CHAPTER 25
Author: Eaglewoman20
last update Last Updated: 2024-05-25 20:04:15

Claire checked her phone again to be sure that Arthur had really texted her. He apologised for not responding to her texts for weeks and not picking up her calls. He promised to make it up to her during the weekend. She almost yelled,yelled, but quickly kept quiet. She was in bed in a motel with Mark,Mark, who was snoring away his life. She couldn’t believe her life had changed in just four days. No more new dresses, fat allowances,allowances, and making headlines. It was like a fairy tale, only that it was real for her.

She sent a text to Arthur, thanking him for giving her another chance. She was going to ditch Mark’s plan of dealing with Arthur and focus on getting enough cash from Arthur to return to her lifestyle. She wasn’t born for poverty! Never!

She jerked Mark up. It was morning already,already, but he still had the guts to sleep! They barely had enough due to Mark’s ruthless spending since his parents threw him out. He could make amends if he asked for forgiveness from h
Continue to read this book on the App

Related Chapters

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 26

    Forrest County was pretty busy with cops all over the place. They seemed to be working on an important case and paid no attention to Arthur except for a few who stopped to greet him. He walked straight to the chief’s office, exchanged greetings, and had small talks about home, work, and family. He also wanted to know if Diana and Graceila had been making trouble. Arthur affirmed it and proceeded to tell him about the little drama earlier today. The Chief also spoke about their little drama after Arthur gave an order not to allow them to see Marianna.‘You should have seen her face. If I hadn’t threatened to lock her up, she would have slapped a cop and maybe scratched my face. She was so real with her threats.’Arthur smiled. That wasn’t news. Diana seemed to be the most vicious of the three sisters, but maybe it was just a way to cover her weaknesses. After today’s episode, he needed to be careful. There was also Lambert Joe to worry about, but first, he had to take care of Marianna

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 27

    Mark turned the bed over. Where was Claire? He yelled her name three times with no response. He stood up immediately. He had been asleep all day and only woke up when she shook him up to eat. He checked the time. It was one o’clock. Wow. That means he had slept all day. He felt like a loser immediately. This was his fourth day of being jobless and cut off from his family. His dad had closed down all their joint accounts and ordered nobody in the family to help. He had stated that Mark has to learn one way or the other. His mother reached out and told him to beg his father. Mark refused. He will rather suffer than beg the wicked man. He had told his mother. He warned her not to call him again and blocked her number immediately. He hated them.Claire still held hope his father would look for him, but Mark knew better; the man would want him to return to him on his knees. He picked up a shirt and wore it. The mirror showed him a different version of himself. He looked broken. This wasn’

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 28

    Three days in the hospital, and Arthur was already annoying the nurses with his frequent questions on when they would be discharging him from the hospital. It was a shoulder wound and a mild concussion to his head. He was fine already, but they didn’t see it. He had canceled his meet-up with Claire and rescheduled his plans for Mark. That decision had hurt him, but he had to stay alive to be able to deal with Mark properly. One thing that placed smiles on his face were Diana and Gabriella, who showed up every day at his room door, trying to get in but were escorted out of the hospital every time. His aunts and some people from the Craig clan who he didn’t know had visited him and tried to make him release Marianna. She had spent four days in jail and wasn’t eating well. He didn’t care. She had an option, and if she was wise, she would stick to it, as he had told them already.Uncle Derrick and a few others stood by his decision, and that was all he needed. The rest could keep whinin

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 29

    Claire stepped out of the limousine, smiling widely. This was the life she had always wanted, and finally, Arthur was making it come true. She smiled, taking his hands. People turned, staring at them. Men gawked at her stunning figure, which the gold strapless dress helped to boost. She was going to be on every major magazine headline, and when Mark saw it, he was going to realize that she wasn’t joking with her threat. If he wanted to win her back, he had to do better than Arthur.Arthur opened the door for her, and she stepped in, ignoring the guard's greetings. A few days ago, they wouldn’t have looked twice at her or allowed her into the Silverstone Suites, but here she was, walking in with her ex-husband. She felt a bit hurt that this affluence and popularity were just for today, but since Arthur had agreed to pay her for her time, she had to flow with it.A waitress walked towards them and showed them their table. It was in the front row where most of the big figures were seated

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 30

    Arthur took another sip of coffee as he read the headlines trending crazily in newspapers, magazines, and specialized magazines. Everyone was talking about the triple embarrassment of the Morgans. He smiled. It was a small win, but he was getting there. Claire had shown up in New Jersey and was currently working with his cleaners. She didn’t want to do it, but the watery offer of a house and fifty thousand dollars was too much to resist. He knew he was being unfair, but she turned into a piece of trash, and if not for his late father, he would probably be on the streets or die all because of her.He stood up and walked outside. A vehicle stopped. Uncle Derrick stepped out with Diana. Interesting. She had probably cried her way into Uncle Derrick’s place and brought him to help change Arthur’s mind. She was wasting her time. He had said what he needed to say about Marianna’s case. He had other pressing matters, like ensuring Lambert Joe got arrested before the old man tried to kill hi

