Return Of The Heiress For Revenge - Chapter 528(End)

Chapter 528: The Deal Is Done.
“You must be exhausted. Why don’t you rest more.” Alric could not help but complain when Nora sat propped up on pillows. Her face was still so pale as if she was just a dream from his memories. Her voice was still weak but her mind was sharp as ever. Alric sat close by, not letting go of her hand even once. Natalie and Emma remained nearby staring at her as if she could disappear any moment.

“This time you have scared all of us. If something would have ever happened to you..” Natalie started with a broken sob but paused when she felt Max;s hand on her shoulders. He stared at Alric and she followed. The man had stiffened the moment Nat spoke. Nat bit her lips and did not continue but her eyes still told the rest of the story

“It is all my fault.” Emma broke down. She was barely holding all this while but now that Nora was fine, she could not bear the guilt anymore.

Nora turned to look at her slightly.

“How could it be your mistake. No one would have guessed. If not for the driver, I would not have fallen for the trick.” she stared at Alric, trying to sound confident but her voice trembled badly, “where is he now?”

“He and his whole family was killed before we could reach him. We are still investigating it but we both know the result.” Nora sighed and nodded. She had anticipated it somewhere.

“But I still did not understand. I have been with you for a long time. Why me, why now? There is something wrong with this attack. As if the animosity is used as a weapon to get rid of me. There might be someone else targeting me.” Alric’s eyes narrowed. Even he did not understand the sudden target.

“It could be the announcement of marriage. They must have been doubtful if I am sure about you or not. But now that marriage is announced, they would have taken you as part of the family, so an easy target.” Nora paused and went silent and only nodded after a long while.

“This could be the reason. So what do you suggest? What should we do?” she asked and then looked at Emma, “I need to talk to him,” Nora said suddenly.

Alric’s jaw tightened. “Nora, you just woke up. You don’t need to take it in your hands.”

“I need to talk to him, Alric,” she repeated, her tone leaving no space for argument. “He risked his life for me. I need to know why.”

Reluctantly, Alric stood. “Give me a minute.”

A few minutes later, the door opened and the man was brought in with his hands still loosely cuffed in front of him more out of caution than necessity. His eyes flicked between the people in the room and then landed on Nora.

He exhaled sharply. “So, you are awake. That is good.” Alric guided him to a chair near the bed and stepped back. His expression remained stone-cold.

The man sank into the chair with a half-scowl, half-smirk. “And what now? I saved your life and got treated like a criminal. Instead of thanks, I get locked up and threatened.”

Nora didn’t blink. She looked at Emma, who quietly pulled a blank cheque from her folder and held it out.

The man stared at it. “Is it a joke?” he said dryly. “You know I can’t cash that. They will trace it and find me. I am already a marked man.”

Nora tilted her head, smiling faintly. “That is exactly how you helped me. You could have saved me without getting harmed and didn’t leave any trail. You knew what you were doing. I can offer cash instead if you would prefer.”

The man raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t a fool, and his suspicion showed.

“What do you want in return?”

Nora leaned forward slightly, her voice soft but unwavering. “I want your help. I will pay you well and make sure your team walks free. But I want you to work with us for now. I need someone on the inside. Someone who can be a ghost and plant the blame where it needs to go.”

He frowned. “That is dangerous. You are asking me to betray one of the most powerful men in this city. If Rhistel finds out—”

“He already tried to kill me,” Nora interrupted with her eyes steady. “And I will return the favor. But I can’t do it alone. I need someone who knows the ground. In exchange, I will protect you and your sister.”

His lips parted slightly with surprise flashing in his eyes. “Are you planning to go against him?”

“It had nothing to do with you.,” Emma replied calmly with her arms folded. “And we didn’t act on it because Nora stopped us.”

He stared at Nora. “You want to solve the riddle, nothing else. You would get whatever you want from this deal, in exchange I want one weakness,” Nora said with a cold dark look on her face, “One thing he will never expect. And when the time is right, I want to meet him alone.”

“That is suicide.”

“No,” Nora shook her head slowly. “It is a strategy. He will come to us again, and when he does, I need to be ready.”

The man looked down, chewing the inside of his cheek. For a long moment, he was quiet. Then, finally, he muttered, “You are insane.”

“Maybe,” Nora replied. “But I am alive, and I intend to stay that way.”

He looked up sharply, eyes scanning her face. Something in her gaze told him she was serious.

“…Fine,” he said finally. “I will give you one weakness. But after that, I will leave no matter what..”

“I promise you that, you would walk away with your life, your sister, and more money than you have ever had,” Emma added. “We don’t betray loyalty.”

The man nodded slowly. “But they would not trust me easily. What if they realized I have already betrayed them?”

“You do not need to worry about it, we will handle that and make sure the man will return to you.”