Chapter 009- Old Scars: The Heiress and the Gangsters

"Quiet down! There's a car coming," the leader responded, clearly filled with fear.

"Should we make a run for it, boss? I think I see the contreal night patrol police," the other two members asked, their hearts pounding in their chests.

''Shut the hell up and let me focus," the leader snapped as he raised his pistol, aiming it toward the oncoming car.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, quickly lowering the pistol. "That's definitely not a police van. It's something else entirely.''

"Wow, look at that! It's a BMW M760i," the second member exclaimed excitedly as they all watched the car advancing towards them.

"This is not good, guys," the third member also exclaimed, eyeing his colleagues with intensity. "I'm willing to bet that only one person in Contreal city owns this car.''

As the car finally came to a stop in front of them, the trio chorused simultaneously, "The Great Mrs, Madame Eliza Reed!''

''Ho ho, she's not the one,''

The three gangsters were in awe as they watched Ablaze open the car door for Heiress Diane. She gracefully stepped out, her commanding aura making them wish the ground would swallow them immediately.

The Raubtier guys have executed questionable and scandalous tasks for Heiress Diane's mother, Madame Eliza, in the past. Diane, having seen them at the Reed Estate on a few occasions, didn't find them unfamiliar.

Diane confronted the leader by calling his name, Timo, reminding him of his promise to her mom. "I thought you promised my mom to quit this dirty job, Timo,'' Meanwhile, Ablaze and Tempête rushed to help Logan, who was writhing in agony.''

"We apologize, Heiress. Please don't let your mom know about this," Timo pleaded, his stern expression starting to soften.

Diane's hand waved frantically in the air as she struggled to maintain an awkward look on her face. "No, my mother will most certainly hear about this, you guys were meant to be in Germany, starting a new life with the identities my mother had arranged for you. Instead, you chose to stay here, and now my step-brother has been hurt because of it…..''

Timo and his two partners in crime fell silent, their pleas abruptly halted as they turned to look at Logan with confusion, then back to Diane.

"He is your stepbrother? We should have taken care of him 23 years ago when your grandfather sent him and his mother running!" Timo said as the other two guys let out wicked laughs.

Diane shoved Timo aside, her irritation and shock boiling over. ''Shut up, Timo. What on earth are you talking about...?''

"Don't you dare try to shut him up, woman," Logan roared as Diane's guards attempted to help him stand. "Mr. Timo, please continue,''

"Absolutely, kid," Timo confirmed with a nod. "Heiress Diane’s Mother-Madame Eliza specifically instructed us to track you and your mum down on the day you were forced to leave the Reed family estate. But your mum managed to escape with you, and we couldn't locate you," Timo explained, showing no hint of remorse in his tone.

''Did you hear that? You, Grandpa Dom, and your mom can have all the money in the world but mark my words, Diane. One day, you'll all come crawling to me in desperation," Logan declared before limping away.

Diane's heart raced as she watched Logan limp away in agony. She knew she had to stop him. "Wait, Logan, please! It's not what you think…”

"Why are you pleading with him, Heiress? We can help you finish him off," Timo said as Diane impatiently pushed him aside.

"Shut up, Timo. See what you've caused," Diane snapped as she chased after Logan, her guards following suit.

"Look, there he is at that store!" Tempête exclaimed, pointing eagerly as they all quickened their pace toward the store.

Diane panted as she ran after Logan, who was visibly stressed and bleeding. ''Logan, why are you pushing yourself so hard? You're covered in blood and now you're trying to buy malaria medicine. Please don't tell me you're attempting to self-medicate,'' she exclaimed.

Logan furrowed his brows and gave Diane a once-over. "Excuse me, but could you please move out of my way?" he said and continued walking away without waiting for a response.

As Diane watched Logan vanish into the night, frustration gnawed at her. She seethed with anger, powerless to persuade him to return home and claim what was rightfully his.

She chuckled, "Stonehearted, just like Grandpa Dom.''

"Should we go after him once more, Heiress?" Ablaze inquired as he noticed Diane's evident frustration.

"Let him go a little further, then follow him. Make sure he doesn't see you and don't lose sight of him," Diane replied as she extended her hand to Tempête to hand over her handbag.

Tempête and Ablaze watched her fingers sift through the contents of the bag, they came across a sleek, midnight-black card. Adorned with a subtle silver insignia, the card emanated an air of sophistication and authority.

She couldn't help but admire its design before hesitantly passing it over to Tempête.

Tempête, the loyal guard who had been with the Reed family since the time of Diane's late father, Sir Thomas Reed, instantly identified the card by its substantial weight.

It's the premium transaction card, the key to exclusive access in Heralzia. Connected to all the banks and can unlock seamless transactions and entry to the most sought-after locations in the country.

"Heiress, this is the premium black card. I've seen your late dad use it on rare occasions. Why have you given it to me?" Tempête asked, clearly puzzled.

"Glad you recognized it," Diane nodded in satisfaction. "There are a whopping 15 billion dollars in that card. I'll leverage my influence to extract his account details from the Central Bank of Heralzia and transfer a generous three hundred million dollars to his account before you get to his place. That should easily convince him, he's suffered enough to refuse this offer.'' Diane explained with determination.

The guards nodded solemnly and bowed as they prepared to leave for the outskirts of Contreal City. Suddenly, Tempête turned around sharply.

"How can we let you drive home alone at this late hour, ma'am?" Tempête insisted, with Ablaze nodding in agreement.

"Hmm, Tempête," Diane sighed, impressed by Tempête's compassionate nature. "I'll make it home before midnight," she reassured herself, appearing worn out and anxious after tirelessly scouring the city for her stepbrother.

"Heiress, please allow us to take you home. You look tired already. Young master Logan can wait until tomorrow morning, after all. Her honor, Madame Eliza, will surely rip our heads off and serve them to the vultures if anything happens to you," Ablaze also insisted as he stretched his hand, offering to take her handbag.

''Alright guys, if you insist, but…'' Diane started to say before Tempête interrupted her.

"There's nothing to be disappointed about, Heiress," Tempête said as the trio walked back to where the car was parked. "One day, you will eventually prove to your mum that you successfully convinced Master Logan to continue your father's legacy.''

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*Emerald cottages, outskirts of Contreal City*

Logan walked home in a daze.

Just a few steps from the door of his cozy, kiosk-shaped cottage, he paused to inspect his shirt for any signs of blood. He wanted to assure his mother that everything was okay and avoid causing her unnecessary worry.

"I would just lie to her that I drank a lot of wine and it ended up spilling on my shirt," Logan thought to himself. As he was about to turn the doorknob to open the door, he heard his mother's faint voice. It sounded like she was pleading with someone.

"We've never had a visitor. Who is Mother speaking with inside? She seems to be pleading with someone. Who is my mother begging!?" Logan was about to barge into the house when he suddenly had a second thought; he decided to eavesdrop.