ADELINE'S POV

Mikhail swerved into the driveway. It looked different from what I remembered. More chic in a sense. He killed the ignition and alighted, putting his hand out for me to take.

The sunlight flickered in his eyes. It was almost as if

"A Adeline" A small voice came from across us.

Standing with a watering can in her hand and a pair of oversized gloves covering them was Natasha. Natasha Royce.

Not my sister though. Natasha achieved the Royce name by tying the knot with my father while we were both twenty.

"Nash"

The watering can slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.

"Mikhail... is it... is it really her? But she, the blogs... Robert, hospital, I saw her body"

"Well, you are seeing my body again so"

One moment she was standing there looking confused and scared. The next she wrapped her hands around me in an over dramatized bear hug. Sobbing like the earth was vanishing beneath our feet.

Natasha held on to me like she was afraid I would vanish again. Her breath trembled against my ear as she whispered, "I prayed to God for a miracle and I am so happy he has heard me. You have come back to us."

I did not know what to say.

A small mmn slipped out of me instead.

We had not parted on good terms. Not even close. Our relationship had split right down the middle when I found out she had not only been dating my father but also making wedding plans behind my back.

My childhood best friend. The girl my mother practically raised like a second daughter.

Nobody told me anything. Natasha kept everything hidden and when the truth finally came to light it felt like a tilt I had never seen coming. I had distanced myself and we had not spoken since.

So right now her arms around me felt like standing in the center of a storm of emotions I could not even name.

I glanced over at Mikhail. He stood by the car with his arms crossed and the faintest amused tilt on his lips.

He looked like he was watching two feral cats awkwardly reconcile.

I looked back at Natasha. "Um... is Father around"

Natasha sniffed and nodded. "Oh yes. Robert is inside."

Before I could even move myself she grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me along.

"Come. You need to see him. He has been in his room all morning. Brooding. Refusing to speak to anyone. Not even me. You showing up will bring him back to himself."

"Okay" I said.

My voice was small even to my own ears.

We stepped inside the house and every staff member paused mid movement. A woman with a broom froze. A man carrying folded sheets stopped mid step. Someone dropped a feather duster.

All of them stared at me with wide eyes.

They looked at me like I was a ghost walking through the front door.

Because honestly who comes home after being declared dead?

×××××

Natasha had gone upstairs to call my father downstairs while I sat waiting on the sofa. A staff member slipped in quickly with the warm milk I had asked for and a plate of muffins. The moment the aroma hit me something came forth strongly. I devoured everything like I had been starved for years.

Honestly I probably had been.

My chewing was loud enough to echo and make me look like I belonged in the cavemen era.

Mikhail watched me with this calm and amusement in his eyes.

"Sorry I did not mean to chew that loudly. It is just..."

"Eat. Be as loud or unruly as you want Adeline"

Was it me or was his slightly Russian edged voice huskier than before?

"T Thanks for not minding"

He nodded and went back to simply watching me.

He dismissed the staff right after and told them to head upstairs because their stares were making me uncomfortable. Unlike his.

They gave apologetic nods before disappearing.

I took a long drink from the cup. Warm milk never tasted that good before. I offered it to him but he shook his head and said he was not hungry.

My eyes drifted to him between bites.

He looked different. Younger somehow.

Softer at the edges even though he was still cold in that familiar way but less rigid than the man I remembered. Something must have fleshed him over the years and part of me wanted to ask what. But the question stuck inside my throat.

When I shoved the last muffin into my mouth I heard footsteps coming down the stairs with no hesitation.

I turned toward the staircase. Natasha appeared first and behind her rushing down with more desperation than dignity was my father.

He looked like he had not slept in days. His eyes were red and his physique was somehow slopey.

I had not expected to see him again so soon and so automatically my nerves struck.

"Father"

Everything paused for me.

Time. Breath. Space. Etcetera.

Seeing him in the flesh after three years hit me harder than revival ever could. My throat tightened and my eyes burned. I bowed my head.