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 31

    The business meeting went longer than Arthur expected. There was a situation. Sammy Frank had moved in on a contract deal with one of the commercial banks. The advertising team was supposed to sign an advertising deal with them, but Sammy had outsmarted the team. Everyone was pissed off, especially the managing directors. He promised them he would try to sort out the situation, but inwardly he knew they had lost the contract. He had to figure out a way to deal with Sammy Frank. The annoying man had gone too far. He returned to his office and made another complaint. Marianna hadn’t shown up for work. That young lady was looking for trouble. He shifted her from his thoughts and focused on accomplishing his tasks for today. His voicemails played ten times while he was working. It was a familiar voice. An emotional Claire begs for her job back and a place in his life. Mark hadn’t allowed her into the room, and she was at Susan’s place. Arthur chuckled. So, she knew how to beg? Her sorro

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 32

    Claire knocked for the umpteenth time, but there was still no response. She knew Mark was in. The motel manager had informed her that he hadn't left his room since she left two weeks ago. She stared at her suitcase and sighed. Susan’s fiance and her parents came visiting, so she had to leave to give them space. She knocked again and finally sat on the floor. Whenever Mark decides to step out, he will meet her outside. She sighed as she thought about how her fate had changed within one week. Everything had happened so fast that she couldn’t change a thing about it. Arthur was no longer picking up her calls, and she had lost a luxurious house and fifty thousand dollars, all because of her greed. It was too late to weep anyway. She had to find another way to continue her trending lifestyle, and according to Susan, Mark was the perfect solution. He loved her so much and wouldn’t hesitate to accept her back once she apologized. She stood up again and knocked—nothing.Night came quickly, a

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   CHAPTER 33

    Arthur checked his closet again and moaned. He hadn’t done enough shopping since he became the King of the Craig family and all his father’s clothes had been inherited by different family relatives. He had been grieving to fight for them or stop them from taking the clothes. He glanced at his wrist watch . There was still time for him to make a stop at Vintage stores. The most classic store in the universe. He had always wanted to purchase outfits from there but Claire had been his priority. He sighed. Her betrayal still hurted him even though he had started his revenge plan.She had returned to Mark and as expected, the hopeless romantic had accepted her with open hands. They were the hottest couple now in the company and he received daily updates on how Mark had been flashing cash around. Arthur suspected Mark was stealing from the company but he wasn’t going to start any investigat\ion yet. Mark had to enjoy the taste of wealth before he crashed and Arthur would be there to serve h

Latest Chapter

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 50

    Maxine’s family was known to throw the biggest parties in society. They were the lords of the hospitality world, owning the biggest hotels and resorts in the country. No one dared to cross them, not even the Qing family. The Maxine’s were the usual Russian family who stuck together and defended their blood to their last breaths. They were respected, feared, accepted, and loved in society. Arthur ran his fingers across the invitation card and threw it into his drawer. He wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world. Maxine’s family was a close acquaintance to his father, but he hadn’t been able to officially see and introduce himself to them. He had gained a lot of enemies, but it would also be nice he had some friends apart from Jim and a few others.He picked up his glass of champagne, strode into his room, and in a few minutes, he was dressed. He dropped instructions with the bodyguard and warned him not to allow Marianna and her sisters into the house. She had been scarce after th

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 49

    Mark woke up, feeling tired and hungry. He turned, looking into Claire’s sleepy face, and stroked it. She was even more beautiful asleep. He kissed her and stood up from the bed. He had a series of meetings and a dinner reservation with one of his father’s old clients. They were trying to complete a deal without going through the company’s normal processes.His father wouldn’t approve if he heard about it, but Mark wasn’t bothered. He was tired of eating from the hands of Arthur Craig. He stepped into the shower, thinking about how he was going to get the Qing’s siblings contact from his mother. One way or the other, he was going to get it.An hour later, he was settled at the dining table, watching the housekeeper as she arranged the table. He instructed her to leave and served himself. He wasn’t bothered when she muttered something underneath her breath and walked away. Once the deal was completed with the old client, he was going to move out of his father’s glorious mansion. The di

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 48

    Arthur read through the report Uncle Derrick had sent via mail concerning the unknown number that had threatened him days ago. According to the report, it was from a burner phone, and the number couldn’t be traced to anybody living or alive. He threw the report into the trash can, lit a matchstick, and threw it in. He would have to be more careful next time he received such messages. He unlocked a drawer, pulled out a new phone, and switched it on. Uncle Derrick had advised he got a new device and changed his lines to a private one, which will only be reachable by a handful—Uncle Derrick, Jim, his secretary, and trusted contacts. So, if he received disturbing text messages, he could easily trace them.He scrolled through the phone contact list to review the numbers, and after a few minutes, he called a few people and discussed business and contracts. An hour later, he strolled out of the library for lunch. The housekeeper greeted him as he settled to enjoy a quiet lunch alone. He did

