated, replaced by a cold, searing fury. Eleanor had taken her mother’s life away. She had stolen Julian’s past. And now, she was trying to steal his future.
"Take me to the board meeting," Leah said, her voice hard. "It's time they met the real majority shareholder."