"Father," I whispered again.

He stared at me like I was a ghost he wanted to believe in but could not trust.

"I do not know what deal you made with the devil to revive you"

I shook my head. "I did not make any deal"

He opened his mouth. Closed it again. I opened it once more.

Mikhail stepped forward. "Should we give you two a moment"

"No" My father’s voice was emotional and hoarse. "Stay. I need witnesses. I need to be sure this is not a wraith wearing my daughter’s skin"

The word daughter hit me harder than anything else.

I had not heard him call me that in so long

I wanted to hug him. My body leaned toward him on instinct. But I did not have the right. Not after everything I had done. So I kept my hands at my sides and stared at the floor between us.

I cleared my throat and wiped furiously at my eyes.

"You were right about Conrad. All along you were right about him"

My gaze moved from Mikhail to Natasha then finally back to my father.

"I did not fall from the terrace. Conrad pushed me”

ADELINE'S POV

By the time I was done narrating everything that had led up until my death, my father, Mikhail, Natasha were all shocked.

"The bloody murderer." Nash whispered, shaking her head.

“The worst part about everything is that I never even saw this coming,” I said, and all their eyes turned back to me. “I mean… Fara. I never suspected for a second that she was Conrad’s daughter. There is a bit of resemblance, yes, but I always thought it was because she was his late sister’s child you know.”

“And the Mal case,” I continued, “I haven't seen him getting close with any other women so I couldn't even have the suspicion that he got married to another woman.”

I looked at Natasha. “You are the best with social media. Digging and stuff. Can you help me figure out who this Mal person is?"

Her phone was already in her hand.

“Absolutely.”

A flurry of taps followed and her brows drew together.

She turned the screen toward me.

“No. No way.”

“This is insane.”

Conrad Basquire. Married for two years, to Malinda Stewart.

Malinda Stewart. My high school bully. The girl who tormented me for years, followed me into college, made my life a full-time horror film. And Conrad had always been the one who defended me from her.

My father was beyond pissed.

“He deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life.”

I turned to Mikhail,

"Is it possible for me to change quickly and for you to take me to the news station. I want to make a statement. I want to expose Conrad publicly. I want the entire press and every social media outlet to hear the truth from my mouth.”

Mikhail nodded.

"I will be sending my full security team with you. And I will come along.”

I shook my head. “No, Dad. Please. Rest.”

Natasha immediately backed me up. “She is right. You have barely eaten. Now that you have seen your daughter alive, you need to eat. I will have the chef make you something quickly.”

Father hesitated but then sat down, I could tell he was indeed very hungry.

Natasha turned to me. “Your room is still the same. Cleaned, stocked, everything is fresh. I think you should go and shower. Change, and yeah...we will move from there.”

I felt comfort at that.

“Thank you.”

Mikhail rose to his feet. “I will run home and change,” he said. “I have a patient I must check on quickly. But I will return while the sun is high. Then we will go together to the station.”

Our eyes met, and for a heartbeat I noticed for the first time just how... raw they were.

If that made any sense.

××××

[CHANNEL 37B2 — AJAX NEWS REPORT]

This was an entrance and I had to make sure everyone felt it. Natasha had practically yelled at me in the car, telling me to go big, to milk every second of this, to make sure the world knew I was alive and that Conrad Basquire’s empire of lies was crumbling.

The headlines had been insane already

“The Heiress Rises From the Dead,” “Deal With the Devil? She is Back,”people were already spinning stories and I intended to make good use of this social media heat.

I stepped out of the car, and the sunlight caught the deep red of my lipstick. My hair was in ringlets, my dress was black and perfect. My security detail flanked me, and Mikhail followed close behind.

The channel had been briefed, and they were more than ready. A woman who had died and come back to life, who wouldn’t want that story?

The podium was already waiting, the cameras were flashing and reporters crowded around. I mounted the podium, gripping the edges tightly, taking in the sea of faces staring up at me.