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 47

    Mark ignored his father’s secretary's raised eyebrow as he barged into his father’s office. He was really angry. How could his father change his mind on Claire’s appointment? His father knew this was the only way he could watch the activities of Claire and ensure she didn’t run off to meet Arthur again. ‘Dad, I thought we agreed that Claire would resume here today? What happened?’ Mark asked, stifling his anger.His father sighed, dropping the tablet he had been engrossed with. ‘It’s not good for the business, Mark. She’s Arthur's ex-wife, and I am not sure Arthur would be happy to see her working here.’Mark chuckled, not believing what his father said. ‘You are afraid of Arthur, Dad? I can’t believe this. We are supposed to be figuring out ways on how to retrieve the company from Arthur, but here you are trying to destroy every plan I have made concerning the move.’‘I still don’t understand how employing Claire here will help your plans. Mark, don’t push this any further. We aren’

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 46

    Arthur Craig walked into the conference room slowly, measuring his steps as he thought about the app the company was building to tackle the losses they were currently facing. If he hadn’t been carried away with the activities of his step sisters and the Qing family, he would have known his employees were doing everything to make the CEO’s job a difficult and frustrating one. He nodded at the few managers who could muster the courage to greet him and settled at the head of the table. He nodded at Uncle Derrick to start the meeting while he fell into his chair to listen. A few members were given termination letters, while others received severe warnings. Uncle Derrick also acknowledged the efforts of everyone and introduced the project plan we had created for the Venus Project. It was a digital project, and we were expected to build a loan app that worked almost like a bank app. Uncle Derrick explained everything, and Arthur chipped in one or two things to clarify certain terms. Some

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 45

    Claire read the message again and screamed, resisting the urge to throw her phone. How could Arthur send this to her and block her number? He was literally laughing at her embarrassment at that pathetic fundraising ball. Her eyes burned with rage and hate when she remembered everything that happened. The manager of the store called her a thief when a celebrity modelling agent was about to recruit her to join his firm. She had been so upset that she lost control and called the middle-aged woman all sorts of names.Mark had tried to stop her, but she had lost her control. The manager insulted her family, Mark, and reminded her why Arthur had left her for beauties with brains and self-respect. That last statement had stinged so much, and she jumped on the manager, pulling her hair and giving her slaps. She didn’t care that the photographers, guests, and Mark’s parents were watching her.She adjusted on the couch and placed the ice bag properly on her swollen cheek, which hurt the more af

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 44

    Arthur dragged the bag and her into the house. He couldn’t believe she would try again to disobey his orders and steal from him. Uncle Derrick was right after all. He shouldn’t have let his guards down. He pushed her to the chair and dropped the bag on the table. ‘Start talking. Why did you steal my money?’ She glared at him, her smooth hair in disarray. ‘I am not going to answer you, Arthur. It’s our money, not just yours, and I needed it to take care of my personal needs. You reduced my salary and demoted me from my position. My circle doesn’t give me the respect that I want because I am not as rich as I used to be because of you.’ He chuckled. ‘So, you would rather steal from me, huh? I am going to take that job from you so that you can learn a little lesson.’ ‘You wouldn’t do that, Arthur. I am barely able to meet up with my personal needs. I am sorry.’ she said, sniffing a bit. Her hard glare had fallen, but he knew she was lying. No matter how many times he forgave her, sh

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 43

    ‘Won’t you be attending the fundraising event? Claire and Mark would be there. I am sure you have one or two things to tell them.’ Uncle Derrick said, pouring wine into his almost filled glass.Arthur shook his head, taking his empty space near him. ‘I am not going. The Qing’s family will be coming. Also, the marbles. I can’t walk into a trap when I don’t have a plan. It would be a stupid move.’Uncle Derrick nodded. ‘Alright. Where are your sisters?’He shrugged. ‘Probably at the event. They have been on the low, and I think I like it. Their chaos is disturbing and not good for the company’s image.’‘Your sisters have accepted they can't bully you or make you drop your position as the Craig’s heir. However, you shouldn’t let your guard down. They also have their mother’s blood, and I remember their mother was someone who didn’t give up easily.Arthur looked up. ‘What happened between my dad and their mother? I know she brought an illegitimate son, but is that all to it?’Uncle Derric

  • THE RISE OF THE SECRET HEIR   

    CHAPTER 42

    Claire used her card again. It was still saying the same thing. Insufficient funds. How could Mark not fund her card when he knew she was supposed to buy an outfit for the fundraiser event in Washington, D.C.?She smiled at the patient sales attendant and promised to return the outfit later in the day. She wasn’t going to let Mark embarrass her. She boarded a taxi home, and all through the journey, she cursed and regretted ever leaving Arthur. If she had stayed, getting the $8,000 dress wouldn’t have been a problem, but thanks to her taste for a better life, she left him. Now, see where that got her? An unbearable lifestyle with Mark and his parents. It was annoying that they didn’t own Morgan Inc. fully anymore. It was more unfortunate that they had to sell Mark’s home and move into his parents home. Mark had justified his action by saying the money was needed for the new business his father was working on. She had given up on arguing with him. The taxi driver stopped in front of M