I held the mic, and the room fell almost completely silent.

“Conrad is a corn,” I blurted out.

The words left my mouth wrong, and the laughter that broke out from the crowd was loud.

“That came out wrong,” I adjusted my stance and spoke again, clearly this time, “Conrad Basquire is a con man.”

The room exploded. Reporters shouted over each other, some shocked, some skeptical.

One raised a mic, pointing it at me. “Are you saying Conrad Basquire is a con man?”

“Yes,” I said, holding my ground. “And I have a story to tell, a story the public deserves to know.”

I began to recount my experiences. I told them about the lies, the fake foundation, the stolen money, the betrayal, and how Conrad had pushed me from the terrace, how he had suffocated me.

“Wait,” someone shouted. “Are you saying he pushed you off a terrace and suffocated you to finish the job? That’s criminal!”

“Yes,” I said, shaking my head. “And that foundation he ran? All lies. All a con to steal from investors and manipulate people. I believed in him once and i trusted him. I was wrong.”

A reporter stepped forward, skeptical, waving his mic.

“How do we know you weren't part of this fake foundation scam? And your so called death isn't as a result of collaboration gone wrong?”

“For the past five years, all I have done is to support Conrad and do the right thing. I believed in him. I even used my own money, and additionally stole from my father, because I thought the foundation concept was real. I did not know about the lies until it was too late.”

The next question came.

“How did you survive if you were proclaimed dead?”

I looked around at all the faces.

“I don’t know how I survived. But I’m here, and I’m exposing the truth. Conrad Basquire is a criminal, and his wife, Malinda Stewart, who was my bully in high school and college, married him despite knowing everything. They are partners in deceit, and now the world will—”

Phones started dinging, notifications blowing up across social media.

I felt Mikhail’s hand on my back.

“What is happening?”

“You’re going to want to see this,” he said.

“What?”

“Conrad is live on Instagram right now,” he said. “And you will not believe the things he is saying.”

Adeline's POV

My heart skipped a couple of beats as he said the words. I didn't want to believe it but his voice had been hard, a warning that this wasn't a game.

My eyes went to the press around me. They didn't have their attention on me anymore, something else had grabbed it and I knew it was his live. They were all staring down at something on their phones.

I felt his hands on my shoulders again, heavy but telling. “We have to leave this place now. There can be no further clearing of names. He's shattering everything you've been trying to build here” he whispered strongly into my ears.

My hands began to shake where they had been still. This couldn't be happening to me, not after everything. I had been through so much, the injuries and the heartbreak. How would Conrad ruin everything in just seconds of a live stream?

I was still thinking when I felt myself move. It was Mikhail, he was leading me off the stage slowly and gently. But I didn't want to move, I didn't want to run, not again, I had done that before. I would be a coward to let him do it again.

"No,” I said to him, standing my ground. We weren't facing the press anymore, our backs had been turned to them now, the no had left my mouth easier.

Mikhail's face twisted into shock, "What do you mean by no? The live started, he's spitting so many lies. These vultures are going to do so much when he's done"

He was right, I knew he was but I didn't want to leave. It would be giving another win to Conrad. He would think I was scared and who knew, it might even symbolize to the public that his lies were true.

"And if I leave, they're going to find it easier to believe him. They'll think I ran because I couldn't stand the heat of the truth. I can't let him win again” I insisted.

He gave me a look, not totally understanding but a little less strong, "And you can't stay here either, at least not right now. We have to know everything he's saying, we have to see it for ourselves. I don't think it should hold now”

I knew he was right even if a part of me wanted to fight against it.,was one thing to bolt at the mention of the live but it was another to state our exit. “Then we tell them that. We don't let them form a reason but give them the right one instead”

His face morphed into an impressed look. "You're right, a minute. That's all I can give you. Get this done and we leave now” he let my hands go and I took a deep breath before turning around.

I stepped back towards the podium, hands shaking with nervousness but mind strengthened. I wouldn't fall at the slightest pressure Conrad placed on me, no - his empire would fall instead. I cleared my throat and began, "I'd like to announce my exit. I've got to deal with the current situation but this press conference will still hold”

It was as if my voice had brought them back from wherever they had been. They all looked up from their phones, "When will this be ma'am?” One of them asked.

My eyes closed for a moment, there had to be a definitive date but I didn't think there was. Not until so much had been dealt with and so far, nothing had been dealt with. “The day and date will be communicated to you through my team" I paused, “Thank you"

The questions began as soon as I turned away, asking me if he was speaking the truth. Asking why I hadn't defended myself and so much more. It broke me that I couldn't say anything, not yet at least but I eventually would.

Mikhail took my hands as he led me off the stage, through the back to where the cars had been parked. “Get in" he said quickly, leaving me at the door as he went around the other side. Of course I did as he asked, there wasn't really a choice and nowhere else to go.

Once we were inside the car, we sped off and into the night back home. My heart raced in my chest, "Is the live still on?” I asked him.

He looked at me as if he wasn't sure what to say- the truth or not. “Yes, it has but my people say it hasn't really taken off. He's waiting for so many people to join it."

I had to know, “How many people are there now"

He looked hesitant, taking a moment before he answered me, “Two million"

I felt my heart stop for a moment, it felt like a knife going through me. Two million was more than enough to destroy my reputation, my father's and even his and somehow he was still waiting for me? I shook my head, “How could he"

He was about to speak when the car stopped. I looked to see that we had arrived home. Mikhail didn't wait for me to say anything, he was out of the car in a flash and on my side already. His eyes searched the compound as he helped me off the car, probably being cautious that the media hadn't found its way in.

We rushed inside where father was already seated, along with Mikhail's assistant and his - Jake and Donald. Everyone looked struck by the image on the screen. It was Conrad. He had dressed up in a suit which was laughable since it was an Instagram live, his eyes were downcast and I knew that look. It was the same look I had suffered for years whenever he told me one heart wrenching lie or the other.

The view bar increased and I was observing as it rose to 2.6 million when I felt a hand on my waist. It was soft, jolting me from thoughts, “Take a seat" Mikhail said, not even waiting for my agreement or disagreement as he led me to the chairs there.

Father looked at me for a moment, his face had fallen and I hated that I was the cause of it. They softened at the edges for a moment, “Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded, “I'm worried about you" I said back, I wasn't the only one who was at stake here. And my downfall had been the cause of my stupidity - something that my father shouldn't have to suffer from.

He shook his head and whispered back, “Don't worry about me"

It was the throat clearing that brought us back to the live showing on the television. The views had increased in less than five minutes, they had hit 3.5 million and they were still increasing.

He began to speak, “Just like I said before, I'll be debunking whatever stories she's begun to tell and reveal the truth on this live. I will not let my years of hard work go down the drain due to a pitiful story told by a scorned woman" the expression on his face was purely vile.

I couldn't believe it, the man standing in front of me. Even though he had tried to really kill me, it surprised me that he was doing this. He was pretending to the world like I hadn't been the one to champion his success. I had been the funds to his frivolities but now I was simply a “scorned woman" I felt my heart squeeze in pain.

The views had increased to four million and he officially began, “A few days ago, something happened. And yes, I will admit my fault” his voice was low and so were his eyes, it was as if he had done some magic and turned the fire off. He looked like a grieving man at that moment.

"A betrayal of mine revealed itself, I had cheated on Adeline. And although it happened only once, with one woman, it broke her or at least that was what I thought”

The lies had already begun. He hadn't done it once, he hadn't done it as a mistake. It had been a well thought out plan and the fire that had left his eyes began to simmer in my veins.

"But then can that betrayal justify the pain she wants to cause to me? Can it justify the planning she carried to ruin my empire?” His question went unanswered but the comments had already begun to pour in.

The world was not silent